#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)

#45 Tom Umphlett - Washington Nationals

Thomas Mullen Umphlett / Washington Nationals / Outfield
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'2" Weight: 180
Born: May 12, 1931, Scotland Neck, NC
Signed: Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent before 1950 season
As a Player: Boston Red Sox 1953; Washington Nationals 1954-55
Died: September 21, 2012, Norfolk, VA (81)

Tom Umphlett peaked as a player in his rookie year of 1953, finishing as runner-up to Harvey Kuenn (#132) in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.  In 137 games with the Red Sox, he batted .283 with 27 doubles, three home runs and 59 RBIs, playing as the club's everyday center fielder.  His fortunes quickly changed when Umphlett was packaged with Mickey McDermott (#165) in a trade to the Nationals on December 9, 1953 for Jackie Jensen.  Jensen would be a star with the Red Sox, winning MVP honors in 1958, while Umphlett played two more fairly poor seasons in the majors.  In 224 games with the Nationals over the 1954 and 1955 seasons, he batted .218.  Dealt back to the Red Sox in November 1955 as part of a nine-player deal, Umphlett would be a minor league mainstay for the next 15 years.

1954 Bowman #88

He continued to play, spending time in the Red Sox, Yankees and Twins organizations, finally retiring as a player in 1967.  He last year as a player was his first as a manager, and Umphlett managed in the Twins organization between 1967 and 1970, compiling a 228-250 record.

1955 Season / Washington Nationals

Umphlett was the Nationals' opening day right fielder, and he'd make 83 starts overall - 49 in center, 21 in right and 13 in left.  From his SABR biography, written by Bill Nowlin: 

Things got worse in 1955, both marginally for Umphlett and significantly for the Senators, who lost 101 games and finished in last place.  Umphlett played in 110 games and hit .217, while driving in only 19 runs. In many of the games, he worked as a late-inning defensive replacement.  A few months later, looking back on his two seasons with the Senators, he said, "I don’t know what happened to me when I went to Washington.  But I do know I didn’t do a thing to help their club." 

In November, Tom Umphlett was back with the Red Sox.  The Senators and Sox swung a nine-player deal:  Bob Porterfield (#104), Johnny Schmitz (#105), Mickey Vernon (#46), and Umphlett were traded to Boston for Dick Brodowski, Neil Chrisley, Tex Clevenger, Karl Olson, and minor-league pitcher Al Curtis.  The Boston newspapers focused on Vernon and Porterfield, and made little mention of Umphlett.

Building the Set / Card #3

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

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

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

Umphlett had only two mainstream baseball card appearances - his rookie card in the 1954 Bowman set, and this card.  Coach and future Hall of Famer Heinie Manush makes a cameo appearance behind Umphlett, and it looks as if he's hitting fungos to the other Nationals' outfielders.  Manush wore #51 and coached with the Nationals for just one season in 1954, receiving a card in the 1954 Topps set.  The back of the card recaps Umphlett's struggles from the 1954 season, following a successful rookie campaign.

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1954 Bowman #88

Bowman Set Appearances (2): 1954-55

Topps Set Apperances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1955 Bowman #45

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 1/6/26: 11 total, enigma1132 has 3

Sources

Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#44 Danny O'Connell - Milwaukee Braves / #46 Mickey Vernon - Washington Nationals

#14 Gus Keriazakos - Washington Nationals

Constantine Nicholas Keriazakos / Washington Nationals / Pitcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6'3" Weight: 187
Born: July 28, 1931, West Orange, NJ
Signed: Signed by the Chicago White Sox as an amateur free agent, June 27, 1949
As a Player: Chicago White Sox 1950; Washington Nationals 1954; Kansas City Athletics 1955
Died: May 4, 1996, Hilton Head, SC (64)

Gus Keriazakos attended Montclair High School in West Orange, New Jersey, and was a three-sport athlete - baseball, basketball and track.  Signed by the White Sox at 17 years old, Keriazakos rose through the White Sox minor league ranks and made his big league debut as the starting pitcher for the club in the final game of the 1950 season.  He lasted 2 1/3 innings in that first outing, allowing five runs on seven hits to the Browns.  Keriazakos spent the next three seasons back in the minors before getting another shot with the Nationals in 1954.  In 22 games, including three starts, he was 2-3 with a 3.77 ERA in 59 2/3 innings pitched.  Traded to the Athletics at the start of the 1955 season, Keriazakos would pitch in his final five big league games with Kansas City.  After an abbreviated season in the minors in 1956, he retired from baseball.

In 28 career games, Keriazakos was 2-5 with a 5.62 ERA, 42 strikeouts and 42 walks in 73 2/3 innings pitched.

1955 Season / Kansas City Athletics

On or around May 1st, Keriazakos was traded to the Athletics for lefty reliever Al Sima.  He'd spend the bulk of the season pitching for the Athletics' minor league teams in Columbus and Savannah, going 14-7 with  a respectable 2.61 ERA in 25 games, including 23 starts.  Keriazakos threw 15 complete games, including one shutout, in his 23 starts.  He was a September call-up for Lou Boudreau's (#89) club, pitching in his final five games, and earning a 0-1 record with a 12.34 ERA in 11 2/3 innings pitched.  In his final big league appearance on September 23rd against his original club, the White Sox, Keriazakos allowed five runs on four hits in just 2/3 of an inning.

Building the Set / Card #2

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

Last fully retold with the Al Dark (#2) post, this Keriazakos card was one of the 17 cards from the 1955 Bowman set contained with the Magic Box.  At the time, and in fact up until composing this post, I had no idea this was the pitcher's only mainstream appearance on a baseball card.

The Card / Bowman Exclusive / Rookie Card / Greatest Fielding Play on Back / Nationals Team Set

The Washington baseball club used the Nationals and Senators nicknames seemingly interchangeably throughout the 1950s, but they were officially known as the Senators between 1901 and 1904, the Nationals between 1905 and 1956, and then the Senators again between 1957 and 1960.  The franchise moved to Minnesota and became the Twins in 1961.  Given the official nickname in place at the time, I'm using the Nationals team name for purposes of this blog, even though the back of the Washington players' cards label them as members of the Washington Senators.  Interestingly enough, the 1955 Topps set labels the team correctly as the Washington Nationals.

I'm going to track what appears on the back of each 1955 Bowman card, and here we see an example of a first-hand anecdote, presumably from the player himself.  The greatest fielding play Keriazakos ever saw was courtesy of Larry Doby, stealing a would-be home run from Tom Umphlett (#45).  I'm assuming the play took place in 1954, but Keriazakos must not have pitched in the game, as I couldn't find any instance in those games of an Umphlett fly out to Doby.  (I'm sure there's a way to find the exact game, but a quick review of Nationals-Indians games from 1954 came up empty for me.)

Other Notable Baseball Cards

First Mainstream Card: 1955 Bowman #14

Bowman Set Appearances (1): 1955

Topps Set Apperances (0): N/A

Most Recent Mainstream Card: 1955 Bowman #14

Total Cards Listed in TCDB and Top Collector as of 1/1/26: 3 total, many collectors tied with 1

Sources

Baseball Reference / Wikipedia / The Trading Card Database

#13 Clyde Vollmer - Washington Nationals / #15 Frank Sullivan - Boston Red Sox