Another rainy weekend with little to do but watch movies. I did get out to a baseball card show but found little of interest at my limited budget. There are always lots of things that you’d like to have, but supply and demand dictates. I did go on E-bay and buy a Sherm Lollar signature catcher’s mitt that I saw once listed at twice the price. It will go nicely with the 63-year old jersey that I got for Christmas this past year. (See Post #257). It is one of my prized possessions. Here’s some history on it that I researched and included as part of the display in my office:

Sherm Lollar #10 Game Worn Jersey 1955

This uniform was worn in these first four home games at Comiskey Park in 1955:

4/14/1955 vs. K.C. Athletics W 7-1 1-3 with a triple, RBI and run

4/16/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians W 9-4 1-4

4/17/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians W 3-1 1-3

4/17/1955 vs. Cleveland Indians L 4-2 2-3 with an RBI

In this uniform, Sherm went 5-13 with a triple. The Sox team ended 1955 with a 91-63 record in 3rd place, 5 games behind the Yankees. 

Sherm Lollar was 30 years old in 1955 and played in 138 games, batting 426 times. In hitting only .261 he was still an All-Star and finished 11th in the AL MVP voting that was won by Yogi Berra. Teammates Nellie Fox (#7) and Billy Pierce (#18) also finished in the top MVP voting. Ted Williams finished 4th and Mickey Mantle #5.

1956 was Sherm’s best year as a hitter at .293. His 18-year career included 9 All-Star appearances, 3 Golden Gloves, and a .264 average. He also earned 2 World Series rings as a player and coach. He played 12 years with the White Sox, 3 years with the St. Louis Browns, 2 years with the Yankees, and 1 year with the Cleveland Browns.

This year’s White Sox team is off to another predictable slow start at 4-8. Since I first adopted Sherm Lollar as my favorite Sox player back in the 1959 World Series, it would be 46 years later until I finally saw them win the World Championship. I will give them another year to build a formidable team, and continue to support the Northside Cubs as a result of their success the past couple of years. Admittedly, I’m a fair weather fan, but Chicago baseball championships are a rarity, so unlike most city loyalists I support both teams to enhance my odds. I will struggle to determine a favorite when I see both teams play against each other in the Crosstown Classic later this year. I’m not sure what I’d do if they both made it to the World Series? The last time was 1906, only a hundred and twelve short years ago, so I won’t lose any sleep over that decision. 

Today is M.L.B. Jackie Robinson Day, so every player is wearing a #42 jersey, but both the White Sox and Cubs players did not take the field due to the cold, wet, wintry conditions in Chicago and Minneapolis. I wonder if they’ll wear their number 42 uniforms in the make-up games, since they are often sold to raise money for charity? The weather was definitely a strong factor in yesterday’s Cubs victory, fueled by an unbelievable 9-run 8th inning rally. I had checked the score after the 4th inning and found the Cubbies down 10-2 to the Braves, so like a true fair weather fan I gave up my intent to watch in favor of a movie. They ended up scoring 9 runs with just 3 hits and won 14-10. I had to buy the Topps Now card to document the victory, so another $9.99 invested in my sports collection. These particular high-quality, limited-edition cards are only sold during a 24-hour period and are a great way to document the season. So far, I’ve bought the Cub’s Ian Happ card showing his first pitch homer on opening day, the White Sox’s Matt Davidson’s 3-HR opening day card, and several Angel’s Shohei Ohtani highlight cards after the Babe Ruth like start by this rookie phenom from Japan. I’m sure there will be plenty of players featured on tomorrow’s Topps Now cards wearing #42 in honor of the player who broke the color barrier in baseball back on April 15, 1947 with the Dodgers, but none from the Cubs or White Sox.