Well, I have one lonely 1952 Topps card in my dupes box, which features Sam Jethroe of the Braves. As with Ruffing and me, Jethroe was an Illinois boy as well, from East St. Louis. When he was roaming the outfield for the Braves, he was easily the fastest man in baseball. Stumbling might be a better word than roaming since fielding was never Sam's forte. But he could hit and run well enough to win the Rookie of the Year in the NL. To this day, he's still the oldest ROY, wining it at the ripe old age of 32. It was his late arrival that caused him to miss out on the MLB pension later in life. He sued baseball, saying he should get his pension, because his Negro League time counted for something during the years he couldn't play, due to MLB's discrimination. He didn't win, but later on, in 1997, MLB did change their mind and gave those players a pension. It's interesting to look at the ROY winners in the NL, from the time Jackie Robinson broke in. Robinson won it in 1947, then Al Dark, Don Newcombe, Jethroe, Willie Mays, Joe Black, and Jim Gilliam. So between 1947 and 1953, all but one of the ROYs was a black player. I guess that tells you how good the Negro Leaguers really were. If you're a back collector, this Jethroe card has a black back. If you're not a back collector, it still has a black back. Enjoy your lockdown!
