1955 Bowman: #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.