Bucket Cards: Five Lesser-Known Babe Ruths

I post #BucketCards from time-to-time on my @number5typecard Bluesky account as distinctive or meaningful poses from a wide range of sets. This article gathers five cards of Babe Ruth along similar lines, reflecting his unparalleled career as hurler and slugger from 1914-35. The Bambino first appeared on tobacco-esque sets as a svelte International League pitcher and hung around long enough to still appear on cards for Boston's 1935 Braves, a legendarily terrible club.

Let's start at the beginning!

1914 Baltimore News (as Orioles pitcher)

Baltimore's International League team found an unpolished jewel in Ruth, not far removed from a rough younger life. First scouted for his pitching arm, this sweater-clad card appears in red or blue. Its value is sky high, given how hard it proves to find anything from this set, let alone the Bambino.

Baltimore hosted its own Federal League team, the Terrapins, in 1914, and competed for fans with the existing International League team, an earlier iteration of the "Orioles." Ruth spent just two months there before the Boston Red Sox acquired him in July.

1920-21 Universal Toy & Novelty Company strip cards

These two cards reflect the Babe's transformation from ace pitcher to slugging outfielder, as Universal's card artist adapted a Boston warmup photo into two cards (1920 left, 1921 right). Artistic work on that pastel card turned his normal lefty follow-through into a righty hitting pose, saving the cost of licensing a new photo.

The second card added soft pinstripes to reflect his Yankees affiliation, closer to what fans expected of Ruth by 1921, even when hitting from the "wrong side."

1925-31 W590 "King of the Bat" strip card

Surely this is how we'd all want to be known! "I am royalty and my lineage has mastered...The Bat."

These W590 cards date to the 1925-31 window, based on players and teams shown. It was common for strip card printers of that era to reprint the same images, year after year, only updating spots on each strip when players changed teams or retired. Note how this strip proves current for a single season, 1925, thanks to its bolded players.

• Ike Caveney, SS Cincinnati: 1925 was Ike's last in the majors.
• George Burns, OF Philadelphia: 1925 was as George's only year in Philly and last year in the majors.

While they could print the same photos again and again, W590 contains enough team variations to show someone paid attention to those (literal) lineups, even if to add "former" for existing cards.

Like many strip card collectors, I look forward to future research working out which company made W590 cards and how often they changed layouts. Now, back to the Babe!

1931 W626 Sun Pictures Photo Kits

If Ruth looked like this in real life, I'd call him "The Jaundiced Jolter."

These "sun pictures" tell their own creation story, as simple light exposure brought out (muted yellow) images on the self-developing panels, complete with block letter player name. 12 baseball players appear in this multi-subject set, all stars at their time. This Ruth's a superior batting pose to many others printed under his name.

1935 Schutter-Johnson "Babe Ruth's Grip"

This hand-drawn Ruth card features the art of former MLB pitcher Al Demaree, drawing hands.

Playing advice for enthustiastic kids are a recurring theme on cards and this entire set mixes cartoons with tips, all sketched by Demaree and penned by uncredited ghostwriters.

I love how Babe's quoted as saying, "you will have command of the bat instead of the bat having command of you." Sage words indeed from King of the Bat.

Those five Babe Ruth #BucketCards make for an interesting counterpoint to his far more familiar poses and creations. Let me know what cards would be on your own list!

Baseball Backgrounds : 1981's Weird Year and 1982 Reggie's Reflection Redux

Last time, I looked deep into Reggie Jackson's glasses on 1982 Topps #300, searching for that man within.

That other guy wore a light uniform and chatted at the batting cage, where Reggie himself sported a Yankees warmup pullover.

Ferreting out that figure felt a lot like identifying background photos in 1956 Topps, where you use on-field context and historical box scores to work out who made a specific play at a particular time and proved worthy of a photo. (In this case, I think Puddin' Head's sliding safe into home on August 17, 1949.)

1956 Topps Puddin' Head Jones (detail)

Two comments on my 1982 Topps Reggie post called out new-to-me info that merits more investigation, just like my second look at 1956 Topps #171 Jim Wilson, whose card shows not Jim Wilson or even #91 Gail Harris, two cards that share the same background action.

and the runner's Richie Ashburn...or is it a recolored Pee Wee?

New context to consider for Reggie

• Look at 1981 All-Star Game in Cleveland instead of Yankee Stadium, per POISON75
• Yankee Stadium lacked bunting for their mid-Sept 1981 series hosting Boston, by Bo

Let us remember 1981, a weird year

Baseball endured a work stoppage that canceled the middle of 1981's season. I own this complete Seattle Mariners ticket because games ended the day before. MLB kicked off 1981's "second half" with a rescheduled All-Star Game on August 9 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

First and second half division leaders reached the playoffs, including the Yankees, yet neither of the NL's best overall divisional records (CIN and STL) "won" a playoff berth. The 1981 Cincinnati Reds won more games than any other MLB team and did not qualify for the playoffs, leading to this memorable photo and custom card.

That short season also influenced player award voting. Brewers reliever Rollie Fingers turned high-leverage, late-inning success into an AL MVP, cementing his impact on the closer's role in our modern game. Topps featured Milwaukee's voluminous pitching jackets on his 1982 card.

Reggie at Cleveland's All-Star Game

1981 All-Star team photos do indeed show Reggie in a black pullover, seated adjacent to Yankee teammates Bucky Dent and Goose Gossage. So far, so good.

The National League photo contains a shocking amount of powder blue, courtesy of the Phillies, Expos, Cubs, and Braves.

1981 All-Star game highlights show Reggie changed to full sleeves that also feature the black armband worn that year for Elston Howard.

from YouTube game highlights (18:50)

That's Bob Hope sitting first row above Cleveland's stadium bunting and their pairing reminds me of George Bush's cameo on a future Derek Jeter card.

If Topps did indeed take Reggie's 1982 card photos at this game, they limited those to his #300 (base) and #551 (All-Star) cards, as their red-bordered sticker shows a shortsleeve undershirt.

Back to our man in the mirror

Now that we see Cleveland pregame warmups for Reggie, consider All-Star Game participants that resemble that reflected image.

My eyes see a white jersey with horizontal team, no number on front, a lighter complexion, and bare arms. Would you believe just one gent from 1981's team photos checks all four boxes? Don Zimmer.

Rangers coach Zimmer oversaw third base that day and first appeared on the broadcast applauding Ken Singleton's second inning homer off Tom Seaver.

As a baseball lifer, I assume Zim knew enough to talk with anyone about anything, anytime. A veteran like Reggie could keep things going for a good while and they intersected more often in future years at Yankee legend events.

Looks like Zim's our real man in the mirror on Reggie's 1982 Topps card. Sorry, Joe Rudi!

For fans of glasses reflections, the Getty archive also provides this easier-to-identify version of these longtime legends.

"Remember that 1981 All-Star Game? Bob Hope had this joke..."

Thanks to attentive readers for helping nail this down!

Baseball Backgrounds : Reggie Jackson's Glasses on 1982 Topps #300

Last week, I got into a Bluesky chat over the reflection in Reggie's glasses on 1982 Topps card #300. New York often wore these pregame warmup tops, so it's common enough to see them in photos of that era. Few guys wore glasses like Reggie, so interesting reflections prove harder to come by.

Zoom closer to spot a guy in a lighter uniform talking to Reggie at the batting cage.

Topps also gave Reggie an All-Star card (#511) taken from the same photo series, which shows scalloped second deck bunting around Yankee Stadium above his helmet.

Most years, bunting alone says little. It's used for patriotic holidays and special events as well as postseason games. That year's work stoppage, however, split the 1981 season into two halves, narrowing things down. No games took place in Yankee Stadium during Memorial Day week or near Independence Day, but New York did reach the playoffs as its "first half champs." (More on that year's Jeckyll & Hyde results.) 

Given context, I speculate this red/white/blue bunting anticipates New York's upcoming playoff series, making it best suited for display during late-season home games. Boton came to town for a September 11-13 series and wore these light-colored uniforms.

1981 Boston Red Sox uniforms

Boston's 1981 roster included one Joe Rudi, who got card #388. The team relegated him to pinch-hitting duties by late season, so it made sense to find Joe at the batting cage before games.

Joe Rudi and Reggie Jackson shared the glory of Oakland's 1972-74 World Series titles side-by-side in the A's outfield and continue to appear together today when those champs get recognition.

Joe Rudi, Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson, Mike Epstein at Oakland Coliseum, 1972

There's a decent chance Topps caught Joe and Reggie chewing the fat during warmups before a mid-September NYY/BOS game at Yankee Stadium, giving Joe a reflected cameo in Reggie's glasses.

What do you think, do the details match up? Have someone you like as Reggie's reflection even better

Update: Readers pointed me to Cleveland's All-Star Game for Reggie's card photos and I found an even better pick than Joe Rudi for part II of this investigation. Thanks!

Top 5 Deep Cut Cards for Immaculate Grid

The Immaculate Grid encourages you to remember all kinds of team-specific trivia otherwise lost to the sands of time. When you're steeped in card history, knowing a player often means a cardboard image also jumps to mind first. This article calls out five picks for low percentages, where to use them, and highlight cards.

Julie Wera (Yankees only, played 3B, 1927 World Champ, .300+ batting season)

That championship ring netted him a spot in TCMA's retro sets for those 1927 Murderer's Row legends.

1975 TCMA 1927 Yankees

Wera must have few photos, as TCMA rotated this pose 90 degrees for its 1979 portrait version.

1979 TCMA 1927 Yankees #5

TCMA used borders from 1920s American Caramel, yet missed that this pennant-and-megaphone design fits the Chicago White Sox instead of New York. More details on my border breakdown.

Dave Vineyard (BAL only, pitcher) & John Boozer (PHI only, pitcher, sub-3 ERA, .300+ batting season)

This intoxicating two-fer appeared like a vision from a box of vintage cards at the 2024 National show. Love to see two names like this sharing space in the excellent 1965 Topps set. Boozer turns the sought-for double-play of having good ERA and hitting seasons.

Jimmy Archer (born outside USA, position 237 Pirates, 246 Tigers, 2345 Cubs, 2 Dodgers, 23 Reds)

This peripatetic and versatile Irishman excelled wearing the Tools of Ignorance in part because an industrial accident in his pre-baseball days shortened his throwing arm. That gear also makes for a great T222 Fatima tobacco image, where he's one of four different #5 cards (set profile).

Jerry Lumpe (.300 for A's/Yankees, 10+ HRs for A's, All-Star for Tigers, World Series champ for Yankees, position 456 for A's and Yanks, 45 for Detroit)

After younger years and a 1958 championship in New York, Jerry spent his peak in KC, and then four more in Detroit, notching this low percentage All-Star appearance for the Tigers. My memorable "card" turned up this year on eBay after being extracted from an overseas baseball album and it's another #5.

Lumpe moved to KC in May 1959, so I think it came out during the 1958-59 winter league season, following his utility role on the Yanks title winner.

Bob Nieman (.300+ Orioles/White Sox/Cardinals/Guardians/Giants, homered in first MLB game, 20+ HR for Orioles, position 79 Orioles/Tigers/White Sox/Guardians, 7 Cardinals/Giants)

This guy raked everywhere that needed a bat, peaking for Baltimore before closing out in spot duty for St. Louis, Cleveland, and San Fran. His memorable 1960 Topps card features Bob's spectacular specs, looking for the world like a guy who sold insurance between innings.

People outside Fenway Park shoulda bought head insurance, as Bob homered in his first two MLB at-bats, including a blast that cleared the Green Monster and reached Landsdowne Street beyond. It's an unmatched feat in our modern game. His woeful Browns lost 9-5 anyway to the Red Sox (box score). Win or lose, welcome his specs into your heart and grid!

Based the higher-than-expected scores for guys like Billy "F-Face" Ripken and Mike "Airbrush" Laga, I suspect their noteworthy cards made them easy to remember, even for fans today! Who else do you like to use on the grid who has a distinctive card? 

Babe/Baby Ruth and Americana stops on a New Jersey road trip

I bounced between air conditioning and cultural sights for three hot days in New Jersey in my cultural collectors quest to catch 'em all. We focused on Princeton this time, whose cemetery includes president Grover Cleveland and his "baby" Ruth, born in the White House and passed of diptheria at age 12.

That's me, sweatin' to the oldies

Soon after the Babe hit a record 54 homers in 1920, Curtiss Candy renamed their existing "Kandy Kake" bar to "Baby Ruth," hoping to draft off his headline-making swats. They claimed this honored Ruth Cleveland's nickname almost 20 years after her death, a Dom Draper level marketing move.

Thanks to compliant court judges, Curtiss avoided Ruthian compensation and prevented "Ruth's Home run" candy bar on the market. That short-lived product included a small promotional card set and my set profile adds more detail to Curtiss's candy shenanigans. Its "favorite with the kiddies" #5 features Ruth smooching his daughter Dorothy Ruth Pirone.

Surviving "Ruth's Home Run" candy ephemera includes these red wrappers. Given his stature, counterfeits exist, so be wary of buying them unless your dealer knows their stuff.

Antiques Roadshow assessed a surviving membership card, which features ten rules for fair play.

Princeton Cemetery hosts the shaded grave of Clarence "Pop" Foster, a turn of the 20th century player at multiple levels of organized ball. I appreciated its tree coverage as temps hit 95!

Aaron Burr Senior and Junior lie in state at Princeton, an enduring reminder against "wasting your shot."

The permanent collection of Princeton's Morven House contains this Althea Gibson plaque and photo from a local match onsite, when it served as home to NJ's governor and their family.

More from the Morven House, as their family played some Burro Baseball on a trip to the southwest. I welcome your theories for how one would play it!

Every Princeton visitor should stop by Grover's Mill and its 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast markers.

One of the memorial walk's painted alien stones, so cute

Photo credit Nick Vossbrink for this metal plaque

Pop Foster's pro career included a stop in Quebec, whose Capitales bus I passed at the revived Hinchcliffe stadium in Paterson for a series against its Frontier League rivals, the Jackals.

Atlantic coast residents might know Jersey's Garden State Parkway, which spiffed up its passenger views with sports and cultural honorees. Doby played in Paterson, so merits this spot nearby.

Larry Doby's NJ HOF marker at Brookdale service station

Not pictured, one stop at Popeye's for biscuits and wings! A family dinner there is like $30 for six meals, it's nutty.