#257 Bobby Thomson - Milwaukee Braves

Robert Brown Thomson
Milwaukee Braves
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  180
Born:  October 25, 1923, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Signed:  Signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before 1942 season
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1946-1953; Milwaukee Braves 1954-1957; New York Giants 1957; Chicago Cubs 1958-1959; Boston Red Sox 1960; Baltimore Orioles 1960

Died:  August 16, 2010, Savannah, GA (age 86)

Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" to win the 1951 National League pennant for his Giants team overshadowed the outfielder's three All-Star Game selections and his eight seasons hitting at least 20 home runs.  Thomson played in parts of 15 seasons in the majors, having his best years with the Giants in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  He was an All-Star in 1948, 1949 and 1952, batting a career high .309 in 1949 while also reaching his career best in RBIs with 109.  In 1951, the Giants and Dodgers finished the regular season in a tie, requiring a best of three series to determine who went to the World Series.  Thomson's famous home run came in the third game of the tied series off Dodgers' pitcher Ralph Branca, with two men on base.  The Giants would win the game 5-4, but drop the World Series to the Yankees in six games.  Thomson led the league with 14 triples in 1952 and he'd cross the 100-RBI plateau for the fourth and final time in 1953.

The popular Thomson was traded by the Giants (for the first time) to the Braves in February 1954 as part of a six-player deal.  He'd spend a few decent seasons in Milwaukee before briefly coming back to the Giants in 1957.  Thomson wouldn't move west with the Giants to San Francisco as the team traded him to the Cubs before the start of the 1958 season.  He'd play three more seasons with the Cubs, Red Sox and Orioles before retiring following a few at-bats with the Orioles in 1960.  Thomson appeared in 1,779 games, batting .270 with 264 home runs and 1,026 RBIs.

Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #331

I last shared this full story with the Whitey Ford (#240) post, but I'll repeat myself, in an edited version, here.  The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory.  Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set.  Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning.  I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set.  And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards.  This Thomson card was one of the final 29.  Normally, this would have been considered a marquee card to add, but some of the other cards included within that final 29 haul were Roberto Clemente (#33), Whitey Ford (#240), Pee Wee Reese (#260) and a spotless Checklist card for the 1st and 3rd Series.

The Card / Braves Team Set
Thomson had been absent from Topps sets since 1952.  The action shot is from 1955, as he had worn #34 with the club for his first two season in Milwaukee, switching to #25 in 1956.  I'm guessing that's Giants' catcher Wes Westrum (#156) behind the plate as Westrum wore #9 in 1955 and caught in 11 games against Thomson's Braves that season.  Topps has to be almost obligated to highlight Thomson's famous home run in a cartoon panel on the back of the card.  The broken ankle referenced in the last cartoon panel happened on March 13, 1954 in a spring training game against the Yankees.  Thomson was limited to 43 games that season.

1956 Season

This was Thomson's last full year with the Braves, and he was their regular left fielder, appearing in 142 games overall.  The Braves nearly won the pennant, finishing a game behind the Dodgers, with Thomson unable to provide any late season miracles as he had five years earlier.  With Bill Bruton (#185) in center and Henry Aaron (#31) in right, the Braves fielded a solid outfield.  Thomson batted .235 with 20 home runs and 74 RBIs.  His home run total was fourth on the team behind Joe Adcock (#320), Eddie Mathews (#107) and Aaron.

1949 Bowman #18

1951 Bowman #126

1952 Topps #313

1960 Topps #153

2001 Topps #379

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1948 Bowman #47
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1952, 1956-1960, 2001
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2018 Panini Diamond Kings #5

265 - Thomson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/23/23.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #256 Tom Hurd - Boston Red Sox / #258 Art Ditmar - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #248 Bob Porterfield - Boston Red Sox / #260 "Pee Wee" Reese - Brooklyn Dodgers

#57 "Duke" Maas - Detroit Tigers

Duane Frederick Maas
Detroit Tigers
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'10"  Weight:  170
Born:  January 31, 1929, Utica, MI
Signed:  Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Detroit Tigers 1955-1957; Kansas City Athletics 1958; New York Yankees 1958-1961
Died:  December 7, 1976, Mount Clemens, MI (age 47)

"Duke" Maas started 91 games and relieved in 104 over his seven-year big league career with the Tigers, Athletics and Yankees.  As a reliable back of the rotation pitcher or middle reliever, Maas compiled a lifetime record of 45-44 and a 4.19 ERA with 15 saves.  He won a World Series ring with the Yankees in 1958 when they defeated the Braves in seven games.

Maas was traded to the Yankees from the Athletics in mid-June 1958 with Virgil Trucks (#117) for Bob Grim (#52) and Harry Simpson (#239).  He had arguably his best years with the Yankees, serving as an occasional starter but mostly as a reliever.  In his four seasons in pinstripes, Maas went 26-12 with a 4.21 ERA.  The Yankees left him unprotected in the 1960 expansion draft, and he was the third overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels.  Although he spent spring 1961 with the Angels, he was traded back to the Yankees right before the start of the regular season.  He'd appear in just one game for the Yankees in April 1961, the last appearance of his Major League career.

Building the Set

June 20, 1992 in Ocean City, NJ - Card #104
This is one of 11 cards (and the 6th I've covered on this blog) that 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 104th 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 would have just graduated high school when we attended this show, and I'd be heading off to college in the fall.  If I had to guess, I'd say we purchased this lot of 11 cards from a baseball card dealer who had a store called Diamond Dust.  His cards were always nicely displayed in binders and I remember his table would be positioned in the back right of the lower level of the Music Pier.

After purchasing these cards, Dad and I undoubtedly sat at the counter of Mack & Manco's, enjoying a few slices with birch beer.

The Card
This is Maas' first mainstream baseball card appearances, as his 18 appearances in 1955 weren't enough to merit him late series inclusion in either the Bowman or Topps sets.  His facsimile autograph reflects his actual first name of Duane.  Once again, my lack of knowledge about old ballparks comes into play as I'm not sure in which stadium Maas is posing for his action shot.

I've found whenever a player's high school career is referenced on the back of these cards, it usually means the artist was struggling to fill all three panels.

1956 Season
Maas had a rough 1956 season, going 0-7 with a 6.54 ERA before getting sent down to Triple-A Charleston in mid-July.  He'd bounce back to win 10 games for the Tigers in 1957, a season in which he threw a career high eight complete games.

1957 Topps #405

1958 Topps #228

1959 Topps #167

1961 Topps #387

2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York Game Jersey #LYJ-DM

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #57
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #57
Last Topps Card:  1961 Topps #387
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2001 Upper Deck Legends of New York Game Jersey #LYJ-DM
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1956-1961

22 - Maas non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/1/19.

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: #56 Dale Long - Pittsburgh Pirates / #58 Ed Roebuck - Brooklyn Dodgers

Order Collected: #47 Art Fowler - Cincinnati Redlegs / #66 Bob Speake - Chicago Cubs

#33 Roberto Clemente - Pittsburgh Pirates

Roberto Walker Clemente
Pittsburgh Pirates
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  175
Born:  August 18, 1934, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Signed:  Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent, February 1954
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1955-1972
Died:  December 31, 1972, San Juan, Puerto Rico (age 38)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1973

One of the most prolific pure hitters of the 1960s, and a true five-tool talent, Roberto Clemente played his entire 18-year career with the Pirates, leading them to World Series titles in 1960 and 1971.  He was a 15-time All-Star, a 12-time Gold Glove winner, the N.L. MVP in 1966 and the World Series MVP in 1971.

A four-time batting champ, Clemente joined the exclusive 3,000 hit club in the second to last game he'd ever play on September 30, 1972.  At the time, he was the 11th player in baseball history to join the club.  A few months later, and less than 10 weeks after the passing of Jackie Robinson, Clemente died in a plane crash off the coast of Puerto Rico while en route to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua.

The pride of Puerto Rico, Clemente's legacy lives on through the countless Latino baseball players he's inspired over the past four decades.

Building the Set
December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchases - Card #314
I've already mentioned this in an earlier post, but the way my Dad and I finished the set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory.  Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set.  Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning.  I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired that finished off the set.  And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards, including the Clemente card.

On Christmas morning 2007, my Dad ended up in the hospital and it was only when he was discharged 3 days later that we celebrated Christmas together and officially completed our 1956 Topps set.  Among the "big" cards in that final haul were the cards of Clemente, Monte Irvin (#194), Whitey Ford (#240), Pee Wee Reese (#260) and the Checklist covering Series 1 and 3 (#341).  I'll need to tell more of this story in a future post covering one of the other final 29 cards.

The Card
I spent some time trying to figure out the location of the action shot based on the advertising against the outfield wall.  This is the kind of trivia that would be immediately evident to a kid looking at this baseball card back in 1956, but sitting here 63 years later and I was stumped.  I ruled out Forbes Field since pictures I found from the Pirates' former home showed a blank right field wall.  A search for vintage ballparks from 1956 turned up this photo from Ebbetts Field, and the mystery was solved!

Clemente is making his catch against the Esquire Boot Polish sign, with the green edge of the letter "M" from the Gem Razor Blade sign making a cameo along the left side of his card.

This is Clemente's second year card, as his rookie card appears in the 1955 Topps set.  The card's back creatively depicts his "draft" from the Brooklyn Dodgers and their top minor league team, the Montreal Royals, to the Pirates prior to the 1955 season.  He's got to be the best Rule 5 draft pick in the history of the game.

Clemente is one of five players born in Puerto Rico to appear in the 1956 Topps set, along with Ruben Gomez (#9), Jose Santiago (#59), Luis Arroyo (#64) and Vic Power (#67).

Phillies Connection
The late great Bob Lemke created a custom card back in 2013 for Roberto Clemente, Jr., who played in 35 games for the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 1984.  The younger Clemente hit .167 (16 for 96) that season, and played for two more seasons in the South Atlantic League for Gastonia (unaffiliated) and Charleston (in the Padres organization).

1956 Season
Clemente was 21 in 1956, entering his second full season with the Pirates.  His talents were still developing and he hit .311 with 7 home runs and 60 RBIs.  Only the Cubs kept the Pirates out of the National League basement, as manager Bobby Bragan's team finished with a record of 66-88.  Clemente's outfield partners that season were Lee Walls in left and Bill Virdon (#170) in center.

His SABR biography notes that Clemente was a free swinger in 1956, drawing only 13 walks and at one point going 50 games without drawing a base on balls.  Those 13 walks would prove to be a career low.

1955 Topps #164

1973 Topps #50

1998 Topps #21

2001 Topps #784

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #164
First Topps Card:  1955 Topps #164
Last Topps Card (as a player):  1973 Topps #50
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  2001 Topps #784
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps - 8 different insert cards
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (23):  1955-1973, 1975, 1987, 1998, 2001

2,081 - Clemente non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/10/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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.

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Set Order: #32 Frank House - Detroit Tigers / #34 Tom Brewer - Boston Red Sox

Order Collected: #329 Lou Berberet - Washington Nationals / #61 Bill Skowron - New York Yankees

#31 Hank Aaron - Milwaukee Braves

Henry Louis Aaron
Milwaukee Braves
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  180
Born:  February 5, 1934, Mobile, AL
Signed:  Signed as a free agent with the Boston Braves, June 14, 1952
Major League Teams:  Milwuakee Braves 1954-1965; Atlanta Braves 1966-1974; Milwaukee Brewers 1975-1976
Hall of Fame Induction:  1982

Henry Aaron was one of the best players of his era, and was baseball's career home run leader between the years 1974 and 2006.  Playing for 23 seasons from 1954 to 1976, Aaron was a National League All-Star 21 times making the squad in all but his first and last seasons.  He tallied a career .305 average with 755 home runs and 2,297 RBIs, which is still more RBIs than anyone in Major League history.  He was the National League MVP in 1957, which is also the only year his Braves won the World Series.

On Aaron's page on the Hall of Fame's website, there's this quote from former Phillies pitcher Curt Simmons - "Trying to throw a fastball by Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak a sunrise past a rooster."

Following his retirement as an active player in 1976, Aaron has continually served as one of the game's best ambassadors.

Building the Set
December 25, 2006 from Mays Landing, NJ - Card #278
This was the last "big" card my Dad and I needed to complete the set, and the second most expensive purchase next to the Mickey Mantle card (#135).  I was officially given the card on Christmas day 2006, but my Dad had purchased it several weeks (months?) before at a baseball card show held at the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing, NJ.

This was one of nine cards I received that Christmas from my Dad, and he spent a total of $210 on all nine cards with the Aaron costing $150.  Like all of his purchases, he was extremely proud of the card's condition and I'm sure there was a negotiation story that went along with the acquisition.

Our first son Doug was born a few weeks before Christmas in 2006 and we brought him home just in time for the big day.  He obviously doesn't remember much from his first Christmas, but he spent the holidays being held and loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  The picture shown here is from Christmas Day 2006, shortly after I had added those nine cards to our (and one day Doug's) 1956 Topps set.  Evidenced by the gift tag attached to the package holding the Aaron card (and the other 8 cards) my Dad fully intended for this card to be a part of Doug's collection all along.

One of the great joys of my life was seeing how proud my Dad was to have a grandson.

The Card
In a case of once you see it, you can't unsee it, that's actually Willie Mays in an airbrushed Braves hat sliding into home in the action shot.  In defense of Topps, Aaron was still early on in his career and I suppose they didn't yet have a good action shot of the young slugger.  The portrait of Aaron is the same found on both his 1954 and 1955 Topps cards.

If you don't count Minnie Minoso (#125), who came back for pinch-hitting appearances in 1976 and 1980, Aaron was the last active player to appear in the 1956 Topps set.

1956 Season
Aaron was only 22 and enjoying his second full season in the Majors in 1956.  He'd make the All-Star team for the second time and he'd win his first of two batting titles by hitting .328.  He hit 26 home runs, collected 92 RBIs and led the league in doubles with 34.

1954 Topps #128

1976 Topps #550

2001 Topps #385

2019 Topps 150 Years Greatest Moments #150-35

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #128
First Topps Card:  1954 Topps #128
Last Topps Card:  1976 Topps #550
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  2001 Topps #385
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps - 13 different insert cards
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (28):  1954-1976, 1979, 1989, 1994, 2000-2001

In 1974, Topps gave Aaron the honor of having the first six cards in the set, with card #1 celebrating the new home run king and cards #2 through #6 showcasing Aaron's base cards from the Topps flagship sets between 1954 and 1973.

2,090 - Aaron non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/30/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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.

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Set Order: #30 Jackie Robinson - Brooklyn Dodgers / #32 Frank House - Detroit Tigers

Order Collected: #309 Don Blasingame - St. Louis Cardinals / #142 Gene Baker - Chicago Cubs

#30 Jackie Robinson - Brooklyn Dodgers

Jack Roosevelt Robinson
Brooklyn Dodgers
Third Base

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  195
Born:  January 31, 1919, Cairo, GA
Acquired:  Signed as a free agent with the Brooklyn Dodgers, October 23, 1945
Major League Teams:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1947-1956
Hall of Fame Induction:  1962
Died:  October 24, 1972, Stamford, CT (age 53)

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson

Anything I write here about Jackie Robinson won't do justice to the monumental impact the man had on our national pastime and our nation overall.

Robinson broke the game's color barrier on April 15, 1947 when he was the Dodgers' starting first baseman in a game against the Boston Braves.  He played 10 seasons for the Dodgers, making six All-Star teams, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1947 and MVP honors in 1949.  He helped lead Brooklyn to six N.L. pennants between 1947 and 1956, winning it all against the Yankees in 1955.

Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962 and passed away 10 years later at the way too young age of 53.

Building the Set
December 25, 1992 from San Diego, CA - Card #110
This was another purchase from Kit Young Cards in San Diego that was then left under the tree for me on Christmas morning.  My Dad later told me he had spent $85 on the card.

In December 1992, I wrapped up my first semester of college and came home for my winter break completely and totally deflated.  I had no energy, I didn't want to eat anything, my throat hurt and I developed a fever within a few days of being home.  I thought it was just exhaustion, but it turned out to be a fairly severe case of mononucleosis and I spent the better part of the next 2 months in bed.

At first, I enjoyed the time back home with my parents and my sister but after a few weeks I was bored with the mandated bedrest.  I'm going to blame the mono on my lack of any real memories from this time, but I'm sure I was excited upon receiving this card on Christmas morning.

The Card

This card is absolutely iconic.  As a young collector, I'd see pictures of this card over and over again in the pages of Baseball Cards magazine or I'd see the card for sale within glass cases at the baseball card shows we'd attend.

This card is the favorite all-time baseball card of Fuji, the owner of one of my favorite baseball card blogs, The Chronicles of Fuji.  In a post from a few years ago, Fuji told the story of action shot featured on Robinson's card.  Robinson had just stolen home against the Cardinals, eluding the tag of catcher Bill Sarni (#247) as the batter, Johnny Podres (#173) looks on.  Here's more from Fuji's post and the original image is at right.

It's late in the season and the 7th place St. Louis Cardinals are in Brooklyn to battle the first place Dodgers. This particular photo depicts Robinson stealing home in the bottom of the 6th inning to give the Dodgers a 5 to 1 lead. It's actually a pretty crazy play where the Dodgers successfully pulled off a triple steal. However... when Sarni threw the ball down to second... Gil Hodges (who stole third when Robinson stole home) took off and tried to score but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Cardinals fought back in the top of the 7th when Ken Boyer launched a 3 run homer off of Podres that ended his evening. Unfortunately... that's all the offense the Cardinals could conjure up... and they ended up losing 10 to 4 that day. 

Topps has reprinted this card numerous times, most recently as part of its Iconic Reprint insert set found within the just released 2019 Topps Series 1 product.

1956 Season
This was to be the final season in Robinson's 10-year Major League career, and the 37-year-old star appeared in 117 games for the Dodgers.  He finished the season hitting .275 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs, while seeing playing time at third base (72 games), second base (22 games), first base (9 games) and left field (2 games).

The Dodgers won the pennant again in 1956, finishing a game ahead of the Milwaukee Braves.  They weren't able to repeat in the World Series, falling in 7 games to the Yankees.  Following the season, the Dodgers traded Robinson to the New York Giants for Dick Littlefield and $30,000.  Rather than report to the rival Giants, Robinson opted to retire.

Phillies Connection
Robinson's biggest connection to the Phillies is an unfortunate low point in the franchise's 136-year history.  During Robinson's first year with the Dodgers in 1947, Phillies manager Ben Chapman, along with several other Phillies players, frequently and repeated shouted racial slurs at Robinson when the two teams first faced off.  The ugly incidents were featured prominently in the 2013 film, 42.

When the Dodgers visited Philadelphia in early May, Chapman was pressured into apologizing for his behavior and Robinson reluctantly posed for a pre-game photo with the Phillies manager.  In 2013, 69 years after the incident, Philadelphia City Council issued a formal apology to Robinson for the "racism he faced as a player while visiting Philadelphia."

1949 Bowman #50

1952 Topps #312

2001 Topps #783

2019 Topps 150 Years Greatest Moments #150-8

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1949 Bowman #50
First Topps Card:  1952 Topps #312
Last Topps Card:  1956 Topps #30
Most Recent Topps Card (post-career):  2001 Topps #783
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  9 different insert cards within 2019 Topps Series 1
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7):  1952-1956, 1997, 2001

Robinson appeared on a number of cards issued in 1947 with Bond Bread, but I've got to go with his 1949 Bowman or Leaf cards as his first true mainstream card.  Robinson has had a number of short-prints in recent Topps flagship sets, but his most recent main set appearance came in 2001.

1,519 - Robinson non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 1/30/19.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
SABR
The Chronicles of Fuji
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.

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Set Order: #29 Jack Harshman - Chicago White Sox / #31 Hank Aaron - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #215 Tommy Byrne - New York Yankees / #96 Bill Tremel - Chicago Cubs

#8 Walter Alston MG - Brooklyn Dodgers

Walter Emmons Alston
Brooklyn Dodgers
Manager

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  195
Born:  December 1, 1911, Venice, OH
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1935
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1936
As a Manager:  Brooklyn Dodgers 1954-1957; Los Angeles Dodgers 1958-1976
Died:  October 1, 1984, Oxford, OH (age 72)
Hall of Fame Induction:  1983

As a player, Walter Alston had one at-bat with the 1936 Cardinals, striking out against Cubs pitcher Lon Warneke.

In his 23 seasons managing the Dodgers, Alston led the team to seven National League pennants and four World Championships in 1955, 1959, 1963 and 1965.  Alston's Dodgers finished with winning records in 19 of those 23 seasons and his 2,040 wins as a manager led to his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1983.  The three-time National League Manager of the Year (1955, 1959 and 1963) was known for his use of statistical analysis and for signing 23 one-year contracts, eschewing any long-term deals with the Dodgers.

With a few games left in the 1976 season, Alston stepped down as the Dodgers manager, handing over the job to Tommy Lasorda who would manage the team until 1995.  Alston's #24 was retired by the Dodgers in 1977.

Building the Set
February 14, 1999 in Raleigh, NC - Card #178
I feel as if I probably overpaid for this card, paying $20 to a dealer at the Raleigh Sports Card & Memorabilia Show back in early 1999.  This was the only card from the 1956 Topps set I bought that day and I would have called back home to my Dad after the show to inform him of the purchase so that he could update his copy of our checklist.

I lived in Raleigh for a few years in the late '90s/early '00s, and the fact that I was attending a baseball card show on Valentine's Day speaks volumes as to my situation in 1999.

The Card
This is one of only two manager cards in the 1956 Topps set, with the other manager card belonging to the Phillies' Mayo Smith (#60).  Strangely enough, Topps saw fit to include one card for a coach, featuring Orioles coach Harry Brecheen (#229) in Series 3.  Here's a list of all the managers who could have had cards in the 1956 Topps set, in order of each team's finish in the 1955 season:

Dodgers - Walter Alston Braves - Charlie Grimm (1955-56) or Fred Haney (1956) Giants - Leo Durocher (1955) or Bill Rigney (1956) Phillies - Mayo Smith  Reds - Birdie Tebbetts Cubs - Stan Hack Cardinals - Eddie Stanky (1955), Harry Walker (1955) or Fred Hutchinson (1956) Pirates - Fred Haney (1955) or Bobby Bragan (1956)

Yankees - Casey Stengel Indians - Al Lopez White Sox - Marty Marion Red Sox - Pinky Higgins Tigers - Bucky Harris Athletics - Lou Boudreau Orioles - Paul Richards Senators - Chuck Dressen

There's an uncorrected error on the back of Alston's card, stating he had never played in a big league game as Topps overlooked his one game with the '36 Cardinals.  Alston's 1956 Topps card has been reprinted in both the 1995 Topps Archives Brooklyn Dodgers set (#141) and the 2001 Topps Archives set (#201).

1956 Season
At 44 years old, Alston was entering his third full season as manager of the Dodgers and his first season as the manager of a defending World Champion.  The Dodgers went 93-61 in 1956, winning the National League pennant but falling to the Yankees in the World Series in seven games.

1976 Topps #46

2001 Topps Archives #201

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1956 Topps #8
First Topps Card:  1956 Topps #8
Last Topps Card:  1976 Topps #46
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2015 Diamond Kings #139
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1956, 1958, 1960-1976

191 - Alston non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 11/16/15

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
National Baseball Hall of Fame
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.

Not a bad looking first page!

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Set Order: #7 Ron Negray - Philadelphia Phillies / #9 Ruben Gomez - New York Giants

Order Collected: #337 Bobby Morgan - Philadelphia Phillies / #109 Enos Slaughter - Kansas City Athletics