#82 Mickey Mantle

#82 Mickey Mantle

94 of 274

34.3% complete

"His Walk About" - Mickey Mantle played in 12 World Series and won seven World Series Rings during his 18 seasons with the New York Yankees. A three-time MVP award winner, he led the American League in home runs four times, and retired with 536 homers.  He 1956 he won the Triple Crown while batting .353 with 52 homers and 130 RBI's. 

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a drain cover in the outfield grass.  As a 19 year old playing in his first of 12 World Series, Mantle tore cartilage in his knee backing up Joe DiMaggio on a fly ball off the bat of Willie Mays (some names in that sentence).  As crazy as Mantle's career numbers are, it's not hyberbole to think they could have been even more absurd.  

"More of a love bite really..." - This card is about as rough as they get.  Paper loss for tape that was removed, tape still removing, non-existent corners, and a good amount of creasing.  That said, I still find it to be a pretty incredible card

"Down Under" - Mantle is card #311 in the '52 set (maybe you're familiar with it).  It's not one I have or ever anticipate having, so I'm basing my call to say I like the '53 better off of pictures alone.  While there's no denying how iconic the '52 Mantle is (in my opinion it's the most iconic of all-time), from a strictly aesthetic point I view, I think the '53 is a better looking card. The '53 set now leads 36-33-7.

"At the Oscars"

7x World Series Champion

12x AL Pennant Winner

1974 Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

3x AL MVP

16x All-Star

1956 AL Triple Crown Winner

1st AL Home Runs '55

1st AL Home Runs '56

1st AL Home Runs '58

1st AL Home Runs '60

1st AL Batting '56

1st AL RBI's '56

1st AL Runs '54

1st AL Runs '56

1st AL Runs '57

1st AL Runs '58

1st AL Runs '60

1st AL Triples '55

1st AL BB's '55

1st AL BB's '57

1st AL BB's '58

1st AL BB's '61

1st AL BB's '62

1st AL OBP % '55

1st AL OBP % '62

1st AL OBP % '64

1st AL Slg.% '55

1st AL Slg.% '56

1st AL Slg.% '61

1st AL Slg.% '62

 

 
 

 

#104 Yogi Berra

#104 Yogi Berra

58 of 274

21.2% complete

"His Walk About" - Between 1946-1964, Yogi played 19 seasons of Major League Baseball, all with the New York Yankees.  He made fifteen straight All-Star games during one stretch and won ten World Series Rings (that's still the all-time record).  Chances are you've heard of him.  He won three MVP awards, and was runner up on two other occasions.  Perhaps I am a victim of my "participation trophy" generation up-bringing, but I find Yogi's accomplishments to be rather impressive.  However, in 1971, the BBWAA was not as easily impressed, and Yogi received only 65% of the Hall of Fame vote and was subsequently not a first ballot inductee.  The following year he squeaked in with 85% of the vote.  Which means 15% of the voters didn't think Yogi was Hall worthy not once, but twice.  And before you rush to defend them and say, "well, there was still a log jam of old-timers back then,"  not a single individual garnered 75% of the vote in 1971 and no one was inducted.

"That's Not a Knife" - It's a "malapropism." A malapropism is the mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound.  Yogi was known for them, for example, he was once quoted as  saying "Texas has a lot of electircal votes."  Then again, maybe he didn't say it, as he was also quoted as saying "I didn't really say everything I said."

"More of a love bite really..." - There is nothing wrong with this card, it's one of my favorites in my collection.  It's Yogi Berra, it's over 65 years old, and the idea of nit picking over something as trivial as it's condition just strikes me as absurd.

"Down Under" - Berra is card #191 in the 1952 set. As much as I love this '53, I still prefer the '52 card.  Maybe I'm just sentimental, as the '52 Berra was one of the first "high dollar" card purchases I ever made, and it felt pretty momentous when it arrived, but biased or not, I prefer it to the '53.  That cuts the '53 set's lead to 25-20-7.

"At the Oscars"

Inducted to Baseball Hall of Fame '72

3x AL MVP '51, '54, '55

15x All-Star

10x World Series Champion

2nd AL RBI's '54

3rd AL RBI's '50

3rd AL RBI's '55

4th AL RBI's 53

4th AL RBI's 56

5th AL RBI's '52

3rd AL Home Runs '52

3rd AL Home Runs '56

4th AL Home Runs '51

4th AL Home Runs '53

4th AL Home Runs '55

4th AL Runs '50

4th AL Runs '52

4th AL Hits '50

4th AL Doubles '54

4th AL Doubles '56

#77 Johnny Mize

#77 John Mize

25 of 274

9.1% complete

"His Walk About" - Mize made his MLB debut in 1936 with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Over the next 18 years he'd play 15 MLB seasons (he lost three years to military service in his prime) and be named to ten All-Star teams.  Along the way, he played for the Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Yankees, making at least one All-Star team with each squad.  A 4x League Leader in Home Runs, Mize would retire with 359 homers, 2,011 hits, and a .312 lifetime average.  In 1939 Mize just missed winning a Triple Crown, when he led the NL in home runs and batting average, but finished 3rd in RBI's.  Before ending his walkabout with an induction ceremony in Cooperstown, Mize won five World Series Rings with the New York Yankees.

"That's Not a Knife" - But it is some extremely impressive baseball pedigree.  Mize's wikipedia page describes him as being a distant cousin of Ty Cobb, and a "second cousin married" to Babe Ruth.  I'm not sure what that means, but when you lead the league in homers four times, and make ten All-Star teams I'm inclined to think it means something.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card may have been glued to inside a scrap book at some point in its history, given the stain pattern on the back and the way the wrinkles along the front edge give the appearance of having been peeled off of a page.  That said, it's still a very nice looking card.

"Down Under" - Mize is card #129 the 1952 set.  Let me first say, that I really like this 1953 card.  Particularly the way it names Mize as "John" on the front.  That said, there's really no debate here.   Between the Yankee Stadium facade and the three bats, the '52 is a far superior looking card.  With this Mize, the sets are now all tied up at 12-12-1.

"At the Oscars"

Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee 1981
10x All-Star 
5x World Series Champion
Led NL Home Runs 4x ('39, '40, '47, '48)
NL Batting Champion '39
Led NL RBI's 3x ('40, '42, '47)
Led NL Runs '47
Led NL Doubles '41
Led NL Triples '38
2nd NL MVP voting '39
2nd NL MVP voting '40
3rd NL MVP voting '47
5th NL MVP voting '42

#43 Gil McDougald

#43 Gil McDougald

8 of 274

2.9% complete

"His Walk About" - Gil's MLB walk about was a relatively short one of "only" ten seasons.  I say only, because it was a wildly successful tenure in the majors for McDougald that saw him collect 1,291 hits, play in 8 World Series, be named 5 All-Star Teams and win the Rookie of the Year Award in 1951.

"That's Not a Knife" - McDougald was born May 19, 1928 in San Francisco, California.  His last Major League Game was game 7 of the 1960 World Series which ended with Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run.  After his retirement, he became head coach of the Fordham baseball team.

"More of a love bite really..." - This McDougald card is in very nice shape.  Rounded corners are about the only real defect that you don't have to squint to find.

"Down Under" - Gil McDougald is card #372, one of those pesky hi-numbers, down below in the 1952 set.  As such I don't have it.  Maybe I'm biased and overly infatuated with the elusiveness of the '52 hi-numbers, but I'm going give the nod to the original over this '53 sequel.  For some reason it looks like Gil is standing in a horse stable to me on this '53.  The 52's keep a 5-3 edge in this running tally.

"At the Oscars"

AL Rookie of the Year 1951

Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1958

5x All-Star ('52, '56, '57, '58, '59

5x World Series Champion ('51-53, '56, '58)

8x AL Pennant Winner

1st AL Triples '57

1st AL Defensive WAR '57

2nd AL Triples '59

4th AL Triples '55

4th AL Stolen Bases '52

5th AL MVP Voting '57

7th AL MVP Voting '56

7th AL Batting Avg. '51

9th AL MVP Voting '51

9th AL Batting Avg. '56

#35 Irv Noren

#35 Irv Noren

7 of 274

2.5% complete

"His Walk About" - Irv played for six teams over the course of 11 seasons, the majority of them with the New York Yankees from 1952-56.  With the Yankees he made his only All-Star team in '54, and won three World Series Rings ('52, '53, & '56).  In total Noren collected 857 hits while posting a career .257 avg.

"That's Not a Knife" - Born in Jamestown, New York in 1924, Noren is another two sport pro, having played Professional Basketball for the Chicago American Gears.  A World War II vet, Noren would up his World Series Ring count to five by serving as the third base coach for the Oakland Athletics in 1972 and '73.

"More of a love bite really..." - This Noren arrived in my hands in really great shape.  It's nice enough that I don't even feel like nit picking.  Let's just call it a very nice card.

"Down Under" - Irv Noren is card #40 in the 1952 set (and I have two of them!).  I prefer the sequel in '53 and it's probably the easiest choice I've made so far.  It isn't close.  The right field stands of Yankee stadium are a lot more interesting than the blue sky on the '52.  The 52's still hold a 4-3 lead seven cards in.

"At the Oscars"

All-Star '54

5x World Series Rings (3x Player, 2x Coach)

4th AL Batting Avg. '54

4th AL Triples '50

7th AL Doubles '51

8th AL Stolen Bases '51

10th AL RBI's '51

#9 Joe Collins

#9 Joe Collins

1 of 274

0.3% complete

"His Walk About" - Joe's MLB walk about lasted 10 seasons, all with the Yankees.  Along the way he picked up 596 hits, 86 home runs, and won 5 World Series Rings.  He had 18 hits and 4 home runs in World Series plays.

"That's Not a Knife" - Born in Scranton, PA in 1922, Collins died at the age of 66 in 1989.  In Union Township, NJ there is a park named for Collins and plaque erected in his honor.

"More of a love bite really..." - This card boasts a couple of significant scars, with a small tear along the right edge and some red marks on Joe's face.  They're really not all that distracting, and this copy is perfectly acceptable by my standards.

"Down Under" - Collins is card #202 down in the 1952 set.  I prefer the original to the sequel.

"At the Oscars"

33rd in 1952 AL MVP voting

9th in AL Triples '52

10th in AL Home Runs '53

3rd in Assists for 1B in '54