Ed Stevens & The Case of The 1947 Tip Top Bread

[STL1944]

Hi Ted,

I have learned a ton from your posts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

I am a little confused on the creation date of the 1947 Tip Top set. Your explanation of it being from the rosters from 1946 would make sense and account for why Ed Stevens is listed as the 1B and not Jackie.

However, with just a quick scan at some of the players, the 1946 roster doesn't seem to fit.

I looked just at the Boston Braves:

Charles Barrett- 1946: St. Louis Cardinals.
Hank Camelli- 1946: Pittsburg.
Sibby Sisti - 1946: Minor leagues

If the set was designed in 1946, wouldn't these players have been listed with their previous teams?


I may be wrong, but it almost appears that the set was designed towards the end of spring training in 1947. That would account for the players above and for Ed Stevens being listed as the 1B. From what I understand is that Branch Rickey decided to insert Jackie Robinson at the last minute.

Just my guess. I am, by no means, an expert.

[toppcat]

I donlt know much about this set but looked these guys up and needed three sources to find out all their trasaction dates, things were not quite as coherent in 1947 as they are now in terms of player slection for things like the Baseball Register or a card set.

Barrett was traded to the Braves on 12/9/46

Camelli was traded to them on 9/30/46

Sisti was sent down in 1946 as what sound like the last cut before opening day after spending all of ST with the Braves following his release from military service. He signed a Major Legaue contract with them on 1/31/47 and made the club out of ST that year.

Brooklyn trained in Havana in 1947 and had the Durocher suspension to deal with. Robinson is described in the 1948 Baseball Guide as having made the club a few days before the season's start.

Tip Top is a fascinating set being the first out of the gate essentially after the war, even though it was a bunch of loosely tied together regional issues. Hopefully someone puts all the data together on it someday as it seems very much off the radar with most collectors.