Stan Musial and 57 Topps Team

[Bob Lemke]

Al, I think at least one of the custom card creators has done a '58 Bouchee, or at least a front. I've got most of what I'd need to do one, but it hasn't risen to the top of my to-do list.

Bouchee was not prohibited from playing MLB in 1958, he just got a late (June 1) start due to his hospitalization and subsequent treatment.

In 30 years of daily professional hobby involvement I have never heard of an extant 1958 Topps Ed Bouchee card #45. I doubt that they were ever printed.

[ALR-bishop]

Bob---it was my understanding that he was suspended, after pleading guilty and receiving probation for 3 years, and that the suspension was not lifted until July of 1958. And, the Phils were given some fairly onerous responsibilities in regard to guaranteeing his conduct on the filed if he played in 1958, but that he never did due to ongoing "treatment". Such matters back then, much like DUI and DWI, were treated differently than today and he did make it back on the field in 1959 but was apparently never the same. He has a pretty nice 59 card

[steve B]

A specific card of Mays wouldn't have been made in 74. Topps at the time didn't usually make cards the year after a players retirement.

Clemente didn't exactly retire, so that's a special case.

Any others I'd bet they were all players who retired during the next spring training or were hurt and officially retired during a season they were expected to play in. Like Mantle, retired march 1, 1969. Odd that he'd be in a later series, but maybe their lead times were long enough?

Steve B

[Bob Lemke]

Al, I got my information yesterday on the Baseball-reference.com site. They have a game log for each season for players of the 1950s and up. It showed Bouchee played on June 1, June 22 and June 29, then pretty much regularly for the rest of the season.

[ALR-bishop]

Bob---hard to argue with hard facts