#111 Boston Red Sox Team Card

Topps included full team photos in its baseball card set for the first time in 1956, having previously experimented with team cards in a limited edition 1951 stand-alone set.

Building the Set
December 15, 2001 from Apple Valley, MN - Card #230
This purchase is an anomaly, and I wish I had more information in my notes about how and why I decided to head to eBay in late 2001 to purchase this particular team card.  The card was purchased from seller The Ballpark, located in Apple Valley, MN for $6.55.  The post-9/11 time period is one that was filled with fear and anxiety and as best I can guess, I felt the need back then to randomly buy an old baseball card from eBay.  This was actually the second card to enter our set from eBay in December 2001, as a week earlier I had purchased the "Nellie" Fox card (#118) for $12.  eBay was still a relatively new thing back in 2001, and I had established my account back in January 1999 for the sole purpose of buying baseball cards and Beatles bootlegs.

August 2014 -
Our sons at Fenway Park

The Card
The Red Sox are posed in front of the Green Monster in left field of Fenway Park.  It's hard to tell that from the card itself, but I found what appears to be outtakes from this photo session made available by the Boston Public Library.

The back of the card mentions Red Sox legends Babe Ruth, Sam Jones, Lefty Grove and Jimmy Foxx, with no mention of Cy Young, Tris Speaker or Bobby Doerr.  I wasn't familiar with Jones, and looking him up he's a strange choice to be featured among all-time Red Sox greats up until that time.  Jones went 64-59 with a 3.39 ERA with the Rex Sox between 1916 and 1921, with his best season coming in 1921 when he went 23-16 with a 3.22 ERA.

This is the seventh team card in the set, and the first not available with team name variations.  The only version available is with the team name centered, with the prior team cards being available with the name centered, the name to the left or with the name to the left and "1955" listed.

Listed below are the subjects featured on the card, including a listing of their 1956 Topps card if they had one.  The photo was taken after June 17, 1955, as that's the date the Red Sox signed bonus baby Jim Pagliaroni, and he's present in the back row.  Dick Brodowski and Karl Olson were traded together to the Senators on November 8, 1955, and Ellis Kinder was selected off waivers by the Cardinals on December 4, 1955.

Front Row Coach Del Baker Coach Mickey Owens Manager Pinky Higgins Coach Jack Burns Coach Dave Ferriss Coach Paul Schreiber Jackie Jensen (#115) Pete Daley Billy Goodman (#245) Grady Hatton (#26) Batboy Billy O'Donnell (seated) Batboy Del Baker, Jr. (seated)

2nd Row Trainer Jack Fadden Ike Delock (#284) Faye Throneberry Tom Brewer (#34) Eddie Joost Leo Kiely Milt Bolling (#315) George Susce, Jr. (#93) Mel Parnell Frank Baumann Tom Hurd (#256) Ted Lepcio Equipment Mg. Johnny Orlando

Back Row Gene Stephens (#313) Willard Nixon (#122) Bill Henry Jim Pagliaroni Karl Olson (#322 with the Senators) Frank Sullivan (#71) Norm Zauchin (#89) Ted Williams (#5) Sammy White (#168) Ellis Kinder (#336 with the Cardinals) Dick Brodowski (#157 with the Senators) Jim Piersall (#143) Billy Klaus (#217)

The Red Sox have played their home games at Fenway Park since 1912, and they continue to play there today.  We had the pleasure of visiting Fenway Park, and sitting in Section 36, back in August 2014.  Flipping to the back, there are a few categories that need to be updated:

Most Hits - 1,684 in 1997

Most Home Runs - 245 in 2019
Games Won - 108 in 2018
Additional Pennant Winning Teams - 1967, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
Additional Championship Teams - 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018

Baseball Reference credits the team with 215 stolen bases in 1909 and only 190 stolen bases in 1911, a few short of what's featured on the back of the card.

Red Sox Team Set

1956 Season
Manager Higgins guided the Red Sox to a 84-70 record, good enough for fourth place in the American League.  The Splendid Splinter was 37 years old and showed no signs of slowing down.  Williams led the team in both average (.345) and home runs (24) with Jensen topping his 82 RBIs with a team-leading 97.  Piersall completed the outfield and contributed 14 home runs and 87 RBIs while hitting .293.

On the mound, Boston's top starters were Brewer (19-9, 3.50 ERA) and Sullivan (14-7, 3.42 ERA) with Delock leading all Red Sox relievers in appearances (48) and saves (9).

Red Sox Cards That Never Were
If I were put in charge of a fifth series for the 1956 Topps set, here's the Red Sox cards I'd include:

• Pinky Higgins (manager) - Higgins guided the Red Sox between 1955 and 1959, and came back for a second stint between 1960 and 1962.  In 8 years at the helm with Higgins, the Red Sox went 560-556, finishing no higher than third place.  
• Don Buddin (shortstop) - The regular shortstop for the club, Buddin would have to wait until the 1958 Topps set for his rookie card.
• Dick Gernert (utility) - Gernert appeared in 106 games for the Red Sox in 1956, hitting .291 as a pinch-hitter and occasional first baseman/left fielder.
• Ted Lepcio (infield) - Infielder Lepcio played in 83 games, hitting .261.  He's in the 1955 and 1957 Topps sets, but he was omitted in 1956.
• Mel Parnell (starting pitcher) - Parnell made 20 starts and went 7-6 with a 3.77 ERA as the team's fourth starter.  Like Lepcio, he's in both the 1955 and 1957 Topps sets but he was overlooked in 1956.
• Dave Sisler (pitcher) - Sisler's rookie card can be found in the 1957 Topps set.  A top reliever in 1956, he appeared in 39 games and recorded three saves.  Sisler is the younger brother of Dick Sisler and the son of Hall of Famer George Sisler.

Gene Mauch gets an honorable mention too.  The future Phillies manager appeared in 7 games for the Red Sox in 1956, hitting .320 (8 for 25) in his limited time with the club.  He'd appear in 65 games for the Red Sox the following season.

Sources
Baseball Reference

revious Card / Next Card

Set Order: #112 Dee Fondy - Chicago Cubs / #113 Phil Rizzuto - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #118 "Nellie" Fox - Chicago White Sox / #102 Jim Davis - Chicago Cubs

#110 Yogi Berra - New York Yankees

Lawrence Peter Berra
New York Yankees
Catcher

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'7"  Weight:  185
Born:  May 12, 1925, St. Louis, MO
Signed:  Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1943 season
Major League Teams:  New York Yankees 1946-1963, New York Mets 1965
As a Manager:  New York Yankees 1964; New York Mets 1972-1975; New York Yankees 1984-1985
Hall of Fame Induction:  1972
Died:  September 22, 2015, West Caldwell, NJ (age 90)

1982 Donruss #387

One of the best, if not the best, catchers of his era, Yogi Berra was an All-Star every year between 1948 and 1962, won MVP honors in 1951, 1954 and 1955, and was a key component in bringing 10 World Championship titles to the Yankees.  Berra is one of the most recognizable and beloved baseball figures in history.

Signed by the Yankees in 1943, Berra didn't make his debut until 1946 as he was serving in the Navy during World War II.  He earned a Purple Heart taking part in the Normandy landings.  At the end of the war, Berra quickly established himself as one of the best power hitters and defensive catchers in the majors.  Over 19 seasons, he hit .285 with 2,150 hits, 358 home runs and 1,430 RBIs.  Upon his retirement, he held the records for most plate appearances (8,359), hits, home runs, runs (1,175) and RBIs among all catchers.

Following his playing days, Berra didn't stray far from baseball, keeping busy with both the Yankees and the Mets.  He briefly managed the Yankees in 1964 before moving to the Mets as a coach between 1965 and 1971, and then as manager between 1972 and 1975.  He returned to the Yankees as a coach between 1976 and 1983, and again as manager in 1984 and 1985.  His final coaching job came with the Astros between 1986 and 1989.  The Yankees retired Berra's #8 in 1972, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Berra and Johnny Bench were named as catchers on MLB's All-Century team in 1999.

The Donruss card above is the first card of Berra's I ever owned, and I remember thinking to myself when I pulled it from a pack back then, "Is this a real person?"

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #9
One of the Original 44, I recently re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Ed Mathews (#107) post.  There were five current Hall of Famers in that original haul and I think the presence of those five pricier cards gave us the courage to begin collecting the entire set.  Along with Berra and Mathews, we added the cards of Willie Mays (#130), Early Wynn (#187) and Bob Lemon (#255).  In the years that followed, three more players were inducted into the Hall of Fame from our Original 44 - Hoyt Wilhelm (#307) in 1985, Red Schoendienst (#165) in 1989 and Larry Doby (#250) in 1998.

The Card
It appears as if the Indians baserunner is safe at home as Berra looks out towards the field at presumably the ongoing play.  On the back, the Topps' cartoonist did a terrific job capturing Berra's likeness for the first panel.  While not a true "Yogi-ism," the bubble having him say, "It's habit forming," is great too and captures Berra's infectious personality.  Berra was known for such popular quotes as "90 percent of baseball is mental, the other half is physical," and "It ain't over till it's over."

Berra signed reprints of this card for inclusion in the 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.  The card was reprinted again for the 2012 Topps Archives Reprints insert set.

Yankees Team Set

1956 Season

Berra appeared in 140 games for the Yankees, making 134 starts behind the plate.  He hit .298 and his 30 home runs and 105 RBIs were second the team to Mickey Mantle (#135), who had 52 home runs and 130 RBIs in his MVP-winning season.  The Yankees once again faced off in the World Series against the Dodgers, winning in seven games.  Berra drove in 10 runs in the Series with a pair of home runs off the Dodgers' Don Newcombe (#235) in the decisive Game 7.  In Game 5, Berra caught Don Larsen's (#332) perfect game with Larsen saying afterwards he didn't once shake off any of the catcher's pitch selections during the historic game.

1948 Bowman #6

1952 Topps #191

1961 Topps #425

1974 Topps #179

1987 Topps #531

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1948 Bowman #6
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (21):  1951-1965, 1973-1975, 1984-1985, 1987
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Diamond Kings #12

2,127 - Berra non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/28/20.

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

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #109 Enos Slaughter - Kansas City Athletics / #111 Boston Red Sox Team Card

Order Collected: #107 Ed Mathews - Milwaukee Braves / #126 Jim Brady - Detroit Tigers

#109 Enos Slaughter - Kansas City Athletics

Enos Bradsher Slaughter
Kansas City Athletics
Outfield

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  180
Born:  April 27, 1916, Roxboro, NC
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent before 1935 season
Major League Teams:  St. Louis Cardinals 1938-1942, 1946-1953; New York Yankees 1954-1955; Kansas City Athletics 1956; New York Yankees 1956-1959; Milwaukee Braves 1959
Hall of Fame Induction:  1985
Died:  August 12, 2002, Durham, NC (age 86)

Enos "Country" Slaughter was coming off two All-Star seasons in 1941 and 1942 when he joined the Air Force during World War II, missing three seasons.  He returned in 1946 and picked up where he had left off, putting together another eight consecutive All-Star seasons through 1953.  He won World Series rings with the Cardinals in 1942 and 1946, bookending his military service, and the biggest moment of his career came when he scored the winning run in Game 7 of the 1942 World Series.  His "Mad Dash" occurred with the Cardinals and Red Sox tied 3-3 heading to the bottom of the eighth in the decisive game of the Series.  Slaughter singled to open the inning and came all the way home to score on a double to center by Harry Walker, blowing through a stop sign from his third base coach.  The play came to represent a perfect example of Slaughter's constant hustle and aggressiveness while playing.  He won two more World Series rings towards the end of his career with the Yankees in 1956 and 1958.

Slaughter retired after 19 seasons with an even .300 batting average and 2,383 career hits.  His three years of military service most likely cost him a shot at the 3,000 hit plateau.  He hit 169 home runs to go with 1,304 RBIs.  Slaughter returned to baseball as the head coach for Duke University between 1971 and 1977.  The Veterans Committee elected him into the Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Cardinals retired his #9 in 1996.

Building the Set
February 21, 1999 in Cherry Hill, NJ - Card #179
This isn't the first time and won't be the last time I mention my memory of the late 1990s/early 2000s is fuzzy at best.  I have no idea what would have brought me north to New Jersey in February in 1999, as I was still living and working in Raleigh at the time.  Given my chosen profession, this would have also been a particularly busy time for me at work.  But my records show I paid $7 for this Slaughter card at the Cherry Hill Mall Mega Baseball Card Show & Sale on this day.  What's more, I've saved the flyer from the show and I've kept it with my 1972 Topps set showing I added 27 cards to that set at this show.

While learning more about Slaughter's career for this post, I read he had been accused of racism specifically towards Jackie Robinson (#30) when Robinson integrated the Major Leagues in 1947.  Slaughter always staunchly denied the charges.  Given the allegations, true or false, it's ironic to me now I purchased this Slaughter card at a show celebrating Black History Month and hosting 16 former players from the Negro Leagues as autograph signers.

The Card
Slaughter's season-plus with the Athletics came in between two separate stints with the Yankees.  Looking at the action photo on the front of the card, I think that's Slaughter diving back to first base on a close play against the Yankees.  If it is Slaughter, and if the opposing team was the Yankees, my best guess as to the first baseman is Joe Collins (#21) who wore #15 for New York in 1955.  Collins played in a number of games at first base against the Athletics between May 11, 1955 (the date Slaughter joined the A's) and the end of the season.

This would have been the tail-end of Slaughter's career, so the final panel on the back of the card diplomatically points out he was mainly a pinch-hitter at this point.  The explanation for the first panel is that Slaughter was hitting just .111 when the Yankees traded him to the Athletics and with his new team he batted .322.

Athletics Team Set

1956 Season

Slaughter started the season with the Athletics and was their opening day right fielder.  The 40-year-old appeared in 91 games with the A's, hitting .278 with a pair of home runs and 23 RBIs.  Only half of those games were starts (32 in right, 15 in left) as Slaughter was primarily used as a left-handed bat off the bench.  On August 25th, the Yankees selected him off waivers for their latest pennant drive, releasing the popular Phil Rizzuto (#113) to make room for him on the roster.

Slaughter played every inning of the first six World Series games in left field for the Yankees, and was left out of the line-up in Game 7 in favor of Elston Howard (#208).  He hit an impressive .350 (7 for 20) with a key three-run home run off the Dodgers' Roger Craig (#63) in Game 3 that gave the Yankees a 5-3 win.  The Yankees would go on to win the World Series in seven games with Johnny Kucks (#88) pitching a complete game shutout in the decisive game.

1941 Double Play #39

1948 Bowman #17

1952 Topps #65

1953 Topps #41

1959 Topps #155

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1941 Double Play #39
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (6):  1951-1953, 1956-1959
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2019 Topps Update Iconic Card Reprints #ICR-40

457 - Slaughter non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 7/17/20.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #108 Laurin Pepper - Pittsburgh Pirates / #110 Yogi Berra - New York Yankees

Order Collected: #8 Walter Alston MG - Brooklyn Dodgers / #26 Grady Hatton - Boston Red Sox

#108 Laurin Pepper - Pittsburgh Pirates

Hugh McLaurin Pepper
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'11"  Weight:  190
Born:  January 18, 1931, Vaughan, MS
Signed:  Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent, June 14, 1954
Major League Teams:  Pittsburgh Pirates 1954-1957
Died:  February 4, 2018, Ocean Springs, MS (age 87)

Laurin Pepper is probably better known for his football career, both as a player and a coach, than his short career as a big league pitcher.  Pepper, who appears to have gone by Laurin for his baseball career but Hugh everywhere else, was an All-American halfback at the University of Southern Mississippi, and was selected sixth in the 1954 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  He opted to sign as a "bonus baby" with the Pirates, ending his football career, and requiring the Pirates to keep him on their roster for the entire 1954 season.  He appeared in only 14 games that season, making eight starts and earning a record of 1-5 with a 7.99 ERA.  Over parts of four seasons with the Pirates, Pepper compiled a record of 2-8 with a 7.06 ERA.  He pitched in the minors between 1958 and 1963 with affiliates of the Cardinals, Pirates again, Angels, Dodgers and Phillies.  He had multiple stints within the Pirates' minor league system.

After retiring from baseball, Pepper served as a high school football coach for nearly three decades at Ocean Springs High School.  He had 25 winning seasons and his teams won 12 Gulf Coast Conference championships.  Pepper was elected into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

Building the Set
December 2, 2000 from Raleigh, NC - Card #209
I went nuts and bought 16 common 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
Like a few of the Pirates cards before this, Pepper is shown wearing the helmet required by then Pirates General Manager Branch Rickey.  I found this summary from SABR explaining Rickey's introduction of the helmets in September 1952, to be worn at all times by Pirates players and coaches - at bat and in the field.  Clicking on the link below for the Pirates team set will take you to a gallery of Pirates cards found in the set so far, with a majority of the players wearing these helmets.

Pepper's only two mainstream baseball cards can be found in the 1955 and 1956 Topps set, and both cards use the same photo.  The cartoons on the back of this card do a great job of summarizing Pepper's career path up until that point.  This card was reprinted in 2005 for Pepper to sign and for inclusion in the 2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs insert set.

Pirates Team Set

1956 Season

Pepper appeared in just 15 games in 1956, making 11 appearances with the Pirates and four starts with the Triple-A Hollywood Stars.  With the Pirates, he went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA over seven starts and four relief appearances.  His sole win came during the second game of a double header on June 24th, when he shut out the Cubs through five innings.  The game was ultimately called due to rain and a curfew in place in Pennsylvania at the time.

Phillies Connection
Pepper pitched in 12 games in 1962 for the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers, an American Association team affiliated with both the Phillies and Angels.  He went 0-5 with a 5.68 ERA.

1955 Topps #147

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1955 Topps #147
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (2):  1955-1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2005 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #RO-LP

5 - Pepper non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/13/20.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #107 Ed Mathews - Milwaukee Braves / #109 Enos Slaughter - Kansas City Athletics

Order Collected: #93 George Susce, Jr. - Boston Red Sox / #131 Bob Roselli - Milwaukee Braves

#107 Ed Mathews - Milwaukee Braves

Edwin Lee Mathews
Milwaukee Braves
Third Base

Bats:  Left  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'1"  Weight:  190
Born:  October 13, 1931, Texarkana, TX
Signed:  Signed by the Boston Braves as an amateur free agent before 1949 season
Major League Teams:  Boston Braves 1952; Milwaukee Braves 1953-1965; Atlanta Braves 1966; Houston Astros 1967; Detroit Tigers 1967-1968
As a Manager:  Atlanta Braves 1972-1974
Hall of Fame Induction:  1978
Died:  February 18, 2001, La Jolla, CA (age 69)

Eddie Mathews is widely acknowledged as the best National League third baseman of his era, having made nine All-Star teams, winning a World Series ring with the Braves in 1957 and accumulating 512 career home runs.  He led the league in 1953 and 1959 in home runs, finishing as the runner-up for the N.L. MVP award in both those seasons.  Mathews drove in 100 or more runs in five different seasons and hit 30 or more home runs in nine straight seasons between 1953 and 1961.  He had his final 30-home run season for the Braves in 1965.

A long-time member of the Braves franchise, he's the only player to play with the club during each of their three city stops in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta.  A well-known and star player in his third big league season, Mathews appeared on the cover of the very first issue of Sports Illustrated in 1954.  Later in his career, Mathews won a second World Series ring as a member of the Tigers in 1968.  He accumulated 2,315 career hits and a .271 career average, and when he retired he ranked sixth on the all-time home run leaders list, and first in games played at third (2,181), assists at third (4,322) and chances at third (6,371).

Following his retirement, Mathews had his #41 retired by the Braves in 1969.  He coached for the Braves in 1971 and managed the team between 1972 and 1974, compiling a managerial record of 149-161.  He was the team's manager when Hank Aaron (#31) hit his record-breaking 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth on the all-time list, but he was fired shortly thereafter.  Mathews was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978, his fifth time appearing on the ballot.

Building the Set
Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #8
This Mathews card was one of the Original 44 and it's a gorgeous looking card.  The last time I told the full story of the Original 44 was over a year ago within the Pedro Ramos (#49) post, so I'll repeat it again here.  The next Hall of Famer coming up from this original haul is Yogi Berra (#110).

Technically speaking, my Dad and I actually began collecting the set in the summer of 1987, but this card (along with the other Original 44) first entered my collection three or four years before that.

I think it was either the summer of 1983 or 1984 when a shoebox of vintage baseball cards, football cards and a few non-sports cards arrived into my world.  The box contained about a hundred cards dating between 1950 and 1956, and for the most part, they were all in excellent shape.  A friend of the family was in the process of cleaning up and moving into her new house when she found the old shoebox and she wondered if the only kid she knew who collected baseball cards (me) would be interested in looking through it – maybe even taking the box off her hands.

She dropped the box off to my parents and asked them to have me look through the box and take what I was interested in. Turns out, I was interested in everything.  Up to that point, the oldest cards in my collection were cards from the early '70s I had obtained through trades or cards that my Dad had picked up for me at yard sales or small baseball card shows.  (My Dad had given me a few dog-earred ’59 Topps cards – Juan Pizzaro and Jim Busby – a few years prior, and I completely forget how or why he had purchased these cards for me.)

My parents asked me to pick out a few cards from the box, and then we’d return the rest to the family friend.  Problem was, I wanted them all.  I really wanted them all.  I diligently and meticulously went through one of my price guides and determined the “value” of the treasure chest. I probably used my Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide No. 4, edited by Dr. James Beckett, and I had no way to value the football or non-sports cards.  My memory is fuzzy, and I can't find the original tally, but I think I came up with the box being worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 to $400, which I knew my parents definitely did not have in their discretionary spending budget.  But they could tell how much I wanted those cards, as I lovingly studied each and every one and handled each as if it were some long-lost artifact.

I don’t know the exact details, but I believe my Dad went back to the friend and told her we’d take the whole box, but only if she let him give her some money for it.  I believe she was genuinely shocked that the box of old cardboard pictures had some value, and that someone was willing to give her cash for it.  My Dad shared the list I had created showing the “book value” of the cards and he mentioned how it was going to be close to impossible to get me to pick and choose which ones I wanted.  When all was said and done, the family friend, who had absolutely no intention of making money on this endeavor, walked away with (I think) something in the neighborhood of $100 for the whole lot.

Within the spoils were 44 cards from the 1956 Topps set – by far the most cards from any one set.  I studied them, I sorted them, and I pretty much memorized every detail of those 44 cards.  

And so a few years later, in the summer of 1987 while on a family vacation, I was giddy with excitement when we came across a few ’56 Topps cards in the Walker Gallery on the main drag in Cooperstown, New York.  My Dad and I studied the cards for sale and he casually asked me the question, “Why don’t we try to put together the whole set?” We bought four cards that day for $9.25.  Those cards, along with the 44 from the magic shoebox, became the basis for our 1956 Topps set.

The Card
That's Mathews taking out a Dodgers middle infielder, and reaching second base safely as the ball rolls away.  You can see the "1" in Mathews #41 on the runner's back.  The main photo is the same as used for his 1955 Topps card, but a different photo than that used for his 1954 Topps card.

This is also the first green-blue color bar combination to appear in the set.  The Gail Harris (#91) card used a blue-green color bar combination.

Braves Team Set

1956 Season

Mathews and Aaron paced the Braves offense in 1956, as the team finished in second place in the National League with a 92-62 record.  They had led the league by 3 1/2 games as late as Labor Day, but the Dodgers overtook them in the standings to win the pennant.  Mathews was second on the team in home runs (37) and RBIs (95) behind slugger Joe Adcock (#320).  He hit .272 and started 149 of the team's 155 games at third base.

1952 Topps #407

1954 Topps #30

1959 Topps #450

1968 Topps #58

1974 Topps #634

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #407
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (19):  1952-1968, 1973-1974
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2020 Diamond Kings #45

962 - Mathews non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 6/13/20.

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

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #106 Joe Astroth - Kansas City Athletics / #108 Laurin Pepper - Pittsburgh Pirates

Order Collected: #98 Camilo Pascual - Washington Nationals / #110 Yogi Berra - New York Yankees

#106 Joe Astroth - Kansas City Athletics

Joseph Henry Astroth
Kansas City Athletics
Catcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  5'9"  Weight:  187
Born:  September 1, 1922, East Alton, IL
Signed:  Signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1945 season
Major League Teams:  Philadelphia Athletics 1945-1946, 1949-1954; Kansas City Athletics 1955-1956
Died:  May 3, 2013, Boca Raton, FL (age 90)

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Joe Astroth spent his entire big league career with the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics.  Known for his defense, his throwing arm and as a favorite receiver to many pitchers, Astroth was a career .254 hitter with 13 home runs and 156 RBIs over 544 games.  He spent the bulk of his early A's career as a back-up catcher to Mike Guerra in 1949 and 1950 and Joe Tipton in 1951.  In 1952 he appeared in a career high 104 games and that year's A.L. MVP, Bobby Shantz (#261), credited Astroth for helping him win 27 games.  In 1953, he led all A.L. catchers in caught stealing percentage (72.1%) and double plays turned (13).

My bedroom in 1991 -
Baseball card binders are stacked on the shelf of my desk

Building the Set
Sometime in 1991, no record of purchase - Card #97
So this is a little embarrassing, and as diligent as I was in my record-keeping skills between 1987 and 2005, I have absolutely no record of how or when this card came into our collection.  There are four such cards we added to our set without me writing down the date of purchase, and the worst thing is one of those four cards is a fairly high profile card.  I'll get to it soon enough, but at some point in 1987, when we had decided to start collecting this set in earnest, the Robin Roberts (#180) card was purchased and I have no idea when or how much we paid for it.

Based on my review of checklists we had kept at the time, this Astroth card, along with the card for Max Surkont (#209) entered our set at some point in 1991.  Our checklists from 1990 have us needing the Astroth and Surkont cards, and then our checklists from 1992 have those cards crossed off.  It's a mystery.

My only excuse here is I would have been a junior in high school in the first part of 1991, and then a senior in the fall/winter.  I had college, girls, friends and general high school stuff on my mind and I'll forgive my younger stuff for not recording the purchase of two 1956 Topps cards.

The Card
Wherever the card came from, we got it in fantastic shape, although it's a little off-center.  This marks Astroth's return to Topps sets, as he was absent in 1954 and 1955.  He must have been one of the players with an exclusive Bowman contract, as he's in each Bowman set between 1951 and 1955.  This is also the last card issued for Astroth as an active player.

The back is full of great information.  The 6-RBI inning for Astroth happened on September 23, 1950 when Astroth hit a sixth inning grand slam and then added a two-run single later in the inning.  The A's won the game, 16-5 against the Senators, thanks to their 12-run outburst in the sixth.  The middle panel on the back refers to Astroth being a favorite among his pitching counterparts, while the final panel recognizes his public speaking talents.  I couldn't find anything on the internet about his public speaking skills, but his obituary did mention that he and his wife were known for their jitterbug dancing.  Astroth sounds like he would have been a great guy to know.

This card was reprinted for Astroth to sign as part of the Real One Autographs set included within packs of 2005 Topps Heritage.

Athletics Team Set

1956 Season

With Joe Ginsberg and Tim Thompson ahead of Astroth on the Athletics' catching depth chart, Astroth only appeared in 8 games before being sold to the San Diego Padres in the Pacific Coast League on May 16th.  He had gone 1 for 13 (.077) during the first month of the season with the A's.

With the Padres, then associated with the Indians, Astroth hit .246 over 96 games with 6 home runs and 45 RBIs.  He was the team's primary catcher with fellow veteran Dick Sisler as the team's regular first baseman.

1951 Bowman #298

1952 Topps #290

1953 Topps #103

1954 Bowman #131

1955 Bowman #119

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1951 Bowman #298
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (3):  1952-1953, 1956
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-JA

30 - Astroth non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 5/30/20.

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.

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #105 Al Smith - Cleveland Indians / #107 Ed Mathews - Milwaukee Braves

Order Collected: #170 Bill Virdon - St. Louis Cardinals / #209 Max Surkont - Pittsburgh Pirates