1952 Topps - The Missing 3

[Zach Wheat]

As Topps was winding down its 2nd year of cards they were scrambling to complete the 6th and final series of cards. Berger intended the last series to be the grand finale for the set. Afterall, the 3 major New York teams - Dodgers, Yankees and Giants - were playing well and New York was the largest market for bubble gum. Of the 48 Giants and Dogers included in the set, Topps saved 28 of them for the final series.

In previous interviews Sy Berger said he completely misjudged how long it took to print, package and release the last series of cards, resulting in a release after the World Series concluded. The contract with Mantle, purportedly wasn't even signed until late in the summer. Topps reps scrambled to get the final stars under contract and included in the set - but failed on a number of players and 3 cards had to be replaced. In previous interviews, Berger did not reveal which 3 players were pulled from the last series. However, we know Mantle, Robinson and Thompson were hastily created and double printed. Although we may never know for sure - Sy hinted one player/card was his favorite.

Who were those 3 players pulled from the set?

[brian1961]

Thank you for the fascinating post, Zach Wheat. Hopefully, someone will chime in with some definite info. Oh if we only had Sy Berger back, to hit him with 20 questions, including this one-----at what point in time, Sy, did you begin to regret dumping all those cases of the '52 Topps last series into the Atlantic Ocean? --- Brian Powell

[swarmee]

Ted Williams would be an obvious choice, right?
Kiner was in Bowman but not Topps. Nellie Fox.

Is this a trivia question where you know the answer or just want some pontificating?

[irv]

I'll guess and say Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Whitey Ford.

[Zach Wheat]

Surprisingly Rogers Hornsby was a coach in 1952 as well.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by irv

I'll guess and say Ted Williams, Stan Musial and Whitey Ford.

Ford was in the military in 1951 and 1952. I would say Ralph Kiner was the third player. Topps had him in their 1951 and 1953 sets.

[toppcat]

No way to tell but I'm curious if cards of the coaches and managers that started with the semi-highs represent slots where Topps was still waiting for a signed contract?

I have doubts Williams was to have appeared in the set as he went on the NDS list (I think that means either Non-Disabled Suspended or Non-Disabled Service) effective 5/2/52. And with DiMaggio retiring on 12/11/51 and being on the Voluntarily Retired List from that date he doesn't seem to fit the contractual parameters for Topps in 1952. I also doubt Musial was a possibility either.

Kiner, on the other hand, very much seems like a candidate.

It's possible some Berk-Ross contracts were exclusive. All four players above were 1952 B-R subjects.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Ted Williams would be an obvious choice, right?
Kiner was in Bowman but not Topps. Nellie Fox.

Is this a trivia question where you know the answer or just want some pontificating?

I do not know the answer. However, I ran across an old SABR interview from 2004 in which Sy indicates that in 1954 Topps was trying hard to get Williams in their set, but Topps was still in a legal battle with Bowman. Although the article pertains to 1954, it still shows the passion Topps had for getting him in their set. As 1 of the missing 3, Williams is a good guess I think. Here's an old link to why Musial and Williams were missing from certain sets:

https://net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=269235

And another link (worth the read) on how Ted Z found the old printing plates from 1954 Bowman with Williams on it

https://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=269275

[toppcat]

I came up with Art Schallock (Yankees), Joe Landrum (Dodgers) and Ray Noble (Giants) once as the possible last three cards, where my reasoning assumed no big names were available. More HERE if you are interested.

I looked at it again with some possible bigger names and came up with Ralph Kiner, Hal Newhouser and Johnny Logan as possibilities.

Again, more HERE if interested.

It's interesting that no White Sox players are in the highs.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by toppcat

I came up with Art Schallock (Yankees), Joe Landrum (Dodgers) and Ray Noble (Giants) once as the possible last three cards, where my reasoning assumed no big names were available. More HERE if you are interested.

I looked at it again with some possible bigger names and came up with Ralph Kiner, Hal Newhouser and Johnny Logan as possibilities.

Again, more HERE if interested.

It's interesting that no White Sox players are in the highs.

Just curious David - why not Ted Williams? Sy said in one of his interviews one of the missing 3 was one of his favorite players.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Thank you for the fascinating post, Zach Wheat. Hopefully, someone will chime in with some definite info. Oh if we only had Sy Berger back, to hit him with 20 questions, including this one-----at what point in time, Sy, did you begin to regret dumping all those cases of the '52 Topps last series into the Atlantic Ocean? --- Brian Powell

Len Brown, one of the original Topps employees from that era, having started somewhere around 1959ish, is still alive and living in TX. I reached out to contacts that originally interviewed him for articles in SCD, but he has not responded yet.

He has lived an interesting life to date. Well worth reading his interviews

[packs]

I would think Joe D is a good candidate, no? I realize 1951 was his final season but he did get a card in the 1952 Berk Ross set and it would have been his only opportunity for a Topps card.

[swarmee]

Maybe not Ted Williams. He spent most of 1952 flying planes in the Korean War/Conflict.

[egri]

Williams would have to sign that Topps contract from the cockpit of a F9F Panther.

I think we’re looking at this wrong. The same thing happened in 1953, with six players missing from the set. After several years of speculation, they were revealed to be six benchwarmers, not stars, and that’s most likely who Topps missed on in 1952. It makes sense to me that if they were stars, Sy Berger would have gone all out to get them under contract, but for commons, he went with who he already had.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Maybe not Ted Williams. He spent most of 1952 flying planes in the Korean War/Conflict.

Ted was called up from the Reserves on May 1, 1952. Afterwards he was in Korea. Could still be Ted.