Below are cards from the 1953 Topps set featuring three great players who helped lead the way in integrating Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson famously broke the color line in 1947, while Satchel Paige followed in 1948, and Monte Irvin arrived in 1949. Each of these men became immediate stars in the major leagues, demonstrating what everybody knew all along: that talent knows no color. Robinson went on to enjoy a stellar MLB career while Paige and Irvin, who both shined in Negro League play, also shined for their teams. All three played integral parts in winning World Series championships, and each has been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Robinson’s entry into MLB at the age of 28 was delayed more by the war than by the color line (he played only a single season in the Negro Leagues). For a decade he played mainly second base for the Dodgers, winning Rookie of the Year in 1947, the National League’s MVP in 1949, and the World Series in 1955 (Brooklyn’s only championship in the modern era). He had been a prolific athlete before entering baseball, lettering in 4 sports (baseball, football, basketball, track) at UCLA. He served during WWII but he spent his enlistment fighting (and beating) a racially-motivated court martial instead of battling the Germans. After baseball Robinson remained a steadfast advocate of humanitarian social causes. He was a fearless man, a hero for all of us.
Satchel Paige was in the twilight of his career when he got his call to MLB at the age of 41. He had pitched 16 years in the Negro Leagues (6 times an all-star) before logging 5 years in Major League Baseball (with 2 all-star nods). He was the ace of the legendary early 30’s Pittsburgh Crawfords, playing alongside legends Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, and Cool Papa Bell. Ever the showman, he was known to call this outfielders in to sit on the infield while he then proceeded to strike out the opposing side. He was celebrated for his folk-wisdom, offering colorful aphorisms like “Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.” Despite entering MLB past his prime, he fared well, registering a 2.48 ERA in 1947, winning the Series in 1948, and notching 12 wins with the hapless Browns in 1952.
Despite losing four prime years of his career to service in WWII, Monte Irvin was a dominant star of the Negro Leagues in the 1940’s, tallying 3 batting titles and 4 all-star selections before his MLB call-up at the age of 30 — in fact, many insiders were surprised when it was Robinson who got the call to break the color line instead of Irvin. Though his entry was delayed until 1949, Irvin starred in full-time play for the Giants, notching averages of .299, .312, .310, and .329 from 1950-53. He played a key role in the famous pennant run of the 1951 Giants, knocking in 121 runs that season; in 1954 he helped the Giants win the World Series. He was also a mentor for the young star Willie Mays.
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The 1953 Topps cards are distinctive for their large size, the effect of which was accentuated by the use of large & colorful head portraits. Topps had commissioned a group of artists to paint the portraits from photos; among this group was a talented young illustrator named Gerry Dvorak, whose portraits stand out for their humanistic touch. Dvorak’s portraits are plush & dimensional; they stand out like little cardboard Rubenses for their authenticity. There is no definitive record of who painted each 1953 card, but based on the style of the portraits above, I believe Dvorak is responsible for all three of these cards. Here is a good link to a page on Dvorak and his role in the 1953 Topps set.
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