When Did the Last Surviving T206 Subject Pass Away?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Not too many people today can say their grandfather was born in 1790. I believe the grandson, who is 96, is also related to Pocahontas on his mother's side. 234 years in three people. It's astonishing.

[akleinb611]

There are plenty of people today who have a living great-grandparent. I tell people that my maternal great-grandfather was born in 1817. His little village in Poland was probably still cleaning up after the Napoleonic Wars!

Alan

[toppcat]

1952 Topps is down to less than a nickel pack's contents:

Bobby Shantz (99)
Tommie Brown (97)
Bob Ross (96)
Vern Law (94)

[bleeckerstreetcards]

1948/49 Leaf lost its last subject in 2017, Bobby Doerr.

[G1911]

It looks like only Tommy Brown (1944!) and Bobby Shantz remain of players who played in the 1940's.

Is Tommy Brown's 1949 Bowman the oldest card of a living player now?

[Hankphenom]

I have a vivid memory of meeting Clark Griffith, who was born in 1869, in 1955 when I was nine. He took me by the hand and we rode in a little elevator to his second-floor office at Griffith Stadium.

[Bpm0014]

^^^ So fkn cool!!

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

I have a vivid memory of meeting Clark Griffith, who was born in 1869, in 1955 when I was nine. He took me by the hand and we rode in a little elevator to his second-floor office at Griffith Stadium.

THAT is awesome

[egri]

Originally Posted by G1911

Is Tommy Brown's 1949 Bowman the oldest card of a living player now?

He is; it’s pretty crazy to think we’re down to one player left from an entire decade of card sets.

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by bleeckerstreetcards

1948/49 Leaf lost its last subject in 2017, Bobby Doerr.

Bobby Doerr might hold the title for oldest survivor of card sets. Looks like he is for the 1938 Goudey and 1948/49 Leaf. I wonder if he is also the top dog for the 1939 Play Ball, 1940 Play Ball, 1941 Play Ball and 1941 Double Play?

Brian

[egri]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Bobby Doerr might hold the title for oldest survivor of card sets. Looks like he is for the 1938 Goudey and 1948/49 Leaf. I wonder if he is also the top dog for the 1939 Play Ball, 1940 Play Ball, 1941 Play Ball and 1941 Double Play?

Brian

He was, at one point, I was trying to find a 1938 Goudey to send to him, and I had an easier time finding a signed one than an unsigned one. I know we make the joke here about Bob Feller and unsigned 8x10s, but here it was actually true.

[egri]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Bobby Doerr might hold the title for oldest survivor of card sets. Looks like he is for the 1938 Goudey and 1948/49 Leaf. I wonder if he is also the top dog for the 1939 Play Ball, 1940 Play Ball, 1941 Play Ball and 1941 Double Play?

Brian

Got these done in March 2017 and October 2014. I also had him sign a 1948 Leaf in September 2014 that I don't have a picture of with me, and I'm away from home right now. At the time, it didn't occur to me to send a Double Play, the 1940 Play Ball set didn't appeal to me, and I mentioned my struggles with Goudey in a different post. I wish I could have a mulligan now...

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by bleeckerstreetcards

1948/49 Leaf lost its last subject in 2017, Bobby Doerr.

I believe Doerr was the last living subject of the 1941 Play Ball and Double Play sets. I believe Dario Lodigiani was the last living player from the 1941 Goudey set.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Not too many people today can say their grandfather was born in 1790. I believe the grandson, who is 96, is also related to Pocahontas on his mother's side. 234 years in three people. It's astonishing.

I've told people about that John Tyler fact for years because it's crazy to think someone alive now has a grandfather born in 1790. There's also a grandson (edited to add a granddaughter is also alive) of Grover Cleveland alive. Cleveland was born in 1837, so that's a big difference from John Tyler, but the grandson is 24 years younger than Tyler's grandson, so that cuts away some of that difference.

Back to Tyler. I'm big into family history and my own first/last name has a long history, though it was Johannes originally, not the Americanized John. In comparison to someone who has a grandfather born in 1790, my great-great-great-great grandfather Johannes was also born in 1790. So Tyler's grandson only has me beat by four generations.