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Donald Eugene Liddle
New York Giants
Pitcher
Born: May 15, 1925, Mount Carmel, IL
Signed: Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1946 season
Major League Teams: Milwaukee Braves 1953; New York Giants 1954-56; St. Louis Cardinals 1956
Died: June 5, 2000, Mount Carmel, IL (age 75)
Don Liddle pitched in four big league seasons, appearing in 117 games, but he was on the mound for one of the most historic moments in baseball history. Originally signed by the Braves, Liddle was a swingman for the club in his rookie season of 1953, pitching to a 7-6 record and a 3.08 ERA in 31 games and 15 starts. He was part of a blockbuster six-player deal with the Giants before the start of the 1954 season, and he'd have his best season that year with New York. Liddle was 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA during the regular season, and when the Giants won the National League pennant, he'd make two memorable appearances in the World Series against the Indians. Liddle was called upon in the eighth inning of Game 1 to face Vic Wertz (#300) with game tied 2-2. Wertz launched a ball to deep center, artfully and memorably tracked down by Willie Mays (#130) with an overhead, back-to-the-field catch. Liddle would start and win the decisive Game 4 agains the Indians, giving the Giants the World Championship.
He'd only pitch two more seasons int he majors, and was traded to Cardinals mid-way through the 1956 season. Liddle was 28-18 lifetime, with a 3.75 ERA and one memorable pitch thrown during the 1954 World Series.
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #222
I went nuts and bought 16 cards for our 1956 Topps set on this day at the Sports Card & NASCAR Collectibles Show in Raleigh. My records show the 16 cards set me back $55 which I would have considered to be a small fortune back then. I hadn't yet moved back north yet, so I was still living in Raleigh at this time planning for my eventual escape. I would have provided my Dad with an updated checklist following this show as he was back in New Jersey.
I went nuts and bought 16 cards for our 1956 Topps set on this day at the Sports Card & NASCAR Collectibles Show in Raleigh. My records show the 16 cards set me back $55 which I would have considered to be a small fortune back then. I hadn't yet moved back north yet, so I was still living in Raleigh at this time planning for my eventual escape. I would have provided my Dad with an updated checklist following this show as he was back in New Jersey.
The Card / Giants Team Set
Liddle appears in two Topps flagship sets, with both of his cards using the same photo. He returned to Topps in 1956 after only appearing in the Bowman set in 1955. I'm not sure about Topps' assertion on the back that Liddle "is one of the best control pitchers in baseball." He walked a ton of batters and finished his career with 203 walks, compared to 198 strikeouts. I was also puzzled by how the cartoonist represented the Cardinals in the final cartoon panel. The Braves and Pirates are represented by the stereotypes of the day, but the "Cards" are represented by a guy in a top hat holding a deck of cards?
1956 Season
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First Mainstream Card: 1954 Topps #225
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2): 1954, 1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Topps Archives 1954 #225
15 - Liddle non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 3/15/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Previous Card / Next Card
Set Order: #324 "Rocky" Bridges - Cincinnati Redlegs / #326 Connie Johnson - Chicago White Sox
Order Collected: #302 Eddie Robinson - New York Yankees / #292 Luis Aparicio - Chicago White Sox
I believe that is supposed to be a magician who perfoms magic tricks with "Cards".
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