Help on finding what these are...

[DBesse27]

This is one of my favorite threads I've seen in my time on N54. Between the scans of the cool, obscure cards to the knowledge imparted in the responses, really a great read.

[TheNightmanCometh]

Originally Posted by DBesse27

This is one of my favorite threads I've seen in my time on N54. Between the scans of the cool, obscure cards to the knowledge imparted in the responses, really a great read.

You'll be happy to know then that I just purchased 6 more and as soon as I get them I'll scan them so you can check them out. They look fantastic! Not mint by any means, but the coloring just pops.

[TheNightmanCometh]

New cards came in and I just love how they look!

[egri]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alcorn

By The way, Fumio Fujimura of the Tigers is a Hall of Famer, while Akira Noguchi's brother Jiro Noguchi is also a Hall of Fame member. A third brother, Noboru Noguchi played 3B-SS for the Tigers from 1941-43 and was killed in the Philippines in 1945.

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Not to stray too far off topic, but I'm glad Douglas MacArthur's boys got him instead of the other way around.

Apologies in advance for the minor threadjack.

I live a couple doors down from one of 'Bull Halsey's boys', and I'll add that one of the reasons I love collecting from this era so much is how much the cards and the players they depict overlap with history. For the set I'm building, the card backs for almost every player mention military service, and even the guys who were 4F still lived through the Roaring Twenties, the stock market crash, the Depression, one or two World Wars (depending on birth year), etc. And for a history nut like me, it's an added bonus for someone like Jeff to weigh in about the other side. In terms of memoirs and first person accounts, there hasn't been nearly as much written by the Japanese as there has by the Americans, so it's always interesting to hear about that side.

[Jeff Alcorn]

Hi Ryan,

I am glad that you got some more of these cards. I don't know if you ever picked up a copy of Gary's book, so here is who you have:

#55 is Kiyoshi Sugiura SS Chunichi Dragons
He played from 1946-1953, hit .255 w/125 HR. Managed for 5 yrs. in '60s .485 winning pct. Was a 32 year old rookie in '46.

#4 is Torao Ooka 1B Daiei Stars (Name pronounced OhOhka, not like the double O in hoop) Played from 1949-1951, 37 year old rookie in '49. Hit 34 HR in 1950. Career: .275, 61 HR.

#25 is Hirofumi Komae LF Hankyu Braves
1946-1950, .215 in 5 yrs.

#20 Tetsunosuke Fujiwara C Yomiuri Giants
Career: 1942-1954, hit .220 in 12 seasons.

#24 Shoji Arakawa 2B Taiyo Robins
1947-1955, hit .251 in 9 years, All Star in '51, and made a Best 9 team. Also a catcher.

#9 is Kazuo Horii LF Nankai Hawks
1943-1959, played 733 consecutive games, Best 9 in 1953, .272 in 16 yrs.

Also, Horii is not on Gary's checklist, so if you get the book you can add him in.

Scott,

I am a huge history fan as well, and absolutely love making the connections with historical events through my card collection. Like your neighbor, my Dad was also in the Navy in World War 2. He was a gunner in the Armed Guard- the Navy gun and radio crews that were deployed on the converted merchant ships that carried supplies or troops. He fired a 20mm cannon on the SS Sea Witch that landed the 4th Marine Division on the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the summer of 1944, and was credited with shooting down an attacking kamikaze fighter plane.

Since you are interested in the Japanese side as well, the father of my collecting friend from Tokyo was in the Japanese Army and survived the bloodbath that was Okinawa. Kiyoshi Sugiura, the first card in the list above, was on Rabaul in the Philippines during the war, and overall an even 50 Japanese players were killed in WWII. The list includes a few Hall of Famers like Eiji Sawamura who, as a 17 year old pitcher, lost to the touring Babe Ruth Major Leaguers 1-0 in 1934. The only run was a Lou Gehrig HR. The Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award is named after him.

Hope this information is of interest, thanks again for getting these cards Ryan.

Jeff

[Hot Springs Bathers]

My late Dad joined the Marines before WWII and saw it from end-to-end. He was on the raid on Choiseul, Bougainville and the first wave ashore on Iwo Jima.

He also was waiting in the Tokyo harbor when the the surrender was signed on the U.S. Missouri. The Marines went ashore the next morning to gather weapons. I asked Dad if it was difficult or scary and he said "not at all. When the emperor said it was over it was over."

He said as they went up into the hills the Japanese soldiers led them right to everything. The reason I added this was the other thing he told me about that experience. He said that every time they took a break the Japanese soldier would pull a glove and ball from their back pockets and want the Marines to play catch with them!

Don't get me wrong, he lived until 95 and never really cared too much for the Japanese, he said he just saw too much.

[TheNightmanCometh]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alcorn

Hi Ryan,

I am glad that you got some more of these cards. I don't know if you ever picked up a copy of Gary's book, so here is who you have:

#55 is Kiyoshi Sugiura SS Chunichi Dragons
He played from 1946-1953, hit .255 w/125 HR. Managed for 5 yrs. in '60s .485 winning pct. Was a 32 year old rookie in '46.

#4 is Torao Ooka 1B Daiei Stars (Name pronounced OhOhka, not like the double O in hoop) Played from 1949-1951, 37 year old rookie in '49. Hit 34 HR in 1950. Career: .275, 61 HR.

#25 is Hirofumi Komae LF Hankyu Braves
1946-1950, .215 in 5 yrs.

#20 Tetsunosuke Fujiwara C Yomiuri Giants
Career: 1942-1954, hit .220 in 12 seasons.

#24 Shoji Arakawa 2B Taiyo Robins
1947-1955, hit .251 in 9 years, All Star in '51, and made a Best 9 team. Also a catcher.

#9 is Kazuo Horii LF Nankai Hawks
1943-1959, played 733 consecutive games, Best 9 in 1953, .272 in 16 yrs.

Also, Horii is not on Gary's checklist, so if you get the book you can add him in.

Scott,

I am a huge history fan as well, and absolutely love making the connections with historical events through my card collection. Like your neighbor, my Dad was also in the Navy in World War 2. He was a gunner in the Armed Guard- the Navy gun and radio crews that were deployed on the converted merchant ships that carried supplies or troops. He fired a 20mm cannon on the SS Sea Witch that landed the 4th Marine Division on the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the summer of 1944, and was credited with shooting down an attacking kamikaze fighter plane.

Since you are interested in the Japanese side as well, the father of my collecting friend from Tokyo was in the Japanese Army and survived the bloodbath that was Okinawa. Kiyoshi Sugiura, the first card in the list above, was on Rabaul in the Philippines during the war, and overall an even 50 Japanese players were killed in WWII. The list includes a few Hall of Famers like Eiji Sawamura who, as a 17 year old pitcher, lost to the touring Babe Ruth Major Leaguers 1-0 in 1934. The only run was a Lou Gehrig HR. The Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award is named after him.

Hope this information is of interest, thanks again for getting these cards Ryan.

Jeff

Thanks for all the info! I haven't been able to get the book yet, but I will be very soon. It's so cool that I have a card that isn't on his list!!!

[TheNightmanCometh]

I've never sent cards in before. For those of you in the know, if I was going to send them to PSA, what kinds of grades would those cards get?