UPDATE: 1952 Topps Survivors

 I felt it was time to update the list of players in the iconic 1952 Topps set that are still with us. This was a project that was begun by the late Bob Lemke. Since my last update of this list, Eddie Robinson  passed away at the ripe old age of 100. He was the oldest living MLB player at the time of his death. In August we lost Johnny Groth. He was 95. Cloyd Boyer, the older brother of Clete and Ken Boyer, left us in September at the age of 94.

That brings the survivors of the 1952 Topps set down to twelve. Here is the current list of the '52 survivors: 

Bobby Shantz

Born 9/26/1925

Card #219

Bobby Morgan

Born 6/29/1926

Card #355

Carl Erskine

Born 12/13/1926

Card #250

Charlie Maxwell

Born 4/8/1927

Card #180

Bob Kelly

Born 10/4/1927

Card #348

Tommy Brown

Born 12/6/1927

Card #281

Bob Ross 

Born 11/2/1928

Card #298

Curt Simmons

Born 5/19/1929

Card #203

Ike Delock

Born 11/11/1929

Card #329

Vern Law

Born 3/12/1930

Card #81

Dick Groat

Born 11/4/1930

Card #369

Willie Mays

Born 5/6/1931

Card #261

With the passing of Eddie Robinson earlier this month, the oldest living MLB player is George Elder.  He played only part of one season with the St. Louis Browns in 1949.  He played a total of 4 years of pro ball from 1947-1950.  He played minor league ball with the Toledo Mud Hens, San Antonio Missions, Baltimore Orioles. Beaumont Exporters and the Wichita Indians.  Since he never had a baseball card, I made him one in the style of the 1983 Topps Super Veteran cards.

1952 Topps Survivors

I was just reading the "Night Owl" post from June 3rd, about how the players of our youth seem to be passing away at an alarming rate.  Specifically, players from the 1975 Topps set.  It reminded me of another blogger who passed away a little over 4 years ago, Bob Lemke.  Bob kept tabs of who was still alive from the 1952 Topps set. 

Obviously, the list hasn't been updated in quite a while, so here is Bob's last update from November 2016  (Link Here).  This was his list of surviving players from the 1952 Topps set: 

PLAYER                     1952 TOPPS   BIRTH          TEAM
                        `           CARD NO.      DATE
Wally Westlake           38                    11/08/1920   SLC
Eddie Robinson           32                    12/15/1920   CWS
Sam Mele                    94                    01/21/1922   WSH
Gil Coan                      91                    05/18/1922   WSH
Red Schoendienst       91                    02/02/1923    SLC
Solly Hemus                196                  04/17/1923   SLC
Bob Kuzava                 85                    05/28/1923   NYY
Ed Fitz Gerald             236                  05/21/1924   PIT
Charlie Silvera             168                  10/13/1924   NYY
Irv Noren                     40                    11/29/1924   WSH
Wayne Terwilliger         7                      06/27/1925   BRO
Bobby Shantz              219                  09/26/1925   PHA
Ned Garver                 212                  12/25/1925   SLB
Bob Borkowski            328                  01/27/1926   CIN
Randy Jackson           322                  02/10/1926   CHC
Howie Judson             169                  02/16/1926   CWS
Bob Miller                    187                  06/16/1926   PHI
Bobby Morgan             355                  06/29/1926   BRO  
Johnny Groth              25                    07/23/1926   DET
Roy Sievers                 64                    11/18/1926   WSH
Carl Erskine                250                  12/13/1926   BRO
Carl Scheib                 116                  01/01/1927   PHA
Charlie Maxwell           180                  04/08/1927   BRS
Cloyd Boyer                280                  09/01/1927   SLC
Bob Kelly                     348                  10/04/1927   CHC
Tommy Brown             281                  12/06/1927   PHI
Dick Gernert                343                  09/28/1928   BRS
Joe Presko                  220                  10/07/1928   SLC
Bob Ross                    298                  11/02/1928   WSH
Curt Simmons             203                  05/19/1929   PHI
Ted Lepcio                  335                  07/28/1929   BRS
Ike Delock                   329                  11/11/1929   BRS
Del Crandall                162                  03/05/1930   BOS
Vern Law                     81                    03/12/1930   PIT
Johnny Antonelli          140                  04/12/1930   BOS
Dick Groat                   369                  11/04/1930   PIT
Bob Friend                  233                  11/24/1930   PIT
Willie Mays                  261                  05/06/1931   NYG
Tony Bartirome           332                  05/09/1932   PIT
Dick Brodowski           404                  07/26/1932  BRS
Bobby Del Greco         353                  04/07/1933   PIT

His list of 41 has now dropped to just 15.  The oldest being Eddie Robinson at 100 years and the youngest being the "Say Hey Kid" at a youthful 90.

Here is the current list of the '52 survivors: 

• Eddie Robinson           32                    12/15/1920   CWS
• 
  
  
  
  
• Bobby Shantz              219                  09/26/1925   PHA
• 
  
  
  
  
• Bobby Morgan             355                  06/29/1926   BRO  
• 
  
  
  
  
• Johnny Groth              25                    07/23/1926   DET
• 
  
• 
   
• Carl Erskine                250                  12/13/1926   BRO
• 
  
  
  
  
• Charlie Maxwell           180                  04/08/1927   BRS
• 
  
  
  
  
• Cloyd Boyer                280                  09/01/1927   SLC
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Bob Kelly                     348                  10/04/1927   CHC
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Tommy Brown             281                  12/06/1927   PHI
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Bob Ross                    298                  11/02/1928   WSH
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Curt Simmons             203                  05/19/1929   PHI
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Ike Delock                   329                  11/11/1929   BRS
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Vern Law                     81                    03/12/1930   PIT
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Dick Groat                   369                  11/04/1930   PIT
• 
  
  
  
  
•  Willie Mays                  261                  05/06/1931   NYG
• 
  
• 

It really strikes me how beautiful these cards truly were.  As much as Topps (or anyone else) tries to replicate these, I don't think they quite capture the artistry of the original set.

Lastly, since this is a Cards That Never Were blog, I feel obliged to include at least one custom card.  So here is my custom card of Bob Lemke himself.  I'm not sure if he coined the phrase "Cards That Never Were" but it's the first place I'd heard it.  He was a huge influence on this blog and the card community as a whole: 

Barrier Breakers: Bob Trice - Philadelphia Athletics

 

My new project is to create cards of each MLB team's first black player.  Some are well known  superstars others are not as well known. I will be posting these in alphabetical order by team, starting with the Athletics, ending with Yankees.  There are just 16 teams as by the 1961 expansion all teams had integrated to a degree.  The cards themselves will be from the year of their first MLB appearance.  This will require me to take a little artistic license.  I will re-imagining certain cards that are pre-Topps/Bowman/Leaf.

Bob Trice was a September call up in 1953.  By that time he had already won 21 games for the Ottawa A's.  He won 2 of his 3 starts for the major league A's in 1953. A former member of the Homestead Grays, he would only play 3 MLB seasons all for the Athletics, two in Philly and one in Kansas City. 

1984 Topps Stadium Statues: Royals vs A's

A.L. Wildcard Edition

 For the first round of the playoffs (Including the one-game Wildcards) I created some cards featuring the various players whose statues grace their respective ball parks. I chose the 30 year old Topps card because the dual frames allows for a shot of the player along with his statue. I also just like the clean, classic design of the 1984 set.

Kauffman Stadium in Kanas City has statues of George Brett, Frank White, Dick Howser and the Kauffmans (Ewing and Murial). They are also making their first post season appearance since 1985. In 1985 White and Brett were still playing, Howser was Managing and the Kauffmans still owned the team.

The Oakland Collusium is without statues so I had to go to Philadelphia to find a member of the A's immortalized in bronze. In 1957 (3 years after the A's left Philadelphia) the statue of Connie Mack first graced a park across the street from Shibe Park which had been  renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953. When the Phillies moved to Veterans Stadium in 1971, so did the statue. Likewise when Citzen's Bank Park was built in 2004.

1975 Topps 1952 Rookies of the Year

We all knew this was coming, didn't we? It's officially a recurring theme.

 Too bad Topps didn't give the Rookies the same treatment as the MVP's in 1975. I think it would have made for some nice looking cards. Maybe the 2024 Topps Heritage set will include the ROY's. If it does, remember you saw it here first.

1952 Topps Harry Byrd

Harry Byrd narrowly won Rookie of the Year in 1952 beating out a relatively weak American League rookie field; Clint Courney of the Browns and Sammy White of the Red Sox. Meanwhile in the National League Joe Black beat out Dick Groat of the Pirates and 2 future Hall of Famers; Hoyt Wilhem of the Giants and Eddie Matthews of the Braves. Of all the Rookie of the Year contenders only Harry Byrd and Clint Courney did not have cards in 1952.