#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