1942* Play Ball

After issuing baseball card sets for three years starting in 1939, Gum Inc. did not issue a set in 1942.  World War II prevented that.  In fact, Gum Inc. would not release another Play Ball set, ever.  When the company got back to baseball cards in 1948, they brand name for their cards was changed to Bowman.

That is the reason for the asterisk in the title of today's post.  There is a 1942 Play Ball set, but it wasn't put out by Gum. Inc.  In fact, it wasn't put out in 1942 either.

In 1983, TCMA decided to create the sets that World War II took away.  For the next few years they issued Play Ball sets that covered the year 1942 through 1949.  I've been able to get all of the Cubs cards except one for the 1942-1947 sets. The '48 and '49s have been a challenge and I have none of the Cubs.

 

Here are the two Cubs from the 45-card 1942 set.  The design used by TCMA was similar to the original Play Ball design.  I wonder if they had permission or if they just "borrowed" it.  In 1983 Topps owned the Bowman brand name, so I assume that Play Ball was theirs too.  But Topps was busy fight off upstarts Fleer and Donruss in 1983, so I doubt this TCMA set was even on their radar.