Baseball Daily Card Gazette
Read and learn about the history of the game, through cards. Remember... you heard it here first!
WORLD SERIES HERO HONORED
Drafted out of the Chicago Cub's system last winter, Sammy should be a valuable man with the Mets. A proven minor league hitter, he hit .339 with Lafayette in '56 and .318 in the tough Texas League in 1960. Sammy's older brother is also an ex-Cub.
QUICK AS A FLASH. A speedster, Sammy ran 100 yds. in 9.7 seconds at a school meet.
Luis had three five-hit games in 2023 in less than three weeks. Only four hitters (Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Tony Gwynn, Ichiro) had five five-hit games in a single season. He won his second-straight batting crown in 2023, now having won one in each League. Through 586 career games, he and Gwynn both hit .327.
After smashing 61 homers in three seasons and setting the Wake Forest career record with 189 walks, Nick continued to sting the ball as a first-year pro in 2024. He wrapped up an eye-popping campaign with a .353/.450/.608 ledger in the Arizona Fall League.
â—† â—† â—†
During about half of the 1951 season, Gil was even with or ahead of Babe Ruth's record breaking home run pace. A late-season slump spoiled his chance for the record. In all he hit 40 homers. He banged out 25 triples. Drove in 103 runs. Compiled an average of .268.
BASEBALL TRIVIA
Q: Who led the A.L. in strikeouts in 1965 and 1966?
(click to reveal)
Q: What does a player do when he "pulls a rock"?
(click to reveal)
â—† â—†
The righthander spent eleven seasons toiling in the minor leagues before getting his chance to pitch for the A's in 1962. Dan was out of baseball in 1957 and 1958, but he returned in 1959 and appeared in 53 ballgames. At 35, he's a top reliever.
Dan has an 18-7 record at Sherbrooke in 1953.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
First hit the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of the 1939 season. He spent part of 1940 and 1941 with the Cards and then was with Sacramento for 1942. The next three seasons were spent with the Red Sox. He was traded to the Tigers for the 1946 season. Last season he hit .263 in 64 games with the Tigers.
â—†
VINTAGE SPOTLIGHT
One of the leading batters in the A.L., Rod finished eleventh in the circuit in batting last season. As late as August 22nd, the second baseman was leading the American League in hitting. Rod's favorite club in 1968 was the World Champion Tigers... He blasted Detroit pitching for a .444 clip last season.
Rod has been the All-Star 2nd baseman twice.
Tireless George posted the best Oriole E.R.A. last season. Originally a starting hurler, the sinker ball specialist switched to bull pen duties when he came to Baltimore in 1955 from Detroit.
Thomas William Leach, outfielder of the Chicago National League team, was born at French Creek, N. Y., November 4, 1877. His baseball career started in 1896, when he accepted a position with the Petersburg Virginia League Club. In 1898 he joined the Auburn New York State Club, and was sold to Louisville in the fall of that year. In 1900 he was transferred to Pittsburgh, and was traded to the Chicago Cubs in 1912.
Was selected as Royals' Player of Month for June of 1978 when he went 40-for-125 for .320 Avg. Hit 3 Homers in Game 3 of 1978 A.L. Championships vs. Yankees.
George is one of 4 baseball-playing brothers.
RETRO CORNER
Traded to the Browns before. the start of the 1952 season. Spent 1951 in the uniform of the Detroit Tigers, his third major league team. Got into 38 games, winning 3, and losing 4. Gene's rookie year in the majors was 1948 with the Cleveland Indians. He had a record of 20 wins, 7 losses.
Played in two games in the World Series in his first year in the big league and hit a home run in one of them. This was in 1932. A right hander, 5 feet, 11 1?2 inches in height and weighs 180 pounds. Born, in Winters, Cal. in 1910 and started his professional career with Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League in 1930. Batted .364 for Sacramento in 109 games in 1932, being virtually second best in batting in the league. He was grabbed by the Cubs and hit .250 in 23 games for Chicago last fall.
Among Triston's several dazzling starts in 2021 were one against the White Sox when he struck out a team-record eight straight batters, and another in which he retired the first 23 Tigers batters.
Paul, who never played professional baseball before signing last fall with the Phils, compiled a remarkable pitching record during his three years in the Air Force. He won a total of 50 games and lost only seven with an amazing ERA of 0.83. He started and finished 46 games, Struck Out 669 batters and pitched 16 shutouts, including two no-hit, no-run games.
Paul never played a game of pro ball before this season! is record while in the Air Force won him 6 Major League offers!...
MODERN ERA
Javier is one of the great contact-hitting prospects in Baseball. In Triple-A in 2024, the 21-year-old K'ed 30 times in 492 plate appearances (6%). For Miami, his 11.1% Ks were half the NL average.
The Rays opted to bring Yandy back for 2025, and who can blame them? In his tenure with the team, he's hit 30% better than MLB average, adjusting for League and park (OPS). He also won the batting crown in 2023.
The righthander didn't win or lose a game as he worked out of the bullpen for the Giants last season.
Ron led the P.C.L. in wins in 1961.
80s-90s ERA
Joe was voted as A.L. Rookie of the Year for 1980.
Was Southern League's Topps Player of Month for June, 1979. Was the subject of "Go Go Charboneau" re...
Al, one of the regulars in All-Star competition, is one of baseball's greats. He is just nearing his peak years.
Harry led the Redlegs' mound staff last season in Innings Pitched and Victories, duplicating his '52 total of 12 wins. With Ogden in '46, he won 23 games to lead the Pioneer League Hurlers and in '48 paced the Texas Leaguers with 22 wins against 10 defeats. After 14 triumphs for Syracuse in '49, he was brought up by Cincinnati.
In '52 the Dodgers "murdered" every lefty hurler they faced. Despite this gloomy prospect Harry wanted to pitch against ...
Gene, used chiefly as a pinch-hitter in '53, slipped to his lowest average in 9 N.L. seasons. He came up to the Majors with the Dodgers in '43 and batted .300 before entering Service for 3 years. Gene won a regular Brooklyn job in '48 when he hit .290 and boosted his mark to .299 the next season. He was traded to the Cubs in '51 and to Pittsburgh in '53.
On Aug. 5, 1948, Gene hit 3 homers in a 9-inning game! This outstanding feat tied the modern National League record! Gen...
CLASSIC vs. MODERN
CLASSIC ERA
James P. Archer, catcher for the Chicago National League team, was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 13, 1883. His first baseball experience was gained in the Toronto City League team in 1901. He joined the Fargo, N. D., team in 1903, and in 1904 played with the Boone, Iowa, team. At the close of the latter season he was drafted by Pittsburgh, but was farmed out to Atlanta, where he played during 1905-06. In 1907 he was a member of the Detroit Tigers, and went to Buffalo in 1908. He joined the Chicago cubs in 1909.
MODERN ERA
Nick's son Liam shook his father's hand after he hit a roundtripper, 7-19-23.
With just a year and a half of big league experience Dave has developed into one. of NL's most potent offensive threats. His 29 Homers in 1972 tied Lee May for 6th best in the loop, he led the Giants in roundtrippers and RBI's. Dave has exceptional speed for a big man, and his powerful arm makes him gifted as an outfielder, first baseman or a third baseman.
Dave played semi-pro ball in Alaska.