Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>1933 was a great year for cards. You had Goudey's, Delong's, George C Miller's and other sets. The one thing that struck me funny today at work is that the only set Ruth is in, is the Goudey set. Is there a reason why Ruth was left out of the other sets? It just seems odd that they would omit the most popular player of the day.<br /><br />Jay<br><br>A good friend will come bail you out of jail. A true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun."

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>jerry</b><p>Interesting question. <br />Maybe the other issues thought he was going to Retire. Goudey had retired players in their set ala Speaker & Collins, so they probally didn't care.<br />Just a guess.

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>Todd Schultz</b><p>Always wondered about the Diamond Stars in '34, but Babe was in the Uncle Jacks and Buttercream sets--as well as those ugly Rittenhouses.

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>cmoking</b><p>I always thought it had something to do with contractual agreements.

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>steve f</b><p> Not an ideal role model?.. Wondering if the prolific rumors of venereal disease and blatant infidelity may have hurt Georgie's standing with some of the Puritanical publishers. <br /><br /> The 1928 W565's for example, Murderer's Row without the Babe?.. Lazzeri and Gehrig were featured and the Babe hit his 60 dingers the season prior!<br /><br /> This day an age, a player with a deviant lifestyle wouldn't be a big whoop so long as his numbers were substantial.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>I'm really surprised at the lack of comment on this topic. I would have thought there would be more action on this topic, but I guess no one really cares. Maybe I should ask why Ruth isn't in the t206 set :-p<br /><br />Jay<br><br>A good friend will come bail you out of jail. A true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun."

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Jay<br /><br />You could probably answer your ? yourself. Anyhow, I will take a stab at it.<br /><br />The "dudes" that produced the National Chicle (Diamond Stars, etc.) cards<br /> were former Goudey employees that for whatever reasons branched out on<br /> their own to form this new BB card Co.<br /><br />So, it does not take much imagination to visualize the contention between<br /> Goudey and these "upstarts". Of course that had to be legal battles to the<br /> Rights to portray these two most heralded players of that time period.<br />And, it's very simple.....Goudey won.<br /><br />Furthermore, Nat. Chi. must of won the argument on who would portray Hank<br /> Greenberg (the most significant guy in the Dia. Star set). And, they initially<br /> did not even spell Hank's name correctly.<br /><br />Also, consider this fact, Nat. Chi. advertised a 240-player set to compete with<br />the 1933 Goudey set. However, they fell far short of it with only 96 players and<br />an additional 12 cards which were reprinted players from the earlier series.<br /><br />Don't misconstrue me, though, I really enjoyed putting together the Dia. Star set.<br />I just loved the "art-deco" artistry that went into creating these cards.<br /><br />T-Rex TED

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>Gilbert Maines</b><p>The National Chicle 1934-36 Batter Up set had the same line up - no Ruth, yes - Greenberg, Hornsby, etc.

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Thanks Gil<br /><br />The Batter-Up roster of major stars more or less is consistent with the Dia. Star<br /> set and does reinforce my above comments to Jay's question. Additionally, Nat.<br />Chicle included many players that were not depicted in the Goudey sets in their<br />Batter-Up set to produce a much larger set than their Dia. Star one.

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>jay behrens</b><p>Ted, I can make a pretty ggod educated guess, but it's an area that when I was very active in the hobby in the 80s that I generally ignored. I was hoping that hobby vets like you and others with more specific knowledge would be ab;e to give a more solid answer than what my theories are. Thanks<br /><br />Jay<br><br>A good friend will come bail you out of jail. A true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun."

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>Jeff Lowe</b><p> I am surely not a veteran . Might be an over simplification . But I always thought that it was because he fell in between the tobacco card and gum card eras . <br /><br /><br /><br />Jeff

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>MikeW</b><p>Steve f - I think Babe would be less celebrated today with his lifestyle the way it was. Obviously, he was well loved and celebrated in his day despite it. Conversely, big numbers haven't masked the tarnishing of Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, and Palmeiro's image today.<br /><br />I know steroids and drinking/womanizing are different issues - but players displaying questionable moral decisions didn't seem to receive much scrutiny as long as they were productive (or better yet productive and gregarious).<br />

Where is Ruth?
 

Posted By: <b>prewarsports</b><p>The 1930's and 1940's were a time when most Americans did not even know their President couldn't walk because the media did not make big deals out of things the way they do now. Most adults knew of Ruth's vices, but they usually did not inform their kids, and most kids did not read the papers. In the days before the media cared to try and dig up dirt, or before every kid had access to television news or Sportscenter, I think a much larger percentage of people and especially kids, simply did not know about Ruth's off the field lifestyle.<br /><br />It would seem to flow then that Ruth's bad moral character would not have anything to do with his exclusion from card sets.<br /><br />Rhys