Let's see your Gashouse Gang ...

Archive · #1 03-09-2009, 10:02 PM

Posted By: Chris Counts

Besides being one of the most colorful collections of ballplayers ever assembled, the Cardinals of the mid-1930s were also pretty darn good, winning a title in '34 in dramatic fashion. They were surprisingly well-represented in pre-war cards, mostly because 1933-36 was such a prolific era for card manufacturers. I am also curious if a card exists of Jack Rothrock when he played for the Cardinals. I've never seen one, and I believe every other key player on their roster is accounted for in the Goudey and National Chicle sets ...

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Archive · #2 03-09-2009, 10:35 PM

Posted By: Ken Wirt

Some of the gang from different eras:

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Archive · #3 03-10-2009, 12:14 AM

Posted By: Anthony N.

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Archive · #4 03-10-2009, 01:13 AM

Posted By: David McDonald

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Archive · #5 03-10-2009, 03:56 AM

Posted By: Rob

woops, Warneke didn't join the Cards till 1937 ...

but Spud Davis was there!

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Archive · #6 03-10-2009, 06:17 AM

Posted By: JDRUM

Favorites (see avatar)
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Archive · #7 03-10-2009, 06:18 AM

Posted By: Phil Garry

How about all of them in one shot........

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Archive · #8 03-10-2009, 06:57 AM

Posted By: Sean

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Archive · #9 03-10-2009, 07:09 AM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I've scanned the 1st and 2nd pages of Bill Walker's 1934 Gas
House Gang contract, and his 33 Goudey card is there.

Great things about the contract are the added clauses, #11 and
#12. Also, president Breadon didn't sign the contract, the
club's vice president did that, one tough HOF signature.

I have Pepper Martin's 1934 contract, it is on loan to the St.
Louis Baseball HOF, near the ball park, along with an Ernie
Orsatti bat, a 1934 game 7 WS stub, and some cards and rosters.

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Archive · #10 03-10-2009, 07:52 AM

Posted By: Steve Murray

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Archive · #11 03-10-2009, 08:14 AM

Posted By: Chris Counts

What a great display of images! Here's a quartet of Cardinals pitchers, from the tough high-numbered series of Batter-Ups ...

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Archive · #12 03-10-2009, 08:23 AM

Posted By: Jim VB

1933 Goudey

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Archive · #13 03-10-2009, 08:28 AM

Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

Someday I hope to pick up a Dizzy and Daffy Dean cards. So many cards to get so little time (money)!

Thanks for sharing the pictures!

marty

Archive · #14 03-10-2009, 09:57 AM

Posted By: MikePugeda

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Archive · #15 03-10-2009, 10:22 AM

Posted By: Chris Counts

Mike,

Who is pictured in the b&w card next Hornsby? And what is it?

Archive · #16 03-10-2009, 10:28 AM

Posted By: Paul Carek

Great post card, Phil. I've never seen that one.

Surprised to see Mize on it, though. I thought his first year was '36.

Archive · #17 03-10-2009, 10:31 AM

Posted By: Chris Counts

I noticed in the fine print on the postcard that it's dated 1936, despite what SGC says on the slab. I've seen a photo of Mize from 1934, and he's wearing a Reds uniform ...

Archive · #18 03-10-2009, 10:46 AM

Posted By: David M

You'd think with my Login name, I'd have something to show. Sorry, I don't. However, I am a long time Cardinal fan. I thought the origins of the Gas House Gang name was interesting. Found this on the web:

While the origin of the Gas House Gang nickname is somewhat unclear, and baseball historians are even in disagreement as to which of the Cardinal teams it was first applied, there is no doubt that it was a direct reference to an especially violent 19th century gang from the Gashouse neighborhood of New York City (Think Gangs of New York if you've seen that movie.) Legend has it that a New York sportswriter coined the nickname by writing that the players looked like "the gang from around the gashouse" when the team did not have time to launder its uniforms during one of its road trips and arrived at the Polo Grounds looking dirty and shabby. Leo Durocher related the incident in his autobiography, remembering that "the next day, I saw a cartoon in the World-Telegram. It showed two big gas tanks on the wrong side of the railroad track, and some ballplayers crossing over to the good part of town carrying clubs over their shoulders instead of bats. And the title read: 'the Gashouse Gang.'" That cartoon, was drawn by Willard Mullin, the dean of American sports cartoons, and once it was published, the team would never loose its nickname.

Has anyone seen the video clip they used to show before the Cardinals telecasts? It showed members of the Gas House Gang doing a routine with the baseball. They would act like they were throwing the ball then pass it over their shoulder to another player, etc. Kind of like a Harlem Globetrotter routine. I'd like to see that video again and find out who the players are.

Archive · #19 03-10-2009, 11:15 AM

Posted By: Chris Counts

David,

I've seen a video clip, which comes from the first volume of the "When It Was A Game" series, which shows Pepper Martin playing pepper. There's a myth that Martin invented the game, but I've also read that the House of David barnstorming team perfected the art of pepper a decade earlier in the 1920s. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Martin was named Pepper because of his skill at pepper. Anyway, the video clip is a real gem, and amazingly, it's in color (as is almost everything in the 3-CD series). And it's easy to find on eBay for a very reasonable price ...

Archive · #20 03-10-2009, 11:23 AM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hornsby isn't really considered Gashouse Gang... he's long gone from the Cardinals by the time the Gashouse Gang is on the field.

Archive · #21 03-10-2009, 11:44 AM

Posted By: David M

Thanks for the info Chris. It would be a treat to see it again and especially in color.

Archive · #22 03-10-2009, 12:03 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

The Deans...

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Archive · #23 03-10-2009, 12:04 PM

Posted By: MikePugeda

Chris,

It's a RPPC (Brace or Burke - I forget which one) of Paul Dean.

Archive · #24 03-10-2009, 12:05 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Jack Rothrock and Frank Frisch

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Archive · #25 03-10-2009, 12:10 PM

Posted By: Jim VB

"Hornsby isn't really considered Gashouse Gang... he's long gone from the Cardinals by the time the Gashouse Gang is on the field."

Mostly correct. Gone, but not long gone. Hornsby played for the Cards in 1933 at the tail end of his career for 1/2 a season or so. Finished up that season with the Browns. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, he has 2 cards in the 1933 Goudey set. One lists him as a player with the Cards. The second lists him as the Manager of the Browns.

Most people think of the Gashouse Gang as starting around 1934 when Daffy came up, but the core was there before.

Archive · #26 03-10-2009, 12:11 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Martin and Medwick

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Archive · #27 03-10-2009, 01:05 PM

Posted By: hrbaker

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Archive · #28 03-10-2009, 03:09 PM

Posted By: HRBAKER

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Archive · #29 03-10-2009, 03:35 PM

Posted By: JohnnyH

[IMG] [linked image] [/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

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Archive · #30 03-10-2009, 04:14 PM

Posted By: Chris Counts

Here's a card of Bill DeLancey, who I don't believe anyone has posted yet ... He had a brief career plagued by illness, but Branch Rickey named him to his all-time team ...

Archive · #31 03-10-2009, 05:34 PM

Posted By: JDRUM

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Archive · #32 03-10-2009, 05:50 PM

Posted By: dennis

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Archive · #33 03-10-2009, 08:23 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Spud Davis, Leo Durocher

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Archive · #34 03-10-2009, 08:38 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Tex Carleton and Ernie Orsatti

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Archive · #35 03-10-2009, 08:42 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Jim Mooney and Rip Collins

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Archive · #36 03-10-2009, 08:49 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Sparky Adams

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Archive · #37 03-10-2009, 08:50 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

coach Mike...

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Archive · #38 03-10-2009, 08:58 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Jesse Haines

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Archive · #39 03-10-2009, 09:09 PM

Posted By: Chris Counts

Frank, you have one very impressive collection. I take it you're a Cardinals fan. I'm actually a Reds fan myself. Well, it looks like we've created our very own Gashouse Gang museum! I must confess, though, I'm running out of Cardinals cards from the early 1930s. Here are a couple more Batter-Up high numbers ...

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Archive · #40 03-10-2009, 09:18 PM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

I've got a few more autographs that I can't readily match up with
cards, and conversely.

Just behind my cut of Francis Healy (15 games and 4 hits in 1934)
I found this signed 3x5, or Clarence "Lefty" Heise. His entire
major league career occurred on April 22, 1934. He'd started
with Danville of the III league, and after a 10-10 record in 34
games there he moved up to AA Columbus of the American
Association in 1931, winning 2 of his 4 games. In 1932 he's with
AA Rochester, appearing in only 6 games. !933 and he moves to
Columbus, and posts a 17-5 record. So here he comes to St. Louis
in 1934, and on that April day he pitches the last 2 innings,
giving up 3 hits, one a home run, 3 runs, and 2 wild pitches.
That was his only major league game...

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Archive · #41 03-10-2009, 09:26 PM

Posted By: JDRUM

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Archive · #42 03-10-2009, 10:01 PM

Posted By: Matt Hart

Sorry that it's not a card.
Matt
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Archive · #43 03-10-2009, 10:20 PM

Posted By: Anonymous

I'm sorry, but the Rothrock is not with the Cardinals:

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More Gashouse Gang cards later.

Archive · #44 03-11-2009, 06:37 AM

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Brian,

What is that great Rothrock card, and how can I get one??

Thanks for posting it!

Chris, you're right, a fan of the Cardinals, especially the Gashouse Gang. Those guys were ballplayers. I enjoy that segment of 'When It Was a Game'.

Frank.

Archive · #45 03-11-2009, 06:53 AM

Posted By: Matt

For those that count Hornsby:
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My Trade/Sale Page

Archive · #46 03-11-2009, 11:09 AM

Posted By: Anonymous

Frank,

The Rothrock card is from the 1928 Star Candy set. It is a little more difficult to collect.

Archive · #47 03-11-2009, 11:30 AM

Posted By: Joe D.

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Archive · #48 03-11-2009, 11:57 AM

Posted By: andy

Archive · #49 03-11-2009, 08:15 PM

Posted By: Anonymous

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Archive · #50 03-11-2009, 08:34 PM

Posted By: JDRUM

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