My 1956 Topps Project

[Eric72]

Card #215, Tommy Byrne, shows a Yankee left-hander who was coming off perhaps the finest season of his 13 year career. In 1955, he went 16-5 with a 3.11 ERA and finished 14th in the MVP voting.

Byrne's 1956 Topps card shows a portrait of a World War II veteran in his mid-30s. He had missed two years of his career due to service in the U.S. Navy, an experience similar to many of his peers. His expression is somewhat serious, with eyes narrowed and seemingly fixed upon something in the distance. I wonder if he was actually gazing inward and contemplating something about which none of us could ever know.

The action shot is beautiful in its presentation. Byrne is shown on the mound, mid-delivery, at the moment of release. There is no batter pictured..no other players...no crowd. I've often heard that great pitchers have the ability to block out nearly everything when expertly plying their craft. To me, this image exemplifies the sort of disposition in which a top-notch hurler would find themselves when everything is working just right.

[Eric72]

Poor Johnny Kucks.

For starters, his name was almost certainly cause for some hazing. At the beginning of the 1956 season, he was a mere 23 years old. I imagine the veterans had a field day with the kid. Still, he was in the major leagues. Among other things, this led to his very own Topps baseball card. The first time Johnny saw the card, though, he probably didn't react very well.

His portrait isn't exactly the most flattering picture, to put it gently. The artist who colored (or created) this image seemed to have some difficulty with accurately rendering Johnny's face. I checked photographs of Kucks...he looked nothing like the kid shown here with somewhat lopsided eyes and a vacant expression.

When he looked on the back of his card, Kucks would have undoubtedly noticed that Topps did not get his date of birth correct. They were off by a year; he was actually born in 1932. This is the second time, in roughly 40 cards, this error has presented itself. Small sample size, i know. However, it seems rather prevalent.

A closer inspection of the back reveals another error. His career stat line shows that he racked up quite a few numbers before 1955...apparently without playing a single game. Somewhat less-than-stellar quality control at Topps that year, it seems. I guess their purchase of Bowman, and lack of competition, may have had an impact in that area.

The card does have some redeeming qualities, though. The background is spectacular, featuring a classic '50s stadium image. The advertising on the outfield wall, while not quite readable, is certainly visible. The architecture of the stadium is beautiful, uncluttered, and a great representation of ballparks from this bygone era.

In the foreground, Kucks' pitching delivery looks clean and graceful, almost effortless. His frame certainly looks to be that of a pitcher. He looks entirely natural in the role of a big-league hurler.

Lastly, there is the autograph. It is large and free-flowing, a well-executed example of the perfect Palmer method taught in schools during the first half of the 20th Century.

Overall, I found this card extremely interesting. There were so many small details that caught my eye and led me to further exploration. Moving forward, I'll certainly take notice whenever I see cards or photos of John Charles Kucks.