The thought behind this series is very simple: “What is the oldest cards for each team in my collection?”
I’m breaking these down by the current Major League Baseball divisions. I’m also including first cards of relocations and rebrandings.
And now, let’s get on with the American League Central!
Washington Senators – 1952 Red Man Tobacco Eddie Yost
Another “oldest card” post, another Red Man card. As I’d mentioned in a prior post I started to collect Yost because he was a Mets coach when I was a kid, but I became fascinated by his famous ability to draw walks. Although Yost never batted over .300 he twice lead the league in on-base percentage and was a six-time league leader in walks.
Minnesota Twins – 1961 Topps Reno Bertoia
This card of Bertoia is from the 5th series of 1961 Topps, and being a relatively high series they got a picture of him in a Twins cap rather than as a capless Senator. I semi-collect Bertoia for reasons that are simultaneously involved and uninteresting so I won’t say any more about it.
Detroit Tigers – 1953 Bowman Color Steve Souchock
I got this card cheap because someone – VERY HELPFULLY, I might add – wrote Souchock’s name on the bottom of the card. I love 1953 Bowman but the lack of any text on the front has always bothered me (as it does in 1976 SSPC and other sets which mirror 1953 Bowman)
Cleveland Indians – 1953 Red Man Tobacco Bob Lemon
Seeing all these Red Man cards in these posts makes me long for the regional card show where I got most of them… Going to that show is a full day affair and it’s been about four years since I’ve been able to go.
Chicago White Sox – 1954 Red Man Tobacco Ferris Fain
You may remember that I had Ferris Fain as my oldest Philadelphia Athletics card. The image for that card was basically the same as this painting, only with no background and Fain was wearing an Athletics uniform.
Kansas City Royals – 1969 Topps Royals Rookie Stars – Steve Jones, Ellie Rodriguez
This is the only Royals card I have from the 1st series of 1969 Topps. Rodriguez I’m familiar with; he was drafted from the Yankees, would be the Royals’ first All-Star and had been a regular in the 1970s. Steve Jones I didn’t know; he was drafted from the Senators, didn’t pitch in the Majors after 1969 and this is his only Topps card.
The Shlabotnik Report 
As always I have to point out that Reno Bertoia spent 1964 in Japan as a Hanshin Tiger. Although the Tigers made it to the Series that season, Bertoia did not play in it, having hit only .175 in 20 games with them.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone complain about the lack of names on the front of ’53 Bowman’s. That seems to be one of the things that most folks like best about the set.
I recognize that I’m very much in the minority on this (and a number of other things) , but I really want the players name legibly printed on the front of a card. I require both form and functionality