Celebrating My Heritage --- Jews on Cards --- Sandy Koufax

 For years I've had a goal of putting together a collection of cards of famous Jewish people, mostly athletes of course.  While still quite modest in size I do finally have my binder full of Jews.  

Who better to start this series with than "The Left Arm of God", Sandy Koufax.  

It's Like Having My Own Surprise Party?

Recently I received a surprise envelope from Daniel of It's Like Having My Own Card Shop.  Great guy that he is, he was concerned that I never received a prize I won back in January.  Here are the highlights from a team bag of Cubs cards.  I haven't been buying many cards lately so believe it or not these are my fist two Schwarb cards.  I still can't believe he played in the World Series--and contributed.

This guy is just the best.  Hope he's a Cub forever.

Thanks for including the two Hebrew Hammers.  

 

I was blown away when I saw the Shark's Notre Dame football highlights.

 Last but not least is this awesome shadowbox card of a smiling Ernie in 1968.

Thanks Daniel!

Hey Buddy!

Howard Megdal's, The Baseball Talmud ranks Buddy Myer as the fifth best Jewish baseball player of all time and the #1 second baseman.  His 2.131 hits puts him at the top of the all-time list (Shawn Green is second).  Bill James reported that Myer told his local paper near the end of his life that he was not Jewish at all but it has be accepted by most sources that his father, Charles Solomon Myer was Jewish though his mother Maud was not.

All that aside I recently added this beautiful 1934-36 Diamond Stars card to my collection.  Jew or not Jew I still like my little Buddy.

Jews on Cards -- Sid Luckman

I've already announced my 2015 collecting goals, one of which was to build a collection of Jewish athletes.  In the world of football Sid Luckman has to be at the top.  I'm a Chicagoan and he probably also still ranks as the greatest Bears quarterback of all-time,  leading the team to four championships in twelve seasons, 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946.  Luckman is in both the college and pro Hall's of Fame.

This card post dates his playing career but released in 1955 it's still vintage and is also the nicest of the bunch.

Here's the photo the card was based on, courtesy of Artfuse.

25 Oct 1940, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA — New York, New York: Sid Luckman, a local boy who made good with the grid warriors of Columbia University, shows off the passing technique that won him honors and a place with the Chicago Bears professional football team. He was photographed today during a workout of the Bears at the New York Polo Grounds, where the Bears will clash with the New York Giants on Sunday. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

The Luckman is the second card in my collection from the 1955 Topps All-American set.  This awesome piece of cardboard was the first.

Biggie coached the Michigan State Spartans to the National Championship in 1952.