Friday, February 28, 2025

#322 Karl Olson - Washington Nationals


Karl Arthur Olson
Washington Nationals
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'3"  Weight:  205
Born:  July 6, 1930, Ross, CA
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1951, 1953-55; Washington Nationals 1956 Washington Senators 1957; Detroit Tigers 1957
Died:  December 25, 2010, Reno, NV (age 80)

Karl Olson was a back-up outfielder in parts of six big league seasons with the Red Sox, Nationals/Senators and Tigers.  He appeared in five games for the Red Sox in 1951, and then missed the entire 1952 season while in military service during the Korean War.  Olson appeared in 101 games for the Red Sox in 1954, making 44 starts, and being used primarily as a pinch-hitter or late inning defensive replacement for Ted Williams (#5) in left or Jim Piersall (#143) in right.  Dealt to the Nationals in November 1955 as part of a nine-player deal, he'd have his strongest season in 1956.  Olson was the club's opening day center fielder, and he'd play in a career-high 106 games for the 95-loss Nationals.  Batting .246, Olson collected hit his career bests for both home runs (four) and RBIs (22).

He'd play in just 16 more major league games following the 1956 season, spending most of 1957 playing for the Tigers' farm teams in Charleston and Birmingham.  In 279 games, Olson batted .235 with 25 doubles, six home runs and 50 RBIs.

August 1989 - Trip to Cooperstown
Building the Set
August 13, 1989 in Bridgeton, NJ - Card #89
We went nuts at the Bridgeton Baseball Card Show in August 1989, buying 12 different cards for our 1956 Topps set, all at $1.50 a piece.  That's an impressive haul for $18!

I have no other information on the location of this show, other than it was held in the nearby city of Bridgeton, New Jersey.  What I do have however is the checklist I brought with us to the show.  I believe this is the second full checklist we carried around, having retired the prior version I created in 1988 and posted with the William Harridge (#1) card.

Just looking at this checklist (shown here) brings back fond memories of finding the cards, deciding to make a purchase, negotiating a price and then finding a flat surface so that we could cross off the newest additions.

The Card / Nationals Team Set
We've got a rare, third series trifecta with Olson's card, given Topps had used the exact same photo of Olson on his 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.  They did have to replace the "B" on his hat with a "W" for this 1956 card, however.  Olson looks absolutely massive in the action shot, sliding back into first base after presumably a pick-off throw from the pitcher.  The cartoon panels on the back of the card highlight his minor league success, his .260 average in 1954 and his arrival in Washington during the 1955 offseason.

1956 Season
As summarized above, this was to be Olson's best season.  He made 75 starts in center field (Whitey Herzog had 79) and five starts in left field.  On opening day against the Yankees, Olson connected for a pair of home runs off Don Larsen (#332), but Mickey Mantle (#135) countered with two home runs of his own, leading the Yankees to a 10-4 victory.

1952 Topps #72
1954 Topps #186
1955 Topps #72
1957 Topps #153

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #72
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1952, 1954-57
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-KO

11 - Olson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/23/25.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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Friday, February 21, 2025

#321 Jim Konstanty - New York Yankees


Casimir James Konstanty
New York Yankees
Pitcher


Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  202
Born:  March 2, 1917, Strykersville, NY
Acquired:  Sent from the Springfield Nationals (Eastern League) to the Cincinnati Reds in an unknown transaction before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1944; Boston Braves 1946; Philadelphia Phillies 1948-54; New York Yankees 1954-56; St. Louis Cardinals 1956
Died:  June 11, 1976, Oneonta, NY (age 59)

To date, Jim Konstanty is the only National League relief pitcher to win MVP honors, a feat he accomplished as the top reliever for the Phillies' 1950 pennant-winning team, the Whiz Kids.  Konstanty pitched briefly for the Reds and Braves in the 1940s, missing the entire 1945 season while serving in the U.S. Navy.  He'd earn a September call-up from the Phillies in 1948, joining the club's bullpen for good in 1949.  His career year came in 1950 when he was 16-7 with a 2.66 ERA while leading the league with 74 relief appearances.  Konstanty threw 152 innings, using a slider and change-up to help him record a league-best 22 saves.  Even though he hadn't started a game in the majors since 1946, Phillies' manager Eddie Sawyer named Konstanty as his starting pitcher for Game 1 of the 1950 World Series against the Yankees.  Konstanty would allow a run over his eight innings of work, but was out-dueled by Vic Raschi in a 1-0 win for the Yankees.  The Phillies would be swept in the series, and not return to the postseason until 1976.

Konstanty received 18 first place votes in the league's MVP voting, with Stan Musial finishing a distant second.  He'd never again repeat the success from that 1950 season, pitching in 3 1/2 more seasons with the Phillies, parts of three seasons with the Yankees and a final 27 games with the Cardinals in 1956.  In 433 big league games, Konstanty was 66-48 with a 3.46 ERA and 76 saves.  He served as a pitching instructor in the Cardinals and Yankees systems throughout the 1960s.

Building the Set
December 25, 1993 from Deptford, NJ - Card #123
On Christmas morning 1993, I unwrapped two cards needed for our 1956 Topps set - this Konstanty card and the Ted Williams (#5) card.  Unfortunately for Konstanty, the addition of the Williams card far out shadowed the addition of his card.  I would have known who Konstanty was, given my interest in the Phillies and their history, and I can vaguely recall not knowing he had ever pitched for the Yankees.  My records show my Dad had secretly purchased this Konstanty card at a Deptford Mall baseball card show held earlier in the fall, paying just $6 for the card.

The Card / Yankees Team Set
This is Konstanty's final appearance in a Topps set during his career, and he'd pop up again in the 1961 Topps set as one of the MVP subset cards.  There's a Yankees teammate making a cameo appearance behind Konstanty, carrying what appears to be a winter coat?  The back of the card highlights his success in 1950 and since joining the Yankees' bullpen.  The final cartoon panel mentions his two important wins down the stretch for the Yankees in 1955, but Konstanty would not appear in the 1955 World Series against the Dodgers.

1956 Season
Konstanty began the season in the Yankees' bullpen, appearing in eight games and pitching to a 4.91 ERA with no record.  The Yankees released him on May 18th, and he'd sign a few weeks later, on June 4th, with the Cardinals.  He'd appear in his final 27 big league games with the Cardinals, going 1-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 27 games, and 39 1/3 innings pitched.

Phillies Career
It's always seemed like a huge oversight to me that Konstanty was never inducted onto the Phillies' Wall of Fame.  His 1950 MVP campaign alone makes him a more likely candidate than some of the recent inductees, but the Phillies probably realize they wouldn't sell many more tickets on a day featuring a pregame ceremony to honor the bespectacled pitcher from the 1950s.

The Phillies acquired Konstanty before the 1948 season as part of a minor league working agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who would soon become the Phillies' Triple-A team.  He appeared in six games, all in relief, in September 1948.  Konstanty was a workhorse coming out of the bullpen for the Phillies between 1949 and the first part of the 1953 season, appearing in 53, 74, 58, 42, 48 and 33 games, in each of those seasons.  1950 was by far his career year, but he'd put up respectable numbers in each season with the Phillies thereafter.  On August 22, 1954, the Yankees selected him off waivers, ending his Phillies career.  Konstanty was 51-39 with a 3.64 ERA and 54 saves in 314 games with the Phillies.

He'd work in the Cardinals' minor league system in the early 1960s, where he's credited with teaching a young Steve Carlton how to master his slider and change-up.  That alone could be worthy of a Phillies Wall of Fame induction.

1950 Bowman #226
1951 Bowman #27
1952 Topps #108
1953 Bowman Black & White #58
1961 Topps #479

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1950 Bowman #226
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1952, 1956, 1961
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1987 TCMA 1950 Philadelphia Phillies #3

47 - Konstanty non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/25.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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Friday, February 14, 2025

#320 Joe Adcock - Milwaukee Braves


Joseph Wilbur Adcock
Milwaukee Braves
First Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'4"  Weight:  210
Born:  October 30, 1927, Coushatta, LA
Signed:  Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Reds 1950-52; Milwaukee Braves 1953-62; Cleveland Indians 1963; Los Angeles Angels 1964; California Angels 1965-66
As a Manager:  Cleveland Indians 1967
Died:  May 3, 1999, Coushatta, LA (age 71)

Blocked at first base by slugger Ted Kluszewski (#25), the Reds tried moving Joe Adcock to left field for the first three seasons of his career.  Adcock was steady at the plate during those years, but wanting to play regularly at first base, he requested and was granted a trade to the Braves.  He'd play ten seasons in Milwaukee, helping the club to National League pennants in 1957 and 1958, and the World Series title in 1958.  Adcock's best season came in 1956 when he batted .291 while reaching career highs in home runs (38) and RBIs (103).  With Henry Aaron (#31) and Eddie Mathews (#107) in the line-up, Adcock was often overlooked, but in his decade with the Braves, he clubbed 239 home runs and drove in 760 runs, hitting at least 20 home runs in six seasons.  On July 31, 1954, he hit four home runs, off four different pitchers, in one game against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field.  Adcock was an All-Star in 1960.

Dealt to the Indians following the 1962 season, Adcock played four more years in the majors.  He'd have a late career resurgence with the early Angels teams, connecting for 18 home runs in his final season in 1966.  Adcock managed the Indians for one season in 1967, with the team finishing in eighth place with a 75-87 record.  In 1,959 games, Adcock batted .277 with 1,832 hits, 336 home runs and 1,122 RBIs.  He's still in the top 100 for many fielding categories for first basemen.  In 2022, Adcock was posthumously inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
Sometime in 1998, no record of purchase - Card #174
This is the fourth and final card in our set that appeared with no record of how or when we acquired it.  Adcock joins the quartet of Joe Astroth (#106), Robin Roberts (#180) and Max Surkont (#209) as the sadly undocumented additions to our collection.  Based on checklists from the time, it looks as if the card was added at some point in 1998, as checklists from 1998 show the card as being needed, while checklists from 1999 and later show the card crossed out.

I entered the work force in the fall of 1997, and 1998 would have been my first full year as a newly hired associate at the biggest accounting firm in the world, Arthur Andersen.  (Some would say the firm was too big to ever fail.)  I would have still been working in Philadelphia at that time, at least through the summer, and likely working anywhere from 50 to 80 hours a week, as was the expectation back then.  Still, it's a little frustrating to have no idea when or how we added this Adcock card to our set, especially as it's in such great shape.

The Card / Braves Team Set
This card marks Adcock's return to Topps sets, as he had appeared exclusively in Bowman sets since 1953.  He wore #9 with the Braves, so the action shot is definitely the slugger crossing home plate.  I was actually able to find the photo from Getty Images, and this is the original caption:  "Milwaukee's Joe Adcock, who got himself into the record books by hitting four homers in yesterday's game against the Dodgers, is shown scoring from second on Johnny Logan's (#136) pop single into left field in today's game at Ebbets Field. Adcock was carried off the field on a stretcher in the fourth inning after being hit in the head by a pitched ball thrown by Clem Labine (#295)."  A quick check of Baseball Reference shows this photo would have been from the Braves-Dodgers game on August 1, 1954.  Braves' pitcher Gene Conley (#17) would plunk Duke Snider (#150) in the fourth inning, and the Braves would have the last laugh, winning the game, 14-6.

The cartoons on the back summarize Adcock missing time in 1955 with a broken arm, and highlight his four home run game agains the Dodgers, along with the home run he hit into the bleachers at the Polo Grounds.  That Polo Grounds home run was his first with the Braves, on April 29, 1953.  Topps reprinted the card in its 2002 Topps Archives set.

1956 Season
As mentioned above, this was Adcock's best season in the majors.  He played in 137 games, making 129 starts at first base, batting second in the line-up for most games.  He finished second in the league in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage with a .597 mark.  Adcock led all first baseman with a .995 fielding percentage, the first of four times in his career he'd lead the league in that category.

1951 Bowman #323
1952 Topps #347
1958 Topps #325
1962 Topps #265
1967 Topps #563

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #323
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (10):  1952, 1956-63, 1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 SP Legendary Cuts #42

133 - Adcock non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/8/25.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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Friday, February 7, 2025

#319 Jack Crimian - Kansas City Athletics


John Melvin Crimian
Kansas City Athletics
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  180
Born:  February 17, 1926, Philadelphia, PA
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1951-52; Kansas City Athletics 1956; Detroit Tigers 1957
Died:  February 11, 2019, Middletown, DE (age 92)

The Philadelphia Phillies signed local product Jack Crimian prior to the 1944 season, but the right-handed pitcher would never suit up for either of the two major league teams then playing in his hometown.  Crimian spent six seasons in the minors, with a year of playing time lost while he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.  He'd earn brief promotions in 1951 and 1952 with the Cardinals, pitching in 16 games, all in relief, but struggling with a 9.24 ERA over 25 1/3 innings pitched.  He'd be back in the minors for three more full seasons between 1953 and 1955, finding success with the International League's Toronto Maple Leafs.  Crimian's sole full year in the majors came in 1956 with the Athletics and he led the 102-loss team with 54 appearances, including seven starts.

Before the 1957 season, Crimian was part of an eight-player deal with Detroit, and he'd pitch in his final four big league games with the Tigers.  Crimian returned to Toronto for the 1958 and 1959 seasons before retiring from baseball.  In 74 big league games, he was 5-9 with a 6.36 ERA, collecting 69 strikeouts and 65 walks in 160 innings pitched.  Crimian was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Building the Set
September 15, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #302
Our first son Doug was born in December 2006, and this happy event led directly to my Dad visiting us on a more regular basis.  Dad was living by himself at this point in Mays Landing, New Jersey and he detested the 40 minute ride north to our house.  Among all the very positive memories I have of my Dad, one of my few negative memories is the fact that he absolutely seemed to loathe driving and that loathing increased exponentially if there was traffic or if it were dark.  But he made the trips anyway, sometimes staying no more than an hour, because he was so incredibly anxious and excited to spend time with his grandson. 

By the time his second grandson (Ben) was born in April 2010, my Dad's health had begun failing and whatever visits we had were pre-arranged or consisted of us visiting him.  Which is why these visits during Doug's infancy and first few years are so special to me.  My Dad would show up, ecstatic to see Doug, there would be some small talk and we'd complain about the Phillies, and then he'd leave.  But on his way out, he'd always say he'd see us again in a few days and I'd look forward to these visits.

August 2007 - Dad with Jenna, Doug and me riding a merry-go-round
in Ocean City, NJ
This background is needed to better explain how this Crimian card came into our set.  In 2007, My Dad's days mostly consisted of an occasional round of golf, calls and visits to his kids - my sister and me, watching cable news, an afternoon nap and scouring eBay. Most (but not all) of his eBay purchases benefitted me in the form of 1956 Topps cards we needed for our set.  He'd show up at our house for a visit with Doug and nonchalantly hand me one of his recent purchases.  He handed me this Harshman card on September 15, 2007, along with a Jack Harshman (#29) card.

Throughout 2007, I suspect he had a backlog of purchased 1956 Topps cards piled up on his desk at his house, and he'd grab one or two to deliver to me as he was heading out the door to make the 40 minute drive to visit Doug.  Not to ruin the ending for this blog, but this is how we finished the 1956 Topps set.  Not with one last glorious purchase at a baseball card show, but with my Dad systematically and methodically checking off cards from our checklist through eBay purchases.

Together with my Mom, he'd deliver the last 29 cards we needed to complete the set as a Christmas present to me that year.

1957 Topps #297
The Card / Athletics Team Set
This is Crimian's rookie card, and he'd appear on one more Topps card in 1957.  His only other baseball card following 1957 came in the form on a reprint of his 1957 Topps card for the 2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set, which Crimian signed.  The back of this card highlights his MVP win in 1955 while pitching for the Maple Leafs.  It was by far his best professional season, leading directly to his spot in the Athletics' bullpen in 1956.  Crimian was 19-6 in 1955 with a 2.10 ERA in 40 appearances, including 21 starts.  He threw 16 complete games, with four of those shutouts.

1956 Season
As mentioned above, Crimian was frequently used throughout the season by manager Lou Boudreau, and over 80% of his major league output came during the 1956 season.  He was 4-8 with a 5.51 ERA in 129 innings pitched, converting three saves.  On December 5th, Crimian, Jim Finigan (#22), Bill Harrington and Eddie Robinson (#302) were traded to the Tigers for Wayne Belardi, Ned Garver (#189), Gene Host, Virgil Trucks (#117) and $20,000.

Phillies Connection
Crimian pitched for the Wilimington Blue Rocks and the Bradford Blue Wings, both low-level Phillies minor league teams, during the 1944 season.  He'd miss all of 1945 while in military service, and then return to the Blue Rocks in 1946.  On November 5, 1946, the Cardinals selected Crimian from the Phillies in the minor league draft. 

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #319
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1956-57
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2006 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-JCR

5 - Crimian non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/26/25.

 Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
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