MLB Hall of Fame Binder 1943-1956

 <<<<PART 1 HERE>>>>

There are 354 people ENSHRINED at Cooperstown. I have a wonderful little binder with all 354. This includes "pioneers", umpires, executives, managers, and players. No, these will not be cards from their playing days for the first half or so. I am but a middle class person. 

Here are the 54 inducted from 1943-1956. Why those years? Because it's the next multiple of nine that ended with a full year's inductees after the 27 that were inducted 1936-1942. Easy peasy.

Class of '44 - Kenesaw Landis

Class of '45 - Roger Bresnahan, Dan Brouthers, Fred Clarke, Jimmy Collins, Ed Delahanty, Hugh Duffy, Hugh Jennings, King Kelly, Jim O'Rourke, Wilbert Robinson

Class of '46 - Jesse Burkett, Frank Chance, Jack Chesbro, Johnny Evers, Clark Griffith, Tommy McCarthy, Joe McGinnity, Eddie Plank, Joe Tinker, Rube Wadell, Ed Walsh

Class of '47 - Mickey Cochrane, Frankie Frisch, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell

Class of '48 - Herb Pennock, Pie Traynor

Class of '49 - Mordecai Brown, Charlie Gehringer, Kid Nichols

Class of '51 - Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott

Class of '52 - Harry Heilman, Paul Waner

Class of '53 - Ed Barrow, Chief Bender, Tom Connolly, Dizzy Dean, Bill Klem, Al Simmons, Bobby Wallace, Harry Wright

Class of '54 - Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, Bill Terry

Class of '55 - Frank Baker, Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons, Ray Shalk, Dazzy Vance

Class of '56 - Joe Cronin, Hank Greenberg

 

Go Redlegs

MLB Hall of Fame Binder 1936-1942

There are 354 people ENSHRINED at Cooperstown. I have a wonderful little binder with all 354. This includes "pioneers", umpires, executives, managers, and players. No, these will not be cards from their playing days for the first half or so. I am but a middle class person.

Here are the 27 inducted from 1936-1942. Why those years? Because there were 27 total inductees and 27 is a multiple of 9. Nuff said.

Class of '36 - Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner

Class of '37 - Morgan Bulkeley, Ban Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Connie Mack, John McGraw, Tris Speaker, George Wright, Cy Young

Class of '38 - Grover Cleveland Alexander, Alexander Cartwright, Henry Chadwick

Class of '39 - Cap Anson, Eddie Collins, Charles Comiskey, Candy Cummings, Buck Ewing, Lou Gehrig, Willie Keeler, Charles Radbourn, George Sisler, Albert Spalding

Class of '42 - Rogers Hornsby 

Go Redlegs

Big-Ass 36's

The National Chicle and Goudey gum companies released "cards" in their boxes in 1936. "Fine Pen Premiums" and "Wide Pen Premiums", respectively. And by cards, I mean thin paper printed photographs. They're flimsy. They're creased. They're torn. They're browned. They're busted. They're mine.

 

George McQuinn's rookie year and only year with the Reds was 1936. Shown here getting his man.

Official title of this card is 'Ernie Lombardi Says "Ugh"'. Reds legend Lombardi was NL MVP in 1938 and was elected to the HoF posthumously. Now THAT is worthy of an "Ugh".

 

Alex Kampouris spent his first five season with Cincy. This is his face.

 

 

Chuck Dressen spent 7 of his 8 playing years with the Reds and would become our manager from 1934-1937. Billy Myers spent 6 of his 7 playing years with the Reds, becoming team captain in only his second year.

Storage nightmare goodness. 

Go Redlegs.

1960's Sportlots Pick-Ups Photo Dump - USA v. Canada

Several Sportlots sellers let go of their vintage for mere cents. Plus offer free shipping (to the Box, if you're aware). Definitely worth a gander if you're a set man. Recently got a nice pile of Topps and O-Pee-Cheeeeeeeee.

 

 One Hall of Famer in the pile, so he'll start us off. The underheralded Robin Roberts. Check this dude's Baseball Reference page. Lots of bold in that grid. Tons of WAR. Counting stats are huge. Dude was dealing.

Spot the error and correction on the Checklist. Spoiler - Luis/Louis Aparacio 

Now the beautifully busted OPC. With backs, of course. Some backs are jarring ('69 and '71). Some are easy to miss. Gotta check for that Canada copyright line.

I can't even dream about completing 60's Topps sets, much less 60's O-Pee-Chee. But that will never stop me from picking up randoms. OPC Binder is getting nice and plump.

Go Redlegs. You tried your best this year. 

126 Autos or 1 Chrome Mega Box. Choose Wisely. Part 3 (Final)

Part 1 here.

Part 2 here.

Wrapping up the 126 Reds auto purchase. Sorted, filed, delivered. Wonderous.

Leading off with The Cowboy! Reds long-time announcer and old school reliever.

Yes, that's 20 Jeff Brantley autos. Up from my previous count of, let's see, TWO. Berenyi is my third and Keith Brown was missing entirely, so that's loverly.

Nobody new to the collection here, but shout-out to Eddie and his Tools of Ignorance.

 

There was a time, believe it or not, that a Nick Senzel rookie auto would've run ya like 40 bucks. After he didn't quite pan out, stubborn sellers kept his prices too high for too long. All I had in my collection was an ugly, unlicensed Panini airbrushed-pajamas sticker auto. Bleh. All seven of these blow that one out of the water. Mo and Scottie I had. Purists may say that's a Rockies card, but not me.

That'll do it. The binders have become slightly more bulbous. The dream. 

Go Redlegs. 

126 Autos or 1 Chrome Mega Box. Choose Wisely. Part 2.

Part 1 here.

126 low-end Reds autos (115 new to me) for $131. Still can't believe it. Here's cluster #2.

 

I had no autos of Tracy Jones and now I have four. Splendiferous. JJ Hoover owns a card shop in the Cincy area and I sold him one of his own cards. 

 

 

These are autos #15-20 for Reds HoFer Ron Oester. Running out of options.

 

I spy an O-Pee-Chee, my favorite brand. Ted Power autos up to a beefy 22. 

vv

 

Two brand new names: Ramon Ramirez, whose MLB career consisted of 39 innings for the Reds, and Henry Rodriguez, whose MLB career consisted of 26 at bats for the Reds. Legendary. 

 

Last bit. Nobody new, but I do love an athlete named 'Jumbo'.

42 to go. 

Go Redlegs. 

 

126 Autos or 1 Chrome Mega Box. Choose Wisely. Part 1.

I recently connected with a guy unloading cheapo Reds autos. He saw a group post I often make about my willingness to buy any Reds auto that I don't have for a dollar. I snagged 126 tasty autos for $131 shipped. Beat that deal.

A quick perusal of Wally-Mart's site tells me that a 2026 Topps Chrome Mega Box is $133 with tax. I don't know if that's a proper competitive price, but whatevah, you get the idea. Autographs fall about one in sex mega boxes. So, did I choose wisely? Uhhhhhh, yeah.

I made a few mistakes. 7 of the autos I already had and I circled 4 autos from his scans twice. So the count is still 115 new-to-me autos, 14 factory and 101 in-person. Friggin' thrilled.

 

 

Chris Okey auto/mem combo with the camo and the catcher's gear is a great start. Miguel Perez isn't exactly a superstar (0 for 3 lifetime in the bigs, oof), but these Black Chrome cards just can't miss. The Alejo Lopez is mistake #1, as I already had it. That's my third variation of that Reiver Sanmartin release and I have like 20 Ryan Wagner autos at this point.

 

 

Serial numbered goodness. Nobody here made the majors with the Reds, but no matter. Golds /50 are a quick snag.

 

A few minor league issues tossed in, from my appropriately named AAA Louisville Bats. I go see them often when they come to Columbus, forcing myself to be a man without a country. All except Luis Bolivar are new names to the auto collection.

 

 

Freddie Benavides got a little pro action with the Reds, then became a beloved Minor League coach, a beloved MLB bench coach, and a two-time beloved interim manager, once when David Bell was suspended and then a few years later when Bell got canned. 

 

Closing with the most interesting card of the bunch. The Memphis Red Sox had no affiliation with the Reds, as they were a Negro League team in its waning years after MLB integration. And Charlie Davis, aka "The Whip" never played on an MLB team. His Negro League highlight was certainly relieving Satchel Paige in an All-Star Game in 1953.

But I have now learned that MLB had a special "draft" in 2008, at the behest of Dave Winfield, in which each team chose an overlooked Negro League player as an honorary draft pick. The Reds chose Davis and someone produced a homemade card for him to sign and it has found its way to me 18 years later. Does this qualify as an official Cincinnati Reds auto? Hell. Yes.

28 down. 87 to go.

Go Redlegs.