#133 Charles King - Detroit Tigers

Charles Gilbert King / Detroit Tigers / Outfield
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 190
Born: November 10, 1930, Paris, TN
Signed: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent before 1951 season
As a Player: Detroit Tigers 1954-56; Chicago cubs 1958-59; St. Louis Cardinals 1959
Died: July 9, 2012, Paris, TN (81)

Chick King earned his nickname as the youngest of seven brothers while growing up in Paris, Tennessee.  A high school and college football standout, King left Memphis State College, and his football team, when he signed with the Tigers in 1951.  He'd get promoted to the majors in August 1954 following injuries to Tigers' outfielders Bill Tuttle (#35) and Al Kaline (#23).  King appeared sparingly with the Tigers over three seasons, playing in 11, seven and six games in 1954, 1955 and 1956.  He'd spend all of 1957 in the Braves' minor league system.  King would cameo in the majors in 1958 with the Cubs, playing in eight games, and then in 1959 with the Cubs and Cardinals, playing in a combined 12 games.  In 44 big league games, King batted .237 (18 for 76) with a triple and five RBIs.  He'd play in the minor leagues through the 1961 season before retiring from baseball.

1959 Topps #538

1955 Season / Detroit Tigers

King was a September call-up, and of his seven games played, he started four games in left field.  He batted .238 (5 for 21).  In 143 games with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, King batted .295 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

Building the Set / Card #9

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this King card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Rookie Card / The Most Exciting Game / Tigers Team Set

King appears on two mainstream baseball cards from two of my favorite sets - 1955 Bowman and 1959 Topps.  The back of the card recounts King's "Most Exciting Game in Which I've Played," a minor league contest from 1954 that ended in an 8-8 tie after Buffalo's first baseman dropped a pop-up that would have given Buffalo the win.  The Cuban opponent would have been the Havana Sugar Kings.  Buffalo used three first baseman in 1954 - Dick Gernert, Harvey Zernia and Jack Wallaesa - so the culprit was one of those three players.

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1955 Bowman #133

Bowman Set Appearances (1): 1955

Topps Set Apperances (1): 1959

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2008 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CK2

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 2/27/26: 5 total, multiple collectors have 2

Sources

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#132 Harvey Kuenn - Detroit Tigers (Correct) / #134 Bob Feller - Cleveland Indians

#132 Harvey Kuenn - Detroit Tigers (Correct)

Harvey Edward Kuenn / Detroit Tigers / Shortstop
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 187
Born: December 4, 1930, West Allis, WI
Signed: Signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent, June 9, 1952
As a Player: Detroit Tigers 1952-1959; Cleveland Indians 1960; San Francisco Giants 1961-1965; Chicago Cubs 1965-1966; Philadelphia Phillies 1966
World Series Appearances: San Francisco Giants 1962
As a Manager: Milwaukee Brewers 1975, 1982-1983
As a Coach: Milwaukee Brewers 1971-82
Died: February 28, 1988, Peoria, AZ (age 57)

One of the most prolific hitters in the American League throughout the 1950s, Harvey Kuenn was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1953 and was named to eight straight All-Star teams between 1953 and 1960.  He and Al Kaline (#23) led the Tigers offense during those years, but the club never finished higher than fourth place in the junior circuit.  A shortstop early in his career, Kuenn led the league in hits four times (1953, 1954, 1956 and 1959), doubles three times (1955, 1958 and 1959) and took the batting crown in 1959 with a .353 average.  He was swapped to the Indians in April 1960 for Rocky Colavito, a blockbuster deal involving two All-Stars.

After a season in Cleveland, Kuenn moved to the National League where he'd play six more seasons for the Giants, Cubs and Phillies.  He'd see his only postseason play with the Giants in the 1962 World Series.  Over his 14-year career, Kuenn hit .303 with 2,092 hits.

Kuenn became a coach for the Brewers in 1971 and he served as an interim manager for a game in 1975 following the firing of Del Crandall (#217).  He was named the team's permanent manager on June 2, 1982, replacing Buck Rodgers, and Kuenn led that Brewers team to their first and only World Series appearance to date.  Despite losing to the Cardinals in the World Series, Kuenn and his team, affectionately called "Harvey's Wallbangers," cemented themselves as fan favorites in Milwaukee.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

1955 Season / Detroit Tigers

Kuenn was again the regular shortstop for the Tigers, batting .306 in 145 games, with a league-leading 38 doubles and 62 RBIs.  He was the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star Game, leading off and going 1 for 3 in the game with first inning, lead-off single off the Phillies' Robin Roberts (#171).  He'd ultimately score on a wild pitch.

Phillies Career / 1966

The Cubs sold Kuenn to the Phillies three games into the 1966 season on April 23rd.  He spent the rest of the season with the Phillies, his final season in the majors, serving as a right-handed pinch-hitter and occasional back-up in left for Tony Gonzalez or at first base for Bill White.  Kuenn appeared in 86 games for the Phillies, hitting .296 with 9 doubles and 15 RBIs.  He received an invitation to spring training in 1967, but he abruptly announced his retirement right before the start of camp to take a job with a television station in Milwaukee.  Kuenn's time with the Phillies produced no official baseball cards.

Building the Set / Card #8

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Kuenn card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.  I knew of Kuenn at the time as he had been the larger than life manager of the Brewers.  The fact the top left corner of the card is completely missing has never bothered me.

From the October 1985 issue of Baseball Cards magazine

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Bio on Back / Tigers Team Set

This is the corrected version of Kuenn's card, and apparently the somewhat rarer version.  The error version, printed earlier in the set's print run, has his name on the back spelled "Kueen."  This is only Kuenn's second year card, as his rookie cards appeared in the 1954 Bowman and Topps sets.  In 1955, the rising star was exclusive to Bowman.  His biography on the back covers Kuenn's career highlights to date, including his Rookie of the Year win in 1953.

1954 Bowman #23

1959 Topps #70

1962 Topps #480

1966 Topps #372

1984 Topps #321

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1954 Bowman #23

Bowman Set Appearances (2): 1954-55

Topps Set Appearances (16):  1954, 1956-66, 1973-74, 1983-84

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2013 Panini Chronicles Luminance #12

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 2/14/26: 410 total, dawgfan1995 has 76

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

1956 Topps Blog / 1965 Topps Blog / The Phillies Room

#132 Harvey Kuenn - Detroit Tigers (Error) / #133 Charles King - Detroit Tigers

#127 Hank Majeski - Cleveland Indians

Henry Majeski / Cleveland Indians / Infield
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'9" Weight: 174
Born: December 13, 1916, Staten Island, NY
Acquired: Obtained by the Chicago Cubs from the Eau Claire Bears (Northern League) as part of a minor league working agreement, before 1936 season
As a Player: Boston Bees 1939-40; Boston Braves 1941; New York Yankees 1946; Philadelphia Athletics 1946-49; Chicago White Sox 1950-51; Philadelphia Athletics 1951-52; Cleveland Indians 1952-55; Baltimore Orioles 1955
World Series Appearances: Cleveland Indians 1954
Died: August 9, 1991, Staten Island, NY (74)

One of the finest fielding third baseman of his era, Hank Majeski played in parts of 13 big league seasons, mostly with the Athletics and Indians.  Originally a second baseman, Majeski was dealt to the Boston Bees in late 1938, and he'd make his big league debut in May 1939, after Bees' manager Casey Stengel moved him over to third base.  He'd appear sparingly for Boston over the next few seasons.  Acquired by the Yankees in 1941, Majeski missed three full season while serving during World War II.  He'd appear in eight games with the Yankees upon his return, but had his contract sold to the Athletics, where he'd enjoy the best stretch of his career.  He set a then single-season record for third baseman with a .988 fielding percentage in 1947, committing only five errors in 428 chances.  Majeski's career year came in 1948 when he batted .310 with 12 home runs and 120 RBIs, all career bests, while earning MVP votes.

Majeski was acquired by the Indians in June 1952, and he'd settle into back-up infielder role, spelling Al Rosen at third base and Bobby Avila (#19) at second base.  In his only postseason action, Majeski hit a pinch-three-run home run in Game 4 of the 1954 World Series, lost by the Indians to the Giants in four games.  He retired following the 1955 season with a lifetime .279 average, 57 home runs and 501 RBIs, and his lifetime .968 fielding percentage at third base is currently 23rd all-time.  Following his playing days, Majeski would return to baseball occasionally, serving as a minor league coach in the Indians and Yankees organizations, and also scouting for several teams.

1955 Season / Cleveland Indians / Baltimore Orioles

In a combined 52 games with the Indians and Orioles, Majeski batted .180 (16 for 89) with three doubles, a pair of home runs and eight RBIs.  From his SABR biography, written by Mark Hodermarsky: 

Majeski was hitting only .188 for the Indians in his first 36 games on 1955, and was traded to the Baltimore Orioles on June 27.  After about a month, and only 41 at-bats, the Orioles released him, and 38-year-old Majeski's playing career was over.

Building the Set / Card #7

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Majeski card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Last Card / My Biggest Thrill on Back / Indians Team Set

This is Majeski's last contemporaneous baseball card from his playing days, and he was exclusive to Bowman, or omitted by Topps from their checklist, in 1955.  His home run from the 1954 World Series is recounted as his "Biggest Thrill in Baseball" on the back of the card.

I was unfamiliar with the phrase "did not play a 'Merriwell' part" so I looked it up.  Frank Meriwell was the fictional hero of a hugely popular series of dime novels beginning in 1896, with Merriwell known for pulling off larger than life, incredibly dramatic and spectacular game-winning feats in athletic events.  Majeski is acknowledging his home run, in which his team was ultimately swept in the World Series, didn't do anything to turn the tide in the Indians' favor and therefore wasn't close to being a "Merriwell" event.  And now you know.

1941 Double Play #119-120

1949 Bowman #127

1950 Bowman #92

1951 Bowman #12

1952 Bowman #58

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1941 Double Play (R330) #119-120

Bowman Set Appearances (5): 1949-52, 1955

Topps Set Apperances (2): 1951-52

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1984 TCMA 1946 Play Ball #21

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 2/8/26: 44 total, gwhy11 has 15

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#126 Billy Goodman - Boston Red Sox / #128 Mike Garcia - Cleveland Indians

#119 Joe Astroth - Kansas City Athletics

Joseph Henry Astroth / Kansas City Athletics / Catcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'9" Weight: 187
Born: September 1, 1922, East Alton, IL
Signed: Signed by the Philadelphia Athletics as an amateur free agent before 1945 season
As a Player: Philadelphia Athletics 1945-46, 1949-54; Kansas City Athletics 1955-56
Died: May 3, 2013, Boca Raton, FL (90)

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Joe Astroth spent his entire big league career with the Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics.  Known for his defense, his throwing arm and as a favorite receiver to many pitchers, Astroth was a career .254 hitter with 13 home runs and 156 RBIs over 544 games.  He spent the bulk of his early A's career as a back-up catcher to Mike Guerra in 1949 and 1950 and Joe Tipton in 1951.  In 1952 he appeared in a career high 104 games and that year's American League MVP, Bobby Shantz (#140), credited Astroth for helping him win 27 games.  In 1953, he led all American League catchers in caught stealing percentage (72.1%) and double plays turned (13).

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1956 Topps blog.

1955 Season / Kansas City Athletics

From his SABR biography, written by Robert Cole: 

In 1955, the Athletics franchise, forever linked to Philadelphia and Connie Mack, moved halfway across the country to Kansas City with a new manager, Lou Boudreau (#89).  Astroth and Wilmer Shantz (#175) shared the catching duties.  Astroth caught 100 games, but drove in only 23 runs while hitting .252, virtually matching his career batting average of .254.

Astroth started and caught the final game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954, and was behind the plate for opening day for the Kansas City Athletics in 1955.

Building the Set / Card #6

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Astroth card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Bio on Back / Athletics Team Set

Astroth appeared in both Bowman and Topps sets in 1953, before going exclusively to Bowman in 1954 and 1955.  He'd have one final mainstream baseball card appearance in the 1956 Topps set.  His card features his biography on the back, highlighting his career to date and mentioning Philadelphia as the former home of the now Kansas City Athletics, twice.

1951 Bowman #298

1952 Bowman #170

1953 Bowman Color #82

1954 Bowman #131

1956 Topps #106

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1951 Bowman #298

Bowman Set Appearances (5): 1951-55

Topps Set Apperances (3): 1952-53, 1956

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2011 Topps Lineage Autographs #RA-JA

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 2/1/26: 43 total, gwhy11 has 14

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

1956 Topps Blog

#118 Bobby Adams - Cincinnati Redlegs / #120 Ed Burtschy - Kansas City Athletics

#109 Vern Stephens - Baltimore Orioles

Vernon Decatur Stephens / Baltimore Orioles / Infield
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'10" Weight: 185
Born: October 23, 1920, McAlister, NM
Signed: Signed by the St. Louis Browns as an amateur free agent before 1938 season
As a Player: St. Louis Browns 1941-47; Boston Red Sox 1948-52; Chicago White Sox 1953; St. Louis Browns 1954; Baltimore Orioles 1954-55; Chicago White Sox 1955
World Series Appearances: St. Louis Browns 1944
Died: November 4, 1968, Long Beach, CA (48)

One of the top and most unheralded sluggers of his era, Vern Stephens played 15 years in the majors, starring with the Browns and Red Sox, and helping to lead the Browns to their only World Series appearance in 1944.  A shortstop early in his career, Stephens made his first of seven All-Star teams in 1943, and led the league with 109 RBIs in 1944.  His Browns fell to their city-rival Cardinals in the 1944 World Series in six games.  Stephens led the league with 24 home runs in 1945, his third consecutive season with at least 20 blasts.  

Dealt to the Red Sox after the 1947 season, Stephens would enjoy his finest seasons, batting behind Ted Williams in a strong Boston line-up.  He'd lead the league with 159 and 144 RBIs, respectively, in 1949 and 1950.  His 159 RBIs in 1949 set a major league record for a shortstop and that same season he became the first shortstop to hit at least 30 home runs, nearly reaching 40, with a total of 39.  His last solid season came in 1951, and Stephens would spend the early 1950s bouncing around to the White Sox, back to the Browns, moving with the club to Baltimore and finally repeating with the White Sox.  In 1,720 major league games, Stephens batted .286 with 1,859 hits, 247 home runs and 1,174 RBIs.  He was posthumously inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2006.

1955 Season / Baltimore Orioles / Chicago White Sox 

Stephens began the season with the Orioles, appearing in only three games and going 1 for 6, before being released on April 18th.  He signed a few weeks later with the White Sox on May 2nd, and he'd appear in his final 22 big league games, batting .250 with three home runs and seven RBIs.  The White Sox released him on July 1st, and he'd show up again with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 1956, playing in 73 more games before retiring.

Building the Set / Card #5

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Stephens card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Most Important Part of Baseball on Back / Orioles Team Set

Stephens is actually wearing an Orioles uniform here, as his time with the club in 1954 and briefly in 1955 was the only time he wore #4.  Having appeared exclusively n the Topps sets in 1953 and 1954, Stephens returned to Bowman for both his and Bowman's final years in 1955.  On the back of the card, Stephens opines that, "Teamwork is the most important part of baseball."

1949 Bowman #71

1951 Bowman #92

1952 Bowman #9

1953 Topps #270

1954 Topps #54

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1947 Bond Bread (D305)

Bowman Set Appearances (5): 1949-52, 1955

Topps Set Apperances (4): 1951-54

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2007 SP Legendary Cuts #99

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 1/27/26: 131 total, gwhy11 has 26

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#108 Lou Kretlow - Baltimore Orioles / #110 Bob Miller - Philadelphia Phillies

#101 Don Johnson - Baltimore Orioles (Error)

Donald Roy Johnson / Baltimore Orioles / Pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'3" Weight: 200
Born: November 12, 1926, Portland, OR
Signed: Signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before 1944 season
As a Player: New York Yankees 1947, 1950; St. Louis Browns 1950-51; Washington Nationals 1951-52; Chicago White Sox 1954; Baltimore Orioles 1955; San Francisco Giants 1958
Died: February 10, 2015, Portland, OR (88)

His career interrupted for two seasons due to military service during World War II, Don Johnson pitched professionally for 15 seasons, with parts of seven seasons in the big leagues.  He'd pitch briefly for the Yankees before a seven-player deal sent him to the Browns in June 1950.  Johnson was frequently on the move, earning playing time in St. Louis, Washington and Toronto before finding a steady home for the 1954 season in Chicago with the White Sox.  Johnson appeared in 46 games for the White Sox, going 8-7 with a 3.13 ERA in 144 innings pitched.  He struck out a career-best 68 while serving mainly in a relief role, but he did have three shutouts to go along with his seven saves.  Dealt to the Orioles following the season, Johnson couldn't repeat the success he had had with the White Sox.  He'd make a brief major league comeback in 1958, pitching in 17 games in relief for the Giants.

Johnson would pitch until the 1960 season before retiring.  He was 27-38 for his career, with a 4.78 ERA in 198 games and 631 innings pitched.

1955 Season / Baltimore Orioles

Johnson, along with Matt Batts (#161), Don Ferrarese and Fred Marsh, was traded to the Orioles for Jim Brideweser (#151), Bob Chakales (#148) and Clint Courtney (#34), on December 6, 1954.  With the Orioles, he was 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA in 31 games, including five starts.  He recorded one save for the club.  From his SABR biography, written by Nicholas Diunte: 

While Johnson was pleased with his performance [in 1954], White Sox general manager Frank Lane was looking for help behind the plate.  Lane shipped Johnson to the Baltimore Orioles in a seven-player deal that brought catcher Clint Courtney to Chicago.   

Johnson was unhappy about the move. "I didn’t want to go to Baltimore; I wanted to stay in Chicago.  I had good friends on the White Sox, guys like Nellie Fox (#33) and Virgil Trucks. (#26)" Johnson’s memories of Baltimore are dark.  "I got in trouble while I was over there.  I got into a scrap at a hotel bar.  You have to stay on the straight-and-narrow if you play big-league baseball."  He also faced suspension by the team for missing a game against the Kansas City Athletics after discovering he was being sued for an accident he was involved in during the off-season.

Building the Set / Card #4

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ / Original 17 from the Magic Box

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Johnson card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained within the Magic Box.  I had no idea the player on the front was not the person whose biography appeared on the back - see below.

The Card / 1955 Bowman & Topps / Bio on Back / Orioles Team Set

Pay no attention to the man shown on the front of this card, as this is the error version of Johnson's card, with the Braves' Ernie Johnson (#157) pictured.  Bob Lemke covered the Johnson error in a wonderful article on the 1955 Bowman set back in the October 1985 issue of Baseball Cards magazine.  I'm going to collect each of the six variations/errors available as part of my version of a 1955 Bowman master set.  Johnson is also in the 1955 Topps set, and Topps was able to use the correct photo for that card.  The bio on the back presents nothing but the facts, dryly recounting Johnson's 1954 season and his career travels so far.

1952 Topps #190

1953 Bowman Black & White #55

1954 Topps #146

1955 Topps #165

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1952 Topps #190

Bowman Set Appearances (2): 1953, 1955

Topps Set Apperances (3): 1952, 1954-55

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1994 Topps Archives 1954 #146

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 1/19/26: 20 total, gwhy11 has 9

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#100 Tom Morgan - New York Yankees / #101 Don Johnson - Baltimore Orioles (Corrected)