Friday, December 21, 2018

1955 Back-O'-The-Card: Ted Gray

"Another local boy who made good. Ted pitched amateur ball in Detroit in 1941 and soon attracted the attention of Tiger scouts who signed him and sent him to Beaumont. He was optioned to Winston-Salem and won 13 games in 1942 before entering military service. Ted was known as the 'strikeout king' during his service where he won 12 and lost 1.
In 1947 with Buffalo he won 11 and lost 7, striking out 138 men in 150 innings. With the Tigers last season his record was 6-2."

-1949 Bowman No. 10

"Ted was in 34 games in 1949. He had a 10-10 record.
He pitched amateur ball in Detroit in 1941 and attracted the attention of Tiger area scouts. He was signed and sent to Beaumont, then to Winston-Salem.
Ted won 13 games for Winston-Salem in 1942 before entering military service. He was known as the 'strikeout king' during his service where he won 12 and lost 1. With Buffalo in 1947, he fanned 138 in 150 innings."

-1950 Bowman No. 218

"Bothered by a sore shoulder during part of 1950, Ted got into 27 games just the same. He won 10 while dropping 7. In 34 games in 1949, he had an even-up record of 10-10.
Ted's amateur hurling in his home city of Detroit in 1941 led to his discovery by Tiger scouts. Signed and sent to Beaumont, he was optioned to Winston-Salem in 1942. He won 13 games, then entered military service. Ted won 11, lost 7 at Buffalo in 1947."

-1951 Bowman No. 178 (Bowman Gum, Inc.)

"Ted's effectiveness was cut down by arm trouble in 1951. In 34 games he won 7 and lost 14 and pitched 197 innings.
Ted began in baseball with Winston-Salem in 1942. His first full season with Detroit was 1948 and he has been with the Tigers from '48 to the present time. He won 10 games and lost 7 in 1950."

-1952 Bowman No. 199

"Ted loves to pitch against the Browns because in four years he's beaten them eight times against two defeats.
The Tigers brought him up in 1948 after he posted an 11-7 record at Buffalo in '47. He had a 6-2 record his rookie year, won 10 in 1949 and 10 in '50. In 1951, Ted's 131 strikeouts was fourth best in the American League.
1942 was his first year of pro ball. After three years of military service, Ted had a trial with the Tigers in '46."

-1952 Topps No. 86

"Ted is a good pitcher. He appeared in 35 games in 1952. He won 12 and lost 17, but would have done better with a stronger team behind him.
He began in baseball in 1942 with Winston-Salem, then spent the next three years in military service. After appearing in three games with the Tigers in 1946 he went to their Buffalo farm. Ted spent 1947 there, then returned to the Tigers the next season, remaining with them."

-1953 Bowman No. 72

"Only five pitchers in the American League struck out more batters than Ted did in 1952.
His professional career started in 1942 with Winston-Salem of the Piedmont League. After three years of military service, Ted pitched for Buffalo in '46 and '47 and joined the Tigers in '48.
In 1949, he had a 10-10 mark and was 10-7 in '50, when he stuck out 102. His 151 strikeouts in '51 was fourth best in the league."

-1953 Topps No. 52

"Ted is another of those pitchers in baseball who would be a consistent winner with a stronger hitting team behind him. In 1953 he was in 30 games for the Tigers, winning 10 and losing 15.
He began in baseball in 1942 with Winston-Salem of the Piedmont League, then went into military service for three seasons. Ted returned in 1946 with Detroit, but finished the year with Buffalo, then spent the next season with the Bisons.
1948 saw him back with Detroit, this time to stay."

-1954 Bowman No. 71

"Ted will be with the White Sox in 1955 as a result of a winter trade between the Sox and the Tigers. Detroit had been Ted's team since 1948, and he has pitched some fine ball for them.
In 1954, he was in 19 games and he had a 3-5 record, an off season for Ted. He was 10-15 in 1953 and 12-17 the year before that. Both these years the Tigers were a weak-hitting team, so the record might easily have been reversed with a different team.
Ted began in baseball in 1942."

-1955 Bowman No. 86

1955 Back-O'-The-Card: Whitey Ford

My Biggest Thrill in Baseball by Whitey Ford
"That came in 1950 when I was called up from Kansas City and won nine straight games for the Yanks. I'll never forget one of those games. It was in Detroit, late in the season, and we were tied with them for first place. DiMaggio hit a homer off Dizzy Trout in the early innings, and we held that lead until Wertz and Priddy hit doubles in the eighth inning to tie it at 1-1. In the ninth, we got six runs and won 7-1 to go into first place and stay there for the pennant."

-1955 Bowman No. 59

"Ed is a crafty little pitcher. He got off to a bad start in 1954 but recovered nicely to wind up the season with a 16-8 record and an earned run average of 2.82. He struck out 125 men in 211 innings pitched.
A local boy who made good, Whitey worked his way up through the Yankee farm system starting with Butler in 1947 and joining the Yankees in 1950 after beginning the season with Kansas City. He had a 9-1 record for the Yanks for the remainder of the year and helped them to a pennant. 1951 and 1952 were spent in military service."

-1955 Red Man No. AL-3

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

1955 Back-O'-The-Card: Joe Collins

"A terrific fielder, Joe placed second in defense among American League first sackers last season. With the Yankees since 1949, he's versatile enough to play the outfield as well as the initial sack and has helped them toward four of their recent five straight pennants.
Joe started in 1939 and played eight years in the minors before hitting .319 at Kansas City to win a permanent place with the New Yorkers."

-1955 Topps No. 63

"A seasoned veteran, Joe is a top defensive first sacker. In six years as a Yankee, his timely batting has helped win five pennants. Joe started in baseball back in 1939."

-1955 Topps Doubleheader No. 65

1955 Back-O'-The-Card: Jerry Coleman

MY BIGGEST THRILL IN BASEBALL
by Jerry Coleman
"I believe my greatest thrill and also the most exciting game in which I've played came on the same day. The setting was the final game of the 1949 season, the Yankees playing the Red Sox with the pennant at stake.
We had a five-run lead, but the Red Sox kept pecking away until the tying run was at the plate. I can still see the third out, which was a pop-up and gave us the pennant."

-1955 Bowman No. 99

1962 Back-O'-The-Card: 1961 World Series Game 5

YANKS CRUSH REDS IN FINALE "With Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra out of the lineup, Yankee reserves came off the bench to help batter the ...