Ripley's Baseball Card

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

Just got this card. This card is from the 1953 Parkhurst Ripley's Believe It Or Not set:





I was wondering if anyone here could provide more information on this pitching feat and any information about this pitcher and his team.


All I can figure is that he won both games of doubleheaders on back to back days

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Posted By: Tim

There was a pitcher named William George Lathrop that played two years (1913,1914) for the Chicago White Sox.

Your card says the player pitched for Elroy, Wisconsin. W.G. Lathrop was born in Hanover, Wisconsin and died in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Might not be related but could be a good place to start.

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

Thanks for the information. Any idea what minor leagues he might have played in? i.e. the Elroy Wisconsin team's name & league affiliation.

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Posted By: Tim

Jerry-

I did a lot of searching and was unable to come up with anything on this. I hope some of the members that have more knowledge or resources for early minor league teams in Wisconsin will be able to help.

I'm interested in hearing the story behind your card.

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Posted By: Dave Hornish

It may not have been a team in OB. Maybe a mill or factory team?

Try calling Ripley's-maybe they know.

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Posted By: Red

Is it possible some of the cards contain stories about events that are not true - Believe it or not?

Other cards.
?-Claim-Chester Weil, Suffield H.S., Mogadore, O. Fanned 27 batters and Lost.

True-Claim-Neal Ball's unassisted triple play.

?-Claim-University of Florida scored 17 touchdowns 4 consecutive years 32-35.
Only stat I found was they scored a total of 108 points in 1932, 114 in 1933, and 113 in 1934 and 1935. 17 touchdowns at 6 points accounts for 102 points in those figures.
So all the additional points that could have been scored from 17 extra point attempts, field goals, and safeties only added up to 6 points in 1932, 12 points in 1933, and 11 points in 1934 and 1935. Believe it or not?

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

This card is part of a 100 card set that was issued in Toronto Canada, by Parkhurst, as a promotional give away in Quaker Oats cereal boxes.

The backs are all the same, just saying:

RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT

appears in every issue of

THE TORONTO DAILY STAR

THE TORONTO STAR WEEKLY

I haven't been able to find anything out about this player.

The 27 strikeouts could happen and a pitcher could still lose i.e a walk and the runner steals 2nd. 3rd. & home - Pitcher loses 1 to 0.

A bit farfetched, but it could happen.

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Posted By: Jerry Hrechka

I checked my Ripley's cards and I have the University of Florida card:





I don't have the one with the 27 strikeouts.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Hanover, Elroy and Janesville are all pretty close to each other, and it was standard to start your career with a nearby team. Even Cobb, DiMaggio and Walter Johnson started their pro careers locally.

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Posted By: Todd Schultz

The football story is especially feasible if they had no kicker.

The 27 Ks can be explained any number of ways--it doesn't say no-hitter, so for all we know, the opponent had several runs on several hits when they weren't whiffing.