1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Yankee Farmhands

ANDY COHEN (Denver Bears)

"Andy Cohen, who played three years with the New York Giants, was one of their most popular baseball players. Andy was a star in baseball, football and basketball at the University of Alabama and he continued to shine with the Waco club, batting .312 in 106 games in 1925. He was grabbed by the Giants in 1926.

Andy is 28. He is five feet eight inches tall and weighs 155 pounds. He bats and throws right-handed. He is playing with the Minneapolis club of the American Association this year."

-1933 Goudey No. 52

ALLIE CLARK (New Orleans Pelicans)

"With the Newark Bears in 1946, Allie played mainly at third base and hit .344. The next season he hit .344 in 110 games and joined the Yankees at the end of the season and hit .373 in 24 games. He was traded to the Indians for the 1948 season and he hit .310 in 81 games for the World Champions.

Allie spent some time in the Army."

-1949 Bowman No. 150

"Allie burned up the Grapefruit circuit with healthy hitting in 1950 spring training.

He started in organized baseball in 1941.  He has three years of military service to his credit. He has played for Newark, Norfolk and San Diego.

Allie came to the majors with the Yankees toward the end of the 1947 season. He was traded to the Indians after the completion of that campaign."

-1950 Bowman No. 233

"Allie hit .215 in 59 games for the Indians in 1950 and drove in 21 runs.
Playing mainly at third with the Newark Bears in 1946, Allie hit .344. He came to the Yankees in 1947 after hitting .334 in 110 games for the Bears and hit .373 in 24 games for the Yanks.
Traded to the Indians for 1948, he hit .310 in 81 games. He divided the 1949 season between Cleveland and San Diego of the Pacific Coast League.
Allie spent some time in the Army."

1951 Bowman No. 29 (Bowman Gum, Inc.)

"After three games for the Indians in 1951, Allie was traded to the Athletics. He got into 56 games for the A's, hitting .251. He knocked five home runs, a triple and 12 doubles, and fielded .985.
Allie hit the majors with the Yankees at the end of the 1947 season. He was traded to the Indians in December of the same year."

-1952 Bowman No. 130

"A handyman, who can play third base, first base and the outfield, Allie is an Army veteran. He started in the minors in 1941. After hitting .344 and 334 for Newark in 1946 and '47, he came up with the Yankees and hit .373 in 24 games at the end of the '47 season.
Traded to the Indians, Allie hit .310 in 81 games in 1948. He was sent to San Diego in '49 after a bad start with the Indians and was recalled in 1950. Allie came to the A's in May 1951."

-1952 Topps No. 278

"Allie was in 71 games for the Athletics during the course of the 1952 season, batting .274.
He has been in baseball since 1941. With Norfolk in 1942, he hit .328, then went to Newark at the end of the season.
Allie remained with the Bears, with the exception of three years of military service, until near the end of the 1947 season when he went to the Yankees. They traded him to the Cleveland Indians in December 1947."

-1953 Bowman No. 155


CHARLIE SILVERA (New Orleans Pelicans)
"Charlie will get his chance to play a complete season in 1957 after being a part-time operator with the Yankees for eight years. A clever receiver who is expert at handling pitchers, he was traded to the Cubs during the off-season. Though not a slugger, he's a fine clutch hitter.
Charlie came to the majors in 1948 after hitting .301 at Portland [Pacific Coast League] and leading PCL catchers in putouts and assists."

-1957 Topps No. 255


BOB WIESLER (Richmond Virginians)
"Bob led the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, Western League and American Association in strikeouts in consecutive years. After three trials with the Yankees, he came to Washington in 1955.
Bob's youth and blazing fast ball will help the Nationals this year."

-1956 Topps No. 327

"When Bob broke in with Independence in 1949, he immediately displayed major league ability. He topped the K-O-M loop in strikeouts and was promoted to Joplin in the Western Association. That year he again led in strikeouts and also posted the lowest ERA. In '51 he topped the American Association in whiffs, making it three years in a row."

-1957 Topps No. 126

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Bobby Richardson

"Bobby intends to stake out a claim on the Yanks' second base job this year. After a fine minor league career, he saw part-time service with New York. Bobby showed he could hit major league hurling.
He compiled a smart .313 minor league batting mark. At Binghamton in 1954 and Denver in 1956, he was tops in putouts and assists."

-1958 Topps No. 101

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Gil McDougald

"Gil had another fine season last year, both at bat and in the field. One of Gil's biggest thrills was in the 1951 World Series when he blasted a home run with the bases loaded. In 1955, he had his best year, hitting .311.
Gil once drove in six runs in one inning. He has topped American second basemen, third basemen and shortstops in double plays."

-1958 Topps No. 20

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Mickey Mantle

"Mickey placed second in American League batting last year with the highest mark of his career. In 1956 he took all the honors with the top average, most homers, runs scored and RBIs. Mickey was voted Most Valuable Player in 1956 and 1957.
In the 1952 Series he hit .345. In the 1953 Series he hit a grand slammer."

-1958 Topps No. 150

Sport Magazine '58 All-Star Selection
"Mickey is the most powerful slugger in the game today. In park after park, he's astounded fans with his prodigious belts. In 1956, he won baseball's top achievement by leading the league in runs, homers, RBIs and batting average. As an outfielder, he can roam far and wide to haul in sure hits and owns a powerful throwing arm."

-the editors, Sport Magazine (1958 Topps No. 487) 

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Sal Maglie

"Though Sal started only four games for the Yankees last season, one was a sparkling 3-hit shutout.
In 1950 he led the National League with five whitewashes. His 18-4 mark in '51 was tops in the N.L. After he was supposedly 'All Through,' he won 13 games for the Dodgers in 1956. Sal hurled a no-hitter that year to save the pennant for them!"

-1958 Topps No. 43

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Duke Maas

"Duke's 13 victories in the minors in 1954 won him a Detroit promotion. He is a strikeout artist! In high school he was a star hurler."

-1956 Topps No. 57

"After a rough season with the Tigers in 1956, Duke looks like he's now ready to take on all comers this year. Called in to relieve in one of the early games of '57, he pitched a victory over the Yankees and impressed observers with his clever hurling.
Starting in Baseball in 1949, he posted 12 wins in '50 at Jamestown and went into military service for two years. In '54, Duke had the best won-lost mark in the Eastern League and posted a 1.10 ERA."

-1957 Topps No. 405

"Duke had a thorough minor league grooming. He broke in with Roanoke Rapids in 1949 and worked his way up to Buffalo in 1954. Duke's 11-3 record at Wilkes-Barre in '54 was top in the Eastern League.
Last season, with Detroit, he was one of five Tigers with over 100 strikeouts. His fast ball blows hitters down!"

-1958 Topps No. 228

1958 Back-O'-The-Card: Jerry Lumpe

"Jerry climaxed a fine year in 1957 by getting two pinch hits in the World Series. He's a fine defensive player whichever position he's at.
The versatile youngster spent three years in the Yankee chain before going into military service in 1953. In 1955, he hit .301 at Birmingham. He raised his 1956 batting average by 82 points last year."

-1958 Topps No. 193