1954 Topps Phillies - Only 1 Card Remains

I've previously established on this blog that my Mom rocks.  However, if you're new to the blog or if you'd like a quick recap of the reasons for this sentiment:

1.  She is unconditionally supportive and loving and has had my back since the day I was born.
2.  She checks my want lists and finds me old Phillies baseball cards for Christmas, my birthday or other special occasions.
3.  See statement 1.

I recently celebrated a birthday and my Mom's gift selection abilities amazed me yet again.  Thanks to her, I'm now just one card away from a complete 1954 Topps Phillies team set.  The 10 cards featured here have been added to my collection, courtesy of my Mom's continued awesomeness.

(Yes, the Herman Wehmeier card is a Reds card, but he pitched part of the 1954 season with the Phillies, so into the 1950s Phillies binder it goes.)

#41

#51

#104

#108

#127

#162

#174

#183

#196

#236

1954 Topps Phillies

1994 Topps 1954 Archives #24, #41, #45, #78

The battle between Topps and Bowman for players' rights intensified in 1954, as player selection in both baseball card sets continued to suffer.

1954 Topps #247

The Set

Number of cards in the set:  There are 250 cards in the complete set.

My very brief thoughts on the set:  For the first time, collectors got two photos on the front of the card - one color portrait-type shot of the player and another miniature black and white action shot.  I've always liked the use of the full color backgrounds too.  And I'm a sucker for baseball cards with the team logo featured on the front, especially since Topps started using the correct Phillies logo this year.

Notable competition:  Bowman issued its penultimate set in 1954, featuring 224 cards.

1954 Phillies

Record and finish:  The Phils finished in 4th place with a record of 75-79.  A steady decline was beginning and the team wouldn't finish above .500 again until 1962.

1954 Topps #247 (Back)

Key players:  The key player summary could begin and end with Robin Roberts.  The future Hall of Famer started the All-Star Game, pitched two one-hitters, went 23-15 with a 2.97 ERA, and led the league in wins, strikeouts (185), innings pitched (337) and complete games (29).  Richie Ashburn had another solid year, hitting .313.  Catcher Smoky Burgess (.368 average while splitting duties with Stan Lopata), left fielder Del Ennis (.261, 25 home runs and 119 RBIs) and second baseman Granny Hamner (.299, 13 home runs, 89 RBIs) were the top offensive performers for the club.

Key events:  New general manager Roy Hamey surprisingly fired manager Steve O'Neill in July when the Phils were in third place with a 40-37 record.  Terry Moore was hired to replace O'Neill and the team went 35-42 for the remainder of the season.  Moore was fired after the season ended.  Murry Dickson, acquired before the season from the Pirates, led the league with 20 losses.

1994 Topps 1954 Archives #127, #183, #236, #196

1954 Phillies in 1954 Topps

Cards needed for a complete team set:  There are 14 Phillies cards in the '54 Topps set, bringing the cumulative 1951-1954 total to an even 50.

Who’s in:  Proving that Topps' lackluster player selection is not a recent trend in its sets, here's the break-down of the Phillies cards kids could expect to find in packs of '54 Topps - Just three regulars (second baseman Hamner, third baseman Puddin' Head Jones and center fielder Ashburn), one bench guy (shortstop Ted Kazanski), five guys who appeared in 13 games or less with the Phillies (Johnny Lindell, Mickey Micelotta, Stan Jok, Paul Penson and Thornton Kipper), two players who didn't suit up with the team that year (Mike Sandlock and Tom Qualters), and a manager card for O'Neill and two coaches' cards for Earle Combs and Eddie Mayo.  That's lousy player selection.

Who’s out:  Pretty much everyone, but the notable omissions are catcher Burgess, first baseman Earl Torgeson, shortstop Bobby Morgan, outfielders Ennis and Johnny Wyrostek, pitchers Roberts, Curt Simmons, Dickson, Herm Wehmeier and Jim Konstanty.

Phillies on other teams:  Wehmeier was purchased from the Reds on June 12th and he's featured on card #162 with his former team.

What’s he doing here:  The five guys appearing in 13 games or less, as listed above.  Stan Jok had 3 at-bats with the '54 Phils, striking out twice.

Cards that never were candidates:  Roberts, Ennis, Burgess, Simmons and short-time manager Moore.

Favorite Phillies card:  Ashburn's card, by default, and because I own a beat up copy of the original.

2000 Fleer Tradition #423, 2000 Fleer Tradition Update #U93
2003 Topps Heritage #127 and #190

Other Stuff

Recycled:  Topps reprinted the set in 1994, shrinking the cards and doing away with the full bleed tops, opting for a clean white border surrounding the entire card instead.  Fleer borrowed heavily from the design for its 2000 Fleer Tradition set, a set that pre-dated the 2003 Topps Heritage set by three years.  I liked both sets so much that I put together hand-collated sets of both back in the day.

Blogs/Websites:  Want to view the entire 1954 Topps set?  Head over to the Virtual Card Collection and enjoy.

Did You Know?:  Here are just a few "Inside Baseball" tidbits that can be found on the back of the Phillies' cards:

• Mickey is a rug-measurer during the off-season!  (#212 Mickey Micelotta)
• When only 12, Steve worked in the coal mines at Scranton!  (#127 Steve O'Neill)
• Richie broke into baseball as a catcher in 1945.  (#45 Richie Ashburn)
• In high school, Tom dreamed of playing for the Phils!  (#174 Tom Qualters)