Baseball Cards - where obscure players become legends

[darkhorse9]

Have you ever thought about all the players whose names would likely be forgotten had it not been for some baseball card anomaly that would keep people mentioning their name with reverence decades after their passing ?

Sherri Magee -T206
Ivy Andrews - George C Miller
Joe Doyle - T206
Jim Konstanty - 1951 Current All Stars
Andy Pafko - 1952 Topps
Billy Ripen - 1989 Fleer

I'm sure there are dozens more that others can name. Good players, I'm sure. But their real fame came from a baseball card.

[ls7plus]

Indeed, most are forgotten. A few months back, I was re-reading some of Bill James baseball almanacs from the '90's in between sets while working out, and was amazed at how few names I recognized, despite being a devout fan for more than 50 years! Most of these guys are like extras in the cast of Spartacus--either in the slave army or the Roman's!

Happy collecting,

Larry

[T206Collector]

Sherry Magee was awesome - and received Hall of Fame votes in 1937-39, 42, 45-46, 50-51.

He led the NL in WAR in 1910, when he won the NL batting title.

But, I concede, he is more famous for the Magie error card.

Still, he was a true star in his day. I once owned a Magie, but now I only own a Magee...

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

I was also going to point out Magee was great, Konstanty won and MVP and Pafko was a pretty darn good player too.

[egri]

There are even more if you include signed cards. Howie Fox would have faded off into obscurity by now, but anyone who is building an early '50s Topps or Bowman set needs him. Ricky Wright will stand in the way of anyone working on the 1987 Topps set, Ken Hubbs with the 1963 set, the list goes on.

[ALR-bishop]

Three of the most elusive Topps cards involve Gino Cimoli, Kent Hadley and Faye Throneberry

[irv]

I have always struggled with Joe Black from the 1952 Topps set and wondered why it was so expensive?

I know it's a high number card and it's his RC, but he only played 6 yrs, (with his first year being the best) and of course he was never elected into the HOF. :confused:

http://www.psacard.com/cardfacts/baseball-cards/1952-topps/joe-black-321/23340/

[egri]

In addition to what you mentioned, he was one of the Boys of Summer. Dodgers and Yankees from around then usually do very well.

[brianp-beme]

Benny Bengough - 1933 Goudey #1 card

Brian

[brianp-beme]

John Halla - 1911 Zeenut (because it is an awesome horizontal pose)

Brian

[Tennis13]

John Halla - 1911 Zeenut (because it is an awesome horizontal pose)

Brian

He never quite made it, but there was a Wes Chamberlain rookie Topps error card in the 1990s that had a different guy on it. I asked him to sign it in spring training and he said No. Ha. So he is legendary in my mind

[IMAXMAX]

Lou Lowdermilk+Bill Ripken

[BleedinBlue]

Ron Tomkins and Bill Denehy have an elevated status is most collections due simply to which guy Topps elected to pair them with on their rookie baseball cards. Tomkins shares a card with Johnny Bench and Bill Denehy is the guy sharing a card with Nolan Ryan.

Most of the T206 Southern League guys would have been lost to history if not chosen for a T206 card. Now they are highly sought after.

[almostdone]

Ron Tomkins and Bill Denehy have an elevated status is most collections due simply to which guy Topps elected to pair them with on their rookie baseball cards. Tomkins shares a card with Johnny Bench and Bill Denehy is the guy sharing a card with Nolan Ryan.

Most of the T206 Southern League guys would have been lost to history if not chosen for a T206 card. Now they are highly sought after.

Agreed about the sharing of a rookie but Jerry Koosman shares the card with Ryan, not Denehy.
Drew

[Brian Van Horn]

Magee was a good ballplayer. Now to follow up on Daniel's notation. As for obscure, and in one case never were major league ballplayers, please reference the T207 set with Louis Lowdermilk and Irving Lewis.

[4815162342]

Johnny Bates

[PM770]

Grant Jackson (1966 Topps)
Jim Lansford (1952 Bowman large)
Pepper Martin (1960 Fleer)

[trdcrdkid]

Agreed about the sharing of a rookie but Jerry Koosman shares the card with Ryan, not Denehy.
Drew

Denehy shared Tom Seaver's rookie card, not Ryan's.

[bbcard1]

Although one could easily argue it was an anomaly, Jim Konstanty at least has a relatively recent MVP on which to hang his ball cap.

[mybuddyinc]

"The Wagner of Caramels" :rolleyes:

240899

[Luke]

Johnny Bates

Bates was really good during the tobacco card era. Top 10 in WAR for position players 1910 and 1911. Was also top-10 in adjusted OPS+ in 1909, 1910, and 1911. He didn't have a long career, but just during the years that the tobacco and caramel sets came out, he was a huge stud.

This Bates OM is one of my favorites:

[bnorth]

Bill Ripken is by far my favorite famous obscure player. Don't have a solid count but I have easily over 20 1989 Fleer variations and a ton of very cool print errors. Even have a custom made FF bat using a real game use Orioles bat.

[paul]

Don't forget Ten Million from the Obak set.

[yanksfan09]

Has Titus-itus been cured yet? Thankfully I've never contracted that disease!

[Gary Dunaier]

Denehy shared Tom Seaver's rookie card, not Ryan's.

Fun fact: Denehy and Seaver also appeared together, along with fellow rookie hurler Don Shaw, in a photo on Denehy's page in the 1967 Mets yearbook.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1122/5116907590_6f809f5f6a_b.jpg

[Leon]

If he hasn't shaved there is still a contingency. :)

Has Titus-itus been cured yet? Thankfully I've never contracted that disease!

[Harliduck]

Grant Jackson (1966 Topps)
Jim Lansford (1952 Bowman large)
Pepper Martin (1960 Fleer)

In this subject, my mind went immediately to Grant Jackson...who also has a variant card in 1967 Topps.

[vintagerookies51]

I'd say Buck Herzog has become pretty famous at least here on the board :D

[Topps206]

It's too bad Sherry Magee isn't in Cooperstown. The man belongs.

I wouldn't call Billy Ripken obscure, especially since he's an MLB Network analyst.

[deucetwins]

1975 Topps Herb Washington. The only player to ever have his position listed as "Pinch Runner" by Topps.

[71buc]

1952 Topps Gus Zernial
1976 Topps Oscar Gamble and Kurt Bevaqua

[clydepepper]

for several years, Claude Raymond could not seem to zip up on picture day.

[irv]

1952 Topps Gus Zernial
1976 Topps Oscar Gamble and Kurt Bevaqua

I have wanted that card since I joined here as I also thought, based on this older thread, it was unique/fun card.
I never knew, however, that it reached some of the prices shown in this thread.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=121128

[TCMA]

Manuel Onis - 1972 TCMA "The 1930's"

[Topps206]

1952 Topps Gus Zernial
1976 Topps Oscar Gamble and Kurt Bevaqua

While 1952 is Zernial's most famous, he isn't an obscurity. He was an All Star and home run champ.

[Dario7707]

Frank Campos 1952 Topps ( black star on back)

[nebboy]

T202 Harry Lord and Lee Tannehill because of being bookends to JOE