Your Information Resource for Vintage Baseball Cards
  eNews Issue #138 (October 2015)       www.oldcardboard.com


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Welcome to Old Cardboard, the most complete reference resource for information about collecting vintage baseball cards and related memorabilia.  More information about this eNewsletter and its companion website and magazine are found at the bottom of this page.

Contents:
1. Updated Auction and Show Calendar
2. Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" Revisited (by Jerry Spillman)
3. Latest Additions to the OldCardboard.com Website
4. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)



1. Updated Auction and Show Calendar

The following is a summary of vintage card events coming up in the next 30-45 days. For the most current listings on additional vintage card shows and auctions, see the Key Events Calendar on the Old Cardboard website.

Have an event that needs to be on the OC Calendar?
Email editor@oldcardboard.com.


OC eNewsletter Sponsor

October 2015

15Phone/Internet Sterling Sports Auctions (see website for details).
15Phone/Internet Mile High Auction (see website for details).
15Internet All-Sports Auctions (see website for details).
17Phone/Internet RMY Auctions (see website for details).
17Phone/Internet Robert Edward Auctions (see website for details).
22Internet Sports Card Link (see website for details).
24-25Long Island, NY Long Island (Hofstra) Show (see website for details).
25Phone/Internet Worthridge Auctions (see website for details).

November 2015

5-7Dallas, TX Heritage Sports Collectors Auction (see website for details).
10-12Phone/Internet Hake's Americana & Collectibles Auction (incl. baseball; website).
12Phone/Internet Huggins & Scott Auctions (see website for details).
14Phone/Internet Goldin Auctions (see website for details).
19Phone/Internet Sterling Sports Auctions (see website for details).
27-29White Plains, NY White Plains "Thanksgiving" Show (see website for details).
28San Leandro, CA San Francisco Bay Area Show (see web page for details)
28Phone/Internet Small Traditions Holiday Premium Auction (see website for details).


2. Babe Ruth's "Called Shot" Revisited (by Jerry Spillman)

On Oct. 1, 1932 in game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, Chicago, what developed in the 5th inning will live forever in Baseball lore.

When Ruth came to the plate in the 5th inning the noise level in the stadium increased dramatically. He was continuously jeered by the Chicago Cubs players and the Cub fans. With the count 1 - 2, he gestured toward center field bleachers as if to indicate that's where he planned to hit the next pitch. Charlie Root, the Chicago Cubs pitcher, delivered the next pitch and Ruth hit the ball sending John Moore, the Chicago centerfielder running back, then stopping. The ball landed 436 feet from home plate, the 15th and last World Series home run for Babe Ruth, the longest home run ever hit to that point in time in Wrigley Field.

Matt Miller Kandle, Sr., a Chicago amateur filmmaker took a Kodak 16mm camera to Wrigley Field on that day and captured this event on safety film. However, viewing this film is not conclusive of the alleged call.

There have been many statements by members of both teams that contradict or agree as to whether Ruth actually pointed to the center field bleachers indicating he was going to hit a home run. A few of these follow:

Earle "Doc" Painter, the Yankee trainer said: "..Charlie Root put over a called strike and the delighted fans roared. Ruth made a three-quarter turn to the stands and held up one finger...Root put over another strike and the Babe repeated the pantomine, holding up two fingers this time. Then, before taking his stance, he swept his left arm full length and pointed to the center field fence. When he got back to the bench after hitting the homer, Herb Pennock said: 'Supposed you had missed, you would have looked like an awful bum.' Ruth, drawing a drink at the water cooler, laughed: 'Hell, I never thought of that.'"

Joe Sewell, the Yankee third baseman said: "....he (Ruth) didn't say a thing, and the next pitch was just a little above the knees. You've seen a golf ball hit, how it keeps rising, that's the way the ball went, and it went right through a tree outside the ballpark....don't let anyone tell you Ruth didn't (point) because I saw it."

Gabby Hartnett, the Chicago catcher: "Babe came up in the fifth and took two called strikes. After each one the Cub bench gave him the business, stuff like he was choking and he was washed up. Babe waved his hand across the plate toward our bench on the third base side. One finger was up. At the same time he said softly, and I think only the umpire and I heard him, 'It only takes one to hit it.' Root came in with a fast one and it went into the center field seats. Babe didn't say a word when he passed me after the home run. If he had pointed out at the bleachers, I'd be the first to say so."

Lou Gehrig, who was on deck when Ruth hit the home run, said: "What do you think of the nerve of that big monkey (Ruth) calling his shot and getting away with it?"

Ruth himself is quoted as saying: "Aw, everybody knows that game, the day I hit the homer off ole Charlie Root.....But right now I want to settle all arguments. I didn't exactly point to any spot, like he flagpole. Anyway, I didn't mean to, I just sorta waved at the whole fence, but that was foolish enough. All I wanted to do was give that thing a ride... outta the park... anywhere." This is one of different accounts offered by Ruth over the succeeding years.


The original audio sound track of Ruth's "Called Shot"

The Chicago Cubs radio announcer, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, verbalized the action and drama on the playing field. This is an original sound track of this at bat by Ruth (due to the less than ideal quality of the audio, a word by word translation is printed below.

" the 1 and 1 pitch .. called strike 2 .. Babe let that one go past him also .. he never took the bat off his shoulder .. 1 and 2 on Ruth ..now Babe raises that finger again looks out at Charlie .. gets the sign from Gabby .. he's in the wind up .. here's the 1 and 2 pitch .. a swing ..a long fly .. it's toward that center field corner .. the ball .. almost in the exact spot that Babe has been pointing to .. here's Ruth around second on his way toward third .. (Jack laughing) .. as he comes into third .. (Jack laughing) .. as he comes into third he thumbs his nose in the direction of the Cubs dugout .. here he is around.... "


This veteran broadcaster spoke the words you have just heard (read) as the event took place. It was his perception that Ruth was indicating a home run to where he had pointed. This is probably the most credible evidence in favor of Ruth calling his shot.

Ruth hitting the "Called Shot"

Ruth crossing the plate after the "Called Shot"
In the image (above right), Ruth is being given a congratulatory hand-shake by Lou Gehrig and watched by Cub Catcher Gabby Harnett and Umpire Roy Van Graflan as he heads toward the Yankee Dugout. Moments later Gehrig followed with a home run on the first pitch.

Scored program; notice the Yankee 5th inning)
(click to enlarge)

Inside pages (click to enlarge)

Front and back covers (click to enlarge)
The bat that Babe used for the "Called Shot" is included among other Ruthian memorabilia displayed at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

*     *     *     *     *

Jerry Spillman, the author of the above article, is a longtime vintage baseball card and memorabilia collector and once owned the scored scorecard booklet pictured above. According to Jerry, he wrote the article more than a decade ago and does not remember the source of the audio broadcast recording.


Ruth's Called Shot: The Mystery Continues

For nearly a century, the facts (and legends) about Ruth's Called Shot have been documented, debated and embellished. In our independent research and fact checking of this article, Old Cardboard has concluded that the above broadcast recording of the Called Shot event is most likely an after-the-fact re-creation of the actual event. Original or not, however, the broadcast recording does not alter the facts (or the myths) that surround what is generally regarded as the single most famous event in baseball history. An interesting and well researched documentary about the event (produced in the early 1990s) can be viewed on YouTube. We highly recommend that our readers view the documentary and reach your own conclusions.       -- Old Cardboard magazine



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3. Latest Additions to the OldCardboard.com Website

We are continually expanding the Old Cardboard website with more set profiles, checklists and card galleries. Recent (past 30-40 days) additions include:

A Group (Type-Card) Gallery has been added for F-Cards (Food Cards--Ice Cream and Dairy). Such Group Galleries are listed at the beginning of each Group Index accessible on the navigation bar at the top of each page on the website. They function as "type card" galleries within each major card group. They are intended to help streamline the identification of various card sets and provide a visual path to the Profile pages on the Old Cardboard website for each set. Each card image in the group represents a vintage baseball card set and includes a link to more detailed information about the issue.

Set Profiles have been added for:
1943   F66   Golden Quality Ice Cream
1951   Hage's Dairy
1952   F7   Dixie Lids
1954   F7   Dixie Lids

Set Galleries have been added for:
1921   W521   Strip Card Set

Updating the website with checklists and full set galleries for additional vintage sets is an ongoing project, so check back often to check out the latest additions. There are now many thousands of card images on the website and the list continues to grow every month. We welcome and encourage feedback with checklist additions, card images, error corrections and suggestions. Please send all input to editor@oldcardboard.com.

Beyond the above pages recently added to the Old Cardboard website, we continue to expand and refine our eBay Custom Search Links to make finding vintage baseball cards on eBay easier than ever. The results of these searches are continuously changing, so check back often to find the most recent eBay listings. Samples of a few of these custom searches are provided below. Hundreds more are provided on the Set Profile pages throughout the Old Cardboard website.

T-Cards (Cont.)
T209 Contentnea
1910 T210 Old Mill
T212 Obak
T213 Coupon
T222 Fatima (Player)
T332 Helmar Stamps
1952-55 Red Man Tobacco

W-Cards (Exhibits)
1921-28 (W461)
PC-Back Exhibits
1929-38 W463 ("4-on-1s")
1939-46 W462 Salutations
1948 HOF Series
1922 "Eastern" Exhibits
1961 Wrigley Field

(more custom searches
by major card group)



4. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)

Factory 30 Back Found for T201 Dougherty/Lord Card. As discussed in Michael Wheat's comprehensive article about the century-old T201 "Double Folder" set in Issue #31 (Spring 2014) of Old Cardboard magazine, the card for Harry Lord/Patsy Dougherty with a Factory 30 back had never been reported in the hobby. Although all 50 cards in the set were known with "Factory 649" printed on Side 2, only 49 of the 50 cards were known with "Factory 30" backs. As a result of the article, however, the Lord/Dougherty card has now been found with a Factory 30 back. According to Michael, when one of our readers checked their collection after reading his article, the long-missing Factory 30 back was discovered. We can therefore now report that all 50 cards in the T201 set exist with both back variations.


Lyman and Brett Hardeman
Old Cardboard, LLC.

Old Cardboard, LLC. was established in December 2003, to help bring information on vintage baseball card collecting to the hobbyist.  Produced by collectors for collectors, this comprehensive resource consists of three components: (1) Old Cardboard Magazine, (2) a companion website at www.oldcardboard.com and (3) this eNewsletter. The Old Cardboard website contains more than 500 pages of descriptive reference information for baseball card sets produced fifty years ago or longer.  Each of these set summaries has a direct set-specific link to auctions and a similar link to 's powerful search engine for further research.  The website also includes a Show and Auction Calendar, an eBay Top 50 Vintage Sellers List, and much more.  As a result, the Old Cardboard website makes a great "Alt-tab" companion for vintage card shoppers and researchers.  Old Cardboard eNews provides current hobby news, upcoming shows and auctions, and updates to the website and the magazine.  It is published around the middle of each month.  For a FREE subscription to the eNewsletter, or for subscription information on Old Cardboard Magazine, please visit the website at www.oldcardboard.com.  If you find this information resource helpful, please tell your friends.  We need your support and your feedback. Thank you.