Herman was another Cub great that I knew very little about. But as I got back into collecting and started getting oddball sets, I became more aware of him and his accomplishments.
If I had to put him in more modern terms, I would say he was a Ryne Sandberg without the power. He was a ten-time all star and was great with his glove. He also hit for average, with a lifetime average of .304. He spent 11 of his 15 big league years with the Cubs, breaking in during the 1931 season. During his time in Chicago, the Cubs won the pennant three times and his steady glove and bat were a part of the reason why.
In addition to this card, I've got 24 other cards of Billy Herman. He was included in mainstream sets like Legendary Cuts along with oddballs like Cubs All-Time Greats. And for a guy that played so long ago, very few of the cards have pictures that were reused. 18 of the 24 are unique pictures.
Are you counting the first two cards in the third row as the same photo? At first glance, I would say yes but a couple of things point me to no. No bat barrel in the backswing on the second card. Look at where the railing is in the background compared to his left arm. In the first card, his chin looks tucked down more compared to the other card. And it could be just the darkening of the card, but his pants look "dirtier" than the first card. A little bit more of a bend in the front leg on the first card. The belt.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell I've been spending too much time looking at Getty images for the Topps source photos? haha
Of course you could have been counting those as different all along and calling the caricature on the playing card the same as the two cards in the upper right. Despite sitting vs standing, I think the artist used that photo as a guide.
You're right about those in the third row--I just assumed the one was a tighter crop of the other. But it definitely isn't.
DeleteNice pickup by the way!
ReplyDeleteBeautiul card!
ReplyDelete