Flashback Friday: 1949 baseball card notice

Last Friday’s video of the IAL 1993 All-Star weekend was a lot of fun but we’re back to business with another fantastic contribution from Scott Veatch’s Vault.  This one has some significance for me.  First published in 1973,  the 1949 card set was the first season of the past I bought.  Like others, it was the brochure that convinced me to make the purchase. 

I’ve said this countless times on this blog but it bears repeating…  I hold APBA responsible for my knowledge of baseball history.  That knowledge began with the 1949 season.  I found out who Hank Sauer was and who Phil Cavarretta was.  Even my mom remembered Cavarretta (I guess he was quite the darling of the Cubs back then). 

To market the card set, APBA touted the playoff races in both the American League and National League.  They were right. Both Boston and Philly ended the season within one game of first place. 

In particular, I remember this paragraph of the brochure:

Wow!  Joe Garagiola!  And Danny Murtaugh!  And Gene Mauch!  I knew those guys!  Then I remember looking at their cards and seeing they were pretty mediocre players.  I wasn’t necessarily disappointed but it was a revelation.  More importantly, it filled the knowledge gap I had about baseball.  Not every baseball manager or broadcaster was a great ballplayer when they were younger. 

Remember, I was still just a kid. 

I do remember being disappointed that Joe DiMaggio played just half the season in 1949.  It was the ‘49 Red Sox that really enthralled me with Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Vern Stephens, Joe D’s brother Dom and Johnny Pesky.  What a lineup! 

The price for the 1949 set which came out in 1973 was an even $10.00.  A lineup sheet was included. 

Here is the scan of the full APBA 1949 baseball card notice.  Thanks again to Scott Veatch!  You can all of his submissions to date here.  Definitely a walk down APBA memory lane!