Topps All-Star Misses: 1958 AL Battery

The first year Topps included an All Star subset was 1958.  That particular year they attributed the "selection" of players to "Sport Magazine".  I have a list of "Sporting News" All Stars, but no way of verifying the "Sport" picks.  Nevertheless, here are a few that could've been included, and one that makes you scratch your head.

Jim Bunning:

• 
  Was the 1957 All Star starting pitcher.
• 1957 Sporting News All Star Selection.
• Tied for the AL lead in 1957 with 20 wins.
• 9th in MVP voting in 1957.

Billy Pierce:

• 
  Selected to Both the 1957 and '58 All Star Teams.
• 1957 Sporting News All Star Selection.
• First lefthanded pitcher to come on in relief in 1957 ASG.
• Tied for the AL lead in 1957 with 20 wins.
• 11th in MVP voting in 1957.
• Led AL in 1957 and '58 in Complete Games.

Yogi Berra:

• 
  Was the 1957 All Star starting catcher.
• Selected to Both the 1957 and '58 All Star Teams.
• 1957 Sporting News All Star Selection.
• 14th in MVP voting in 1957.
• 18th in MVP voting in 1958.

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1958 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Herb Score:

Herb Score's story is a baseball tragedy.  After a brilliant start to his career, he was struck in the face with a ball off Gil McDougald's bat. He injured his eye and broke bones in his face, causing him to miss most of the 1957 season.  Early in 1958 he returned only to tear a tendon in his arm causing him to miss most of that season.  Both of these injuries took place early in the 57-58 seasons.  Makes you wonder why he was included as a 1958 All Star in a late series subset.

Topps All-Star Misses: 1959 AL Battery

    My latest project is making All Star Cards That Never Year for the years 1958-62 and 1968-70.  During those years Topps decision making on these cards was haphazard and a mystery to everybody but Topps. They were NOT based on the current season's "Sporting News All Stars" nor the previous season's ASG starters.  So I've made additional cards based on this criteria.   

What started as an idea for a small project, ballooned to over 150 cards so I'll be posting these in small doses.  I'll be breaking it down by year, league (NL or AL), and positions (battery, infield and outfield).

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Early Wynn:

• 
  1958 All Star reserve.  Got the Win.
• 1959 Cy Young Award winner.
• Started 1959 All Star Game 1.
• 1959 All Star Game 2 reserve.
• Selected to 1959 Sporting News All Star team.
• Led AL with 22 wins in 1959.
• 3rd in MVP voting 1959.

Billy O'Dell:

• 1958 All Star reserve.  Got the Save.
• 1st Lefty to appear in 1958 ASG.
• 1959 All Star Game 2 reserve. 
• 1st Lefty to appear in 1959 ASG 2.
• Best AL Strikeout to Walk Ratio in 1958.

Sherm Lollar:

• 
  1958 & 1959 Gold Glove.
• 1958 & 1959 All Star Reserve.
• Selected to 1959 Sporting News All Star team.
• 9th in 1958 MVP voting.
• 9th in 1959 MVP voting. 

Who probably didn't merit inclusion in the 1961 Topps All-Star set, but was in it anyway?

Billy Pierce:

Once again, I gotta call out my own team, another White Sox player.  Billy Pierce was an All Star reserve in both 1959 and 1959 but never left the bullpen. He also wasn't selected to the Sporting News All Star team in either of those years.