Wednesday, July 2, 2014

#136 Johnny Schmitz



#136 Johnny Schmitz
Progress: 1st of this card
126 of 407  31% complete
How acquired: $4.26 on ebay
Condition: Good

That dark upper left corner is a little less than desirable, and there's a serious crease in the lower left, but that's no where near enough damage to make this card anything other than "good."  I really love the colors in the back ground and the way they contrast with the Dodger blue cap.  I can only imagine what this card must have looked like fresh from a pack 60+ years ago.

Schmitz had size 14 shoes, and tended to shuffle around on the mound, which earned him the nickname "Bear Tracks."  He spent his final years before his passing working as the greens keeper at the local American Legion golf course Wausau, Wisconsin.  I find something very Rockwellian about that.  An aging  former Brooklyn Dodger (and All-Star no less) mowing grass during his summers, then likely telling stories in the Legion Hall over beers afterwards.  

Stats: 13 seasons, 2x All-Star, 93 wins, 3.55 ERA, '46 NL Leader in strikeouts, 2 career home runs as a hitter

Best Hall of Fame Showing: N/A

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