My 1956 Topps Project

[Eric72]

Another pickup at the Philly Show is this Granny Hamner. Aside from the somewhat (by today's standards) odd nickname, several things stand out about this card.

For starters, the background image shows a close play at the plate. Hamner is sliding in as the catcher attempts to apply the tag. It is practically impossible to know whether he will be called safe or out. By not showing an umpire in the picture, Topps (perhaps purposefully) leaves the viewer to imagine the outcome for themselves. As a Phillies fan, I prefer to think he was safe, scoring the winning run in the ninth inning of a closely contested game.

Additionally, there is a bat laying on the ground, inches away from the action. As Hamner continues sliding past home, he will likely collide with the lumber. Did nobody think to clear the bat away? Was there no time? Did Hamner gallop towards home from third on a suicide squeeze? So many questions regarding one small detail.

Lastly, there is the foreground portrait. Hamner's cap looks almost brand new. It doesn't appear to have been broken in yet. On a modern card, I probably wouldn't think twice about this. Players nowadays are issued new uniforms, caps, etc. on a seemingly daily basis. Demand for game-used memorabilia is extremely high and teams are more than willing to cash in on this. Back in the mid-50s, as I understand it, things were a bit different. Players from that era tended to get more "mileage" out of things such as gloves, uniforms, and caps. Come to think of it, American society as a whole seems to have trended more and more towards treating everything as easily disposable these days.

Am I just an aging man longing for days gone by as I ponder such things? Perhaps. However, I collect baseball cards. As with most of us, I tend to spend at least as much time looking back as I do looking forward. In many ways, I often prefer the view.