#143 Jim Piersall - Boston Red Sox

James Anthony Piersall
Boston Red Sox
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  175
Born:  November 14, 1929, Waterbury, CT

Signed:  Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Red Sox 1950, 1952-1958; Cleveland Indians 1959-1961; Washington Senators 1962-1963; New York Mets 1963; Los Angeles Angels 1963-1965; California Angels 1966-1967
Died:  June 3, 2017, Wheaton, IL (age 87)

If you only know one fact about Jimmy Piersall, it should be this:  On June 23, 1963, Piersall hit his 100th career home run of Phillies pitcher Dallas Green and circled the bases - first to home - while running backwards.  Piersall battled personal demons throughout his career and eventually played in parts of 17 big league seasons, earning two All-Star Game berths and winning two Gold Gloves for his stellar center field defense.  Given the tag of "spirited," Piersall had several run-ins with opposing players, teammates, umpires and his manager Lou Boudreau in 1952 before getting demoted to the minors.  With his behavior increasingly erratic, he finally agreed to seek medical attention and was diagnosed with manic depression, which evolved into what we know today as bipolar disorder.  He authored his autobiography, Fear Strikes Out, in 1955 which was made into a movie with Anthony Perkins starring as Piersall.

In between the ejections and the psychological struggles, Piersall appeared in 1,734 major league games and had a career .272 average with 104 home runs and 591 RBIs.  He finished in the top ten in the American League for hits on three different occasions, and earned MVP votes in five different seasons.  After retiring as a player, Piersall broadcast games for the Rangers and was paired with Harry Carey for White Sox games between 1977 and 1981.  He served as a roving minor league outfield instructor for the Cubs between 1986 and 1999, and was a long-time radio personality in Chicago until his retirement in 2006.

1957 movie poster for Fear Strikes Out

1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #13

June 1992 - Before graduation ceremonies

Building the Set
June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #107
This is one of 11 cards (and the 9th I've covered on this blog) my Dad and I bought in June 1992 at the Ocean City baseball card show held on the boardwalk at the Music Pier.  We paid $60 for the lot of 11 cards, which at the time was most likely a steal.  Chronologically, I have this listed as the 107th card we added to the set.  Like the other cards in this lot, this card is gorgeous with four sharp corners.  I'd love to get into my time machine and buy whatever other 1956 Topps cards this dealer had for sale as they're some of the finest cards in our set.

I graduated from high school in 1992, so this trip to Ocean City came after my high school days were over and my college days had yet to begin.

The Card / Red Sox Team Set
Piersall had appeared in Bowman sets between 1951 and 1955, and this is his first Topps card.  That has to be Yogi Berra (#110) making yet another cameo on a 1956 Topps card.  It's hard to tell if Piersall was safe or out, but Berra does appear to be sitting on his foot.  If Berra held the ball, Piersall was presumably out.  His above average fielding is highlighted in the first cartoon panel on the back.

The card has been reprinted as part of the 2001 Topps Archives and Archives Reserve sets, as well as the 2002 Topps Archives set.  Piersall also signed versions of this reprinted card included as an autographed insert in the 2002 Topps Archives release.

1956 Season

In one of the best seasons of his career, Piersall was the regular center fielder for the Red Sox, appearing in 155 games.  He led the American League with 40 doubles and had 14 home runs with a career-high 87 RBIs.  That mark was second on the team to right fielder Jackie Jensen's (#115) 97 RBIs.  Piersall also led the league with 12 sacrifice flies, putouts as an outfielder with 455 and fielding percentage among all outfielders with a .991 mark.  The Boston sports writers voted him the team's MVP following the season.

1951 Bowman #306

1954 Bowman #210

1961 Topps #345

1963 Topps #443

1967 Topps #584

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #306
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (12):  1956-1967
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2010 Topps Tales of the Game #TOG-10

131 - Piersall non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/14/21.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #142 Gene Baker - Chicago Cubs / #144 Leroy Powell - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #81 Wally Westlake - Philadelphia Phillies / #173 Johnny Podres - Brooklyn Dodgers

#52 Bob Grim - New York Yankees

Robert Anton Grim
New York Yankees
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  175
Born:  March 8, 1930, New York, NY
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1948 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1954-1958; Kansas City Athletics 1958-1959; Cleveland Indians 1960; Cincinnati Reds 1960; St. Louis Cardinals 1960; Kansas City Athletics 1962
Died:  October 23, 1996, Shawnee, KS (age 66)

Brooklyn's own Bob Grim dazzled as a rookie in 1954, winning 20 games and A.L. Rookie of the Year honors.  He'd pitch for parts of seven more seasons in the Majors, but he'd never reach the career highs he set in 1954 in wins, innings pitched (199), strikeouts (108) and complete games (8).  Converted to a full-time reliever a few years later, Grim saved 19 games in 1957 and was named to the All-Star team.  Grim recorded the final out of the 1957 All-Star Game, getting Gil Hodges (#145) to fly out to secure a 6-5 American League win.

He appeared in two World Series with the Yankees, in 1955 and 1957, but the Bronx Bombers lost both times to the Dodgers and Braves, respectively.  Traded to Kansas City in 1958, Grim was a reliable reliever for a relatively bad Athletics team.  He spent time with three teams in 1960 - Indians, Reds and Cardinals - and came back briefly for 12 games with the 1962 Athletics before calling it a career.

Building the Set
September 20, 2003 in Ft. Washington, PA - Card #243
I purchased only one card for our 1956 Topps set at the 83rd Philadelphia Sports Card Show held in Ft. Washington, PA in September 2003.  This Grim card set me back $5, which is a really good price considering Grim is a Yankee and the card is in great shape.  I had the checklist at right with me at the show, and it looks like this was a one-and-done checklist given that Grim is the only card crossed off.  I don't know when exactly I came to this realization, but when collecting the 1956 Topps set, I soon determined it was easier to have an alphabetical checklist than a numerical one.  Dealers seemed to have stacks of random 1956 Topps cards at baseball card shows, and these stacks would rarely be in number order.  Knowing the team was also important since Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies cards were going to cost us more than say Senators, Braves or Indians cards.

This card represented a small milestone for us as it meant we were less than 100 cards away from completing the set.

I can't recall for certain, but I don't think Dad would have made the trip to Ft. Washington and it was probably just Jenna and me attending this show.  We had recently moved into our first house and I have vague memories of us trying to complete a few early Topps Heritage sets at this show.

A few weeks later, my Dad and I attended the last Phillies games at Veterans Stadium during what was dubbed the Final Weekend.  We sat through the rain on September 27th as the All Veterans Stadium Team was announced, waving to Mike Schmidt as he was driven around the warning track, and we watched the final game on September 28th with 60,000 other fans.  Jenna and my sister Carol came with us to that final game and the post-game ceremony delivered by the Phillies was one of the best things I've ever experienced live at a sporting event.  Dozens of Phillies alumni were introduced with Tug McGraw throwing the final "pitch" and all alumni congregating at home plate one last time.


The Card
The head shot of Grim is the same used on his 1955 Topps rookie card.  That might be Yankee Stadium in the background, although we can't see the famous arched facade hanging over the top deck.  You can barely make out the Gem Razor Blade advertisement behind the right field foul pole, and there was a similar sign in pictures of Yankee Stadium I found from the 1950s.

The last panel on the back references Grim's 20-win season, making him the first Yankee rookie in 44 years to accomplish that feat.  The pitcher referenced is Russ Ford who went 26-6 for the 1910 Yankees in his rookie season.  To date, Ford and Grim are the only two Yankees pitchers to have won 20 games in their rookie seasons.

1956 Season
Grim was 26 years old in 1956, and he appeared in 26 games for the Yankees team that would eventually win the World Series against the Dodgers.  Although he was left off the team's postseason roster, he had a fairly successful season, throwing 74 2/3 innings and compiling a 6-1 record with a 2.77 ERA.

1955 Bowman #167

1955 Topps #80

1962 Topps #564

1994 Topps Archives 1954 #252

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Bowman #167
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #80
Last Topps Card:  1962 Topps #564
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #252
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1955-1960, 1962

Topps produced a 1954 Topps-style card for Grim in its 1994 Topps Archives 1954 release, and I always appreciate when they produce these cards that never were.

34 - Grim non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 4/18/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #51 Ernie Oravetz - Washington Nationals / #53 Arnold Portocarrero - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #14 Ken Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals / #166 Brooklyn Dodgers Team Card

#32 Frank House - Detroit Tigers

Henry Franklin House, Jr.
Detroit Tigers
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  February 18, 1930, Bessemer, AL
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, before the 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1950-1951, 1954-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1958-1959; Cincinnati Reds 1960; Detroit Tigers 1961
Died:  March 13, 2005, Birmingham, AL (age 75)

Frank House served as a back-up or part-time catcher for all of his 10-year big league playing career, splitting catching duties for the Tigers with Red Wilson (#92) between 1954 and 1957.  A career .248 hitter, House missed two full seasons in 1952 and 1953 while serving in the military.

Following his playing career, House served in the Alabama House of Representatives, helping to establish the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Building the Set
July 31, 1993 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #114
This is one of five 1956 Topps cards I purchased at the Ocean City baseball card show during the summer of '93.  My notes indicate we paid $6 for the card, and it's in absolutely pristine shape.

After missing much of my freshman spring semester with a bad case of mono, I spent the summer mostly resting at home and taking make-up classes at nearby Rowan University.  Looking back now, it's strange to me that I have so few memories or pictures from that summer.  I found pictures I took from an Orioles-Twins game at Camden Yards with shots of Fernando Valenzuela pitching to Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett, and another picture of Cal Ripken at bat.  There were also pictures of my Nana's house in Sea Isle, which I think I spent part of that summer painting (again).  But that's it.

I know it was just another summer day at the time, but I'd love to have one picture of my Dad and me as we were about to attend this baseball card show that Saturday afternoon in Ocean City.

The Card
House is in a tough position in the set, coming after the iconic cards of Jackie Robinson (#30) and Hank Aaron (#31) and right before we get to the equally fantastic Roberto Clemente (#33) card.  Collectors would have seen the exact some portrait photo on House's 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.

The action shot most likely comes from one of the 13 games for which House was behind the plate for the Tigers in 1955 when they faced off against the Kansas City Athletics.  It sure looks as if the runner is out, and House successfully blocked the plate, but the umpire seems to be calling him safe.

Given House's status as a part-time catcher, the artist for the panel on the back didn't have a lot to work with but did an admirable job nevertheless.  We get panels celebrating House's high school play, his habit of attending Tigers games on his days off in the minors, and finally a representation of his steady defense behind the plate.

1956 Season
House was coming off his career best year, having hit .308 with 15 home runs and 53 RBIs for the Tigers in 1955.  (Maybe a panel on the back of the card could have mentioned that?)  At 26 years old, he split catching duties for the Tigers with Red Wilson, with House getting 78 starts behind the plate to Wilson's 70.  House appeared in 94 games in 1956, hitting .240 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.

1952 Topps #146

1960 Topps #313

1994 Topps Archives 1954 #163

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #146
First Topps Card:  1952 Topps #146
Last Topps Card:  1960 Topps #313
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #163
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (8):  1952, 1954-1960

21 - House non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/6/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

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Set Order: #31 Hank Aaron - Milwaukee Braves / #33 Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #157 Dick Brodowski - Washington Nationals / #46 Gene Freese - Pittsburgh Pirates

#28 Bobby Hofman - New York Giants

Robert George Hofman
New York Giants
Infield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  160
Born:  October 5, 1925, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent in 1944
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1949, 1952-1957
Died:  April 5, 1994, Chesterfield, MO (age 68)

Known primarily for his pinch-hitting, Bobby Hofman enjoyed a seven-year career with the Giants which was interrupted for two seasons while he served in the Army during World War II.  He made it out onto the field in 205 of his 341 career games, playing mostly at second base but also seeing time at third and first base.  He also caught in 26 games.  At the time of his retirement following the 1957 season, Hofman was tied with Cy Williams for the most career pinch-hit home runs with nine.

Hofman would go on to serve as a coach with the Athletics (1966-1967, 1969-1970, 1974-1975, 1978), Senators (1968) and Indians (1971-1972).  He was the scouting director for the Yankees during the tumultous years of 1980 through 1984, and their director of player development from 1985 to 1988.

Building the Set

May 20, 1989 in Sea Isle City, NJ - Card #71
For 45 years, my grandparents owned a house in Sea Isle City on 37th Street.  As a result of the Storm of 1962, which wiped out the block of houses in front of them, their house became beach front property until the construction of the Spinnaker Condominiums in 1972.  We were lucky enough to spend most of our summers in Sea Isle, and the five-minute walk to the beach was accomplished by climbing up a ramp in back of the Spinnaker, crossing over the concrete promenade and walking down a few steps to the sand.

For several years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was a complete dive of a snack shop called Joe's Sno-Cone located in the Spinnaker at the top of that ramp.  The menu at Joe's was limited to the usual beach fare - hot dogs, soft pretzels, bags of chips, candy and yes, snow cones.  During a visit to Joe's on the weekend before Memorial Day in 1989, I noticed the shop's owner (Joe presumably) had set up a small display of baseball cards for sale.  This Hofman card was available for $3 and another 1956 Topps card, Ernie Johnson (#294), was also available for $3.  I purchased both cards and most likely added a cherry snow cone to my order before heading next door to the arcade to drop several quarters into the Rolling Thunder game.

The Card
Due to the fact that I purchased this card at a place called Joe's Sno-Cone, the border isn't nearly as white as it should be.  Rather, it's more a beige color but in otherwise decent shape.

The head shot is the same as was used on Hofman's 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.  The action shot features Hofman in action as a catcher, despite the fact that his position is listed as "infield" on the card.  In 1955, Hofman appeared in 19 games behind the plate, playing a position he had never before played in a professional baseball game.  As the back of the card mentions, this emergency duty was necessitated due to an injury to regular catcher Ray Katt.

The vital statistics on the card's back give Hofman an extra inch in height and 15 extra pounds in weight over the information presented on his Baseball Reference page.  Hofman was referred to as Bob on his 1952, 1953 and 1954 Topps cards and as Bobby on his 1955 and 1956 Topps cards.

1956 Season
Hofman played in his second to last season in 1956, hitting .179 over 47 games.  He appeared in just two games with the Giants in 1957, spending the bulk of that season with the Triple-A Minneapolis Millers.

1949 Bowman #223

1952 Topps #371

1994 Topps Archives 1954 #99

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #223
First Topps Card:  1952 Topps #371
Last Topps Card:  1956 Topps #28
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  1994 Topps Archives 1954 #99
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1952-1956

21 - Hofman non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/9/17

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database

In some cases, the first and last cards listed above are subjective and chosen by me if multiple cards were released within the same year.  Most recent mainstream card may also be subjective and does not include extremely low serial numbered cards, buybacks or cut autograph cards.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #27 Nelson Burbrink - St. Louis Cardinals / #29 Jack Harshman - Chicago White Sox

Order Collected: #135 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees / #294 Ernie Johnson - Milwaukee Braves