1951 Topps customs

Recently, I finished the checklist and every template for Topps' first set, the 1951 Red & Blue Back set. While most people think that the classic 1952 set was the first one that Topps produced, it is actually the 1951 set which was a card game that was the first baseball card set from Topps.
The set was issued in 2 52-card series, one with blue backs, and one with red ones. It featured ballplayers on the front in black and white, and had a little bio about their career and the 1950 season (see people?! When Topps issued their first set, it was in YEARBOOK FORM!!!). On the corners of the card were results from baseball plays. I don't know the entire rules for the game, and haven't been able to find anything on it, but I think you basically drew cards, and whatever the result on the corners was became what happened in the game.

After updating the checklist and putting the templates on my 1951 Topps page, I decided to make some customs. They take a while to make, and it is almost like doing fronts and backs of a card because of the bio and stuff, but I have done 10, and I will showcase them here.

First up is Hank Borowy. This card would've been his sunset card. Hank was the last guy to win a World Series game for the Cubs until they finally won a title a few years back. He was the first card in my updated set. 

 Hal Newhouser was just on the cusp to where he was old enough to play before Topps made cards, but young enough to where he would appear on a few.

 Johnny Lipon played in the Majors for a few years, but really gained notoriety as a coach. He coached my hometown Lakeland Tigers for many years, and I just might have went to a game he coached in, as his last season was 1992 one, and I know I went to a Lakeland game in 3rd grade or so, which would've made me around 8 or 9 years old, putting the year at 1991 or 1992. I have 1 or 2 cards of Lipon as a coach, one of which came from Night Owl last May.

There weren't any announcers in the '51 set, but I decided to make a card of Vin Scully. I remember the Dodgers came to play the Tigers in Spring Training one year, and Scully came. I was getting autographs after the game, and out came Vin, and he was swarmed. At the same time, Eric Munson came out, and nobody stopped him. I stupidly went for quantity over quality, and got Munson to sign a few cards, while Scully signed and went into the bus before I could get to him. I hate having to make tough choices. 

 Carl Erskine is a great guy who is great with the fans. I have a few autographs of him, and while I don't believe he is signing through the mail anymore (he is 93), every time he signed for me, he would include something extra. He was a great pitcher too, throwing 2 no-hitters.

 I had to make a card of Jackie. I never really looked at his stats, but when I researched for this card, they just jumped out at me. Batting Averages in the .330's, 20 Home Runs, 30 Stolen Bases every year. Wow. I'm glad he had the chance to play baseball.

 Many of these cards have given us the chance to see Hall of Famers who played long long ago. A number of guys had HOF careers in the early 1900's, and went on to coach, but retired after 1950, just short of when Topps made cards. The 1951 set at least gives us cards of a few guys like that. The next 3, (Honus Wagner, Mickey Cochrane, and Connie Mack), give us the only Topps card we will ever have of thse legendary players. Honus would actually coach into the 1951 season, letting us get a card of him in the amazing 1952 set. Maybe I will work on that one next....

 Cochrane was kind of put into the GM role for Philly in 1950 in order to take away power from Connie Mack. Cochrane was previously a coach, and the higher ups in Philadelphia wanted Connie Mack to resign. The A's looked decent in 1949, but the 1950 season saw them dive in the standings, and an 87-year old Connie Mack leading the team didn't look all that good to ownership. Mack's sons convinced him to step down in the middle of the '50 season and to promote Jimmy Dykes to Manager. When Cochrane was promoted to GM, it basically took all of Mack's power away, although he did advise the team. With that being said, Cochrane would finish up the 1950 season, and retire, leaving us with no Topps cards of Mickey, save this one.

 Here is Mack's card. Mack has managed the most games, won the most games, lost the most games, and has won 5 World Series titles in his long career. He played from 1886 to 1896, and was a manager from 1894 to 1896, and then from 1901 to 1950. Had he retired just a year sooner, we would not be seeing the final (and only) Topps card of Mack.

 The last one is of Eddie Gaedel. Eddie had 1 AB for the Browns in 1951, drawing a Walk. I am surprised that nobody has tried to make this card yet. It goes well with the sunset 1952 Topps card I made ot him a while back.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey back in time to 1951. Feel free to use any of the templates I have on the 1951 Topps page to make customs from the list.
Thanks for checking out my latest post.

-Jeremy