1955 Bowman: #109 Vern Stephens

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 #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 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."