Random Topps Card of the Day: 1958 Topps #349 Murry Dickson

It's Retro Sunday!!! Thanks to the Topps Card Randomizer, introducing the Random Topps Card of the Day for Sunday, October 3, 2010:

• Official Card Set Name and Card Number: 1958 Topps #349.
• Player Name, position, team: Murry Dickson, pitcher, Kansas City A's.
• Major League Debut: September 30, 1939.
• Last Line of Statistics: 1957 stats (A's): 14 G, 74 IP, 5-3, .625 PCT, 87 Hits, 41 Runs, 34 ER, 29 SO, 25 Walks, 4.14 ERA.
• Any special information about player: Signed with the Cardinals as a Free Agent before the 1937 season. Signed with the Athletics as a Free Agent 01/28/1958. Bats: right, Throws: right.
• Any special information about this specific card: Dickson's third regular Topps card (total includes regular cards only). The key design element to the 1958 Topps set was that instead of the usual player photo, each player's headshot or posed action shot was cropped and placed in front single color backgrounds. This led to some very interesting pictures thanks to some very creative photo editing (missing bats, missing arms...you get the idea). All this before the invention of Photoshop. But I digress. Murry Dickson (yes, his name is M-U-R-R-Y...not a typo) was an pitcher who excelled in whatever role was thrust upon him. The bio on the back above the cartoon even indicated that he was "a supple-armed workman, who could start or relieve..." A 20 game winner with the Pirates in 1951, he was named to the NL All-Star team a couple of years later. After his second stint with the Cardinals, he signed with the Kansas City A's. And in the late 1950's through the 60's, that only meant one thing...that sooner or later, he'd be on the express to New York to play for the Yankees. And sure enough, his stay with the A's didn't last as he was traded to the Bronx, just in time to help the Bombers win the 1958 World Series. And sure enough, in 1959, the A's bought his contract from the Yankees. The circle was complete. In 1958, Dickson had a combined record of 10-7 with a decent 3.27 ERA. He started 11 of the 33 games he pitched, completed three of them, finished seven more as a reliever (two saves). Dickson struck out 55 in 119.1 innings pitched. He finished his career with the A's in 1959 and has a career record of 172-181 with 3.66. You know, many people don't take much stock anymore with wins and losses. And apparently in Dickson's time, that may have also been the case. Because during his stay with the Pirates, he was an MVP candidate twice...but he lost 21 games in 1952 and finished ninth in the MVP voting. The following year, he lost 19 games, but was an All-Star. If nothing else, it showed that he was a reliable pitcher. His major league service was interrupted when he joined the US Army and fought in WWII in 1942-43. He even has a card in the 2007 Topps Distinguished Service set. Not a base card, but a cut auto (a 1 of 1).
• Lo-Hi Beckett value: $4.00-$8.00.
• How many cards of this player do I own?: 0 cards.

In case you're actually wondering, I don't own this card, but was able to get a crystal clean copy of the image from the from the Baseball Card Cyber Museum. So thank you Joe McAnally and the folks at the BCCM. (You have to stop by and visit them now. They just announced that they are allowing more people to enter the museum at one time.)

Well, it's back to normal on Monday. Tomorrow's card will be: 2006 Topps Updates and Highlights #UH312. Post will arrive at 1:00 PM CST. Come on back then to see what the Topps Card Randomizer gets us to look at then.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama