1952 Back-O'-The-Card: Mickey Owen (Kansas City Blues) and Joe Page

MICKEY OWEN

"Mickey Owen, a youth of 23, bore the brunt of the catching for the St. Louis Cardinals last year- and the Cardinals were just nosed out for the National League pennant.

His ability to handle pitchers has been one of the bright spots for the Cards and defensively there are few catchers who top him. His fielding percentage in 131 games was .984, which comes close to being perfect.

Although his batting is still far below the promise he showed in the American Association, Mickey chipped in with 89 hits, 23 of them for extra bases, and stole six bases, which is something catchers rarely do."

-1940 Play Ball No. 111

"Mickey returned to organized baseball in 1949 when his five-year banishment for jumping to Mexico was lifted. He was recognized as the outstanding catcher in the league when he left the Dodgers for south of the border. He was out of the majors for four seasons.

Back in the fold, Mickey was traded to the Cubs, for whom he hit .273 in 62 games. He began in the majors with the Cardinals in 1937."

-1950 Bowman No. 78

"Mickey was recognized as one of the top backstoppers of the National League when leaving the Dodgers for the Mexican League. He was traded by the Dodgers to the Cubs on his return to north-of-the-border ball in 1949.

He was in 62 games that season, batting .273. He caught 86 games in 1950, hitting .243.

Mickey's playing career began in 1935. After two seasons in the minors he joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1937, then to the Dodgers in 1941."

-1951 Bowman No. 174 (Bowman Gum, Inc.)

JOE PAGE

"The ace Yankee relief pitcher since 1947, Joe spent the 1951 season at Kansas City and San Francisco. In 1948 and 1949, he went to the mound more times than any pitcher in the American League. He had a 14-8 record in 1947 and a 13-8 record in 1949 when he was chosen to the Major League All-Star Team.
Bothered by a bad arm in '51, Joe expects to come up again."

-1952 Topps No. 48