1953 Back-O'-The-Card; Gil McDougald

"A good fielder who was [a third baseman and a second baseman] during his sensational rookie year in 1951, Gil was primarily a third baseman in 1952.
He batted .306 in 1951, and in the World Series that season tied a record for most RBIs in an inning with four by also tying a record by hitting a grand slam- he's the only rookie to hit a grand slammer in the Series."

-1953 Bowman No. 63

"The AL Rookie of the Year in '51, Gil had one of the greatest thrills possible when he hit a homer with the bases loaded against the Giants in the '51 World Series. In '52, he suffered from the sophomore jinx [sic], his batting average falling below .300 for the first time in his pro career.
Gil averaged .340 in three minor league seasons and had a .306 mark for the Yanks in '51.
He plays both second and third for the World Champs."

-1953 Topps No. 43

"Gil is a good ballplayer, with a most unorthodox batting stance. He holds the bat as if it were too heavy for him.
He batted .263 and drove in 78 runs for the 1952 Yankees in 152 games. His rookie of 1951, however, gives a better slant on Gil. That year he hit .306 in 136 games. He had 23 doubles, four triples and 14 homers and drove in 63 runs."

-1953 Red Man No. AL-23

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Billy Martin

"1952 was the first season in the majors for Billy as a regular, although he had been with the Yankees since 1950. He's a scrappy, hustling fighter in the tradition of good Yankee second basemen.
In 1947 with Phoenix, Billy led the Arizona-Texas League with an average of .392. He also led in at-bats, hits, doubles, runs batted in, putouts and assists. The Yankees purchased him from Oakland."

-1953 Bowman No. 118

"'Billy the Kid' made a circus catch of a fly ball to save the 1952 World Series for the Yankees. A scrappy ball player, Billy has been with the World Champions since the 1950 season but didn't get to play regularly until '52.
With Phoenix in his first year of pro ball in 1947, he led the Arizona-Texas League with 174 RBIs and a batting average of .392. He hit .286 and .280 for Oakland in 1948 and 1949."

-1953 Topps No. 86

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle

"These three great Yankee stars represent a tremendous amount of batting power plus superior fielding abilities.
Hank Bauer, for example, appeared in 141 games and had a nice .293 batting average with 162 hits, including 31 doubles, six triples and 17 homers.
Yogi Berra is regarded as the best catcher in the American League. He hit .273 in 142 games and had 17 doubles, one triple and 30 homers and batted in 98 runs.
Mickey Mantle is the youngster who inherited Joe DiMaggio's center field spot. The talented switch-hitter hit .311 in 142 games and had 37 doubles, seven triples and 23 home runs."

-1953 Bowman No. 44

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Mickey Mantle

"Mickey is the youngster who inherited the Yankee center field spot from Joe DiMaggio, and the fact that he should hold it for many years to come was borne out by his average in 1952, his first full season with the Yanks. His slugging average of .530 was the second best in the league.
He began in baseball in 1949. Mickey played in 96 games for the Yanks in 1951 [while also playing in 40 games] with Kansas City."

-1953 Bowman No. 59

"Many baseball experts say the switch-hitting Mickey is the greatest baseball prospect they've ever seen. He certainly showed why in 1952, finishing second in the American League in doubles (37) and slugging percentage (.530). Mickey also set a new Yankee record and led the league with 111 strikeouts.
He broke in as a shortstop in 1949, hit .383 for Joplin in 1950 and split the 1951 season between the Yankees and Kansas City."

-1953 Topps No. 82

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Ed Lopat

"After breaking in as a first sacker in 1937, 'Steady Eddie' switched to the mound. He hurled for nine minor league teams before being brought up by the White Sox in 1944.
The Yanks gave up three players to the Sox for Ed after the '47 season. The chunky curve-baller compiled records of 17-11, 15-10, 18-8 and 21-9 for the Yanks from 1948 through 1951. He owns a 3-1 record in six World Series games.
Ed runs a baseball school in Florida during the Winter."

-1953 Topps No. 87

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Bob Kuzava

"Bob has done some excellent relief work for the Yankees. Pitching in the sixth game of the 1951 World Series, he stopped a serious Giant threat and thus helped bring the World Championship to the Yanks.
Bob has been in pro ball since 1941. 1942 saw him win 21 games for Charleston of the Mid-Atlantic League, the most in the league."

-1953 Bowman No. 33

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Tom Gorman and Johnny Kucab (Kansas City Blues)

TOM GORMAN
"Tom divided his time in 1952 between the Yankees and Kansas City. The big fellow did some excellent relief pitching at the close of the season for the Yanks in their fight for the pennant.
In 1951 with Beaumont of the Texas League, Tom had a 1.94 earned run average, leading the league. He worked 172 innings and allowed but 37 earned runs. He won 12 and lost eight that year."

-1953 Bowman No. 61


JOHNNY KUCAB (Kansas City Blues)
"The A's brought Johnny up in September of 1950 and in his debut, he pitched five scoreless innings against the White Sox.
John put in two seasons of pro ball before being called into military service in 1942. He missed four seasons and came back in '46 and compiled a 12-1 record and a 1.87 ERA, and a 21-7 mark for Youngstown in '49. Johnny had a 16-12 record for Lincoln in 1950."

-1952 Topps No. 358

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Whitey Ford

"The return of Whitey from Uncle Sam's service to the Yankee mound staff is looked upon with delight from everybody from the President down to the bat boy. He's a great young pitcher, and if he can pitch as well as he did before he left for his service hitch, he'll be a tremendous help to the Yanks in their quest for their fifth straight pennant.
1950 was the last year for Whitey."

-1953 Bowman No. 153

"1950's Rookie of the Year returns to the American League in 1953 after two years in the Service.
Whitey came up to the Yankees from Kansas City during the early part of the '50 season after three outstanding years in the Yankee farm system in which he won a total of 45 games while losing only 17. His 171 strikeouts topped the Piedmont League in 1948 and his 1.61 ERA was the best in the Eastern League in '49. Whitey won the last game of the 1950 World Series."

-1953 Topps No. 207

1953 Back-O'-The-Card: Joe Collins

"Joe was hurt at the beginning of the 1952 season but came back to help the Yankees retain their World Championship.
He started playing for Butler of the Pennsylvania State League in 1939. After he hit .319 for Kansas City in '49, the Yankees brought him up. Joe hit .286 for the World Champions in 1951 and played both first base and the outfield.
'Lefty' served in the Armed Forces in 1944 and '45."

-1953 Topps No. 9