1954 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Hank Sauer

"A fractured hand kept Hank from playing the entire 1953 season. In '52 he was elected the National League's Most Valuable Player, blasting 37 homers and leading the league with 121 RBI's.
Hank started in 1937 and was with Cincinnati before joining the Cubs in '49. Since then, he's averaged 30 homers per year. In '52, Hank smashed a two-run homer in the All-Star Game, beating the AL All-Stars 3-2."

-1954 Topps No. 4

"Henry John Sauer has been in organized baseball since 1937 when he started with the Butler, Pennsylvania club. Traded to the Cubs on June 15, 1949, he and his big bat have been of tremendous value to that organization.
Hank was named 'Top Player' in the National League by The Sporting News, 1952; named Most Valuable Player, National League, 1952; and was an outfielder on the 1952 All-Star Team. He also led the National League in home runs (37) and RBIs (121) in 1952."

-1954 Red Heart ("The Big League Dog Food")

1954 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Jim Robertson

"The Athletics acquired Jim from the Yankees' Kansas City farm in a big pre-1954 deal. A catcher, he can also play second base and shortstop.
He spent three and a half years at Bradley University before signing with the Yankees in 1949. His father was athletic director and a coach at Bradley.
Jim was sent to Grand Forks, North Dakota, and got in 44 games his first season in baseball. With Binghamton of the Eastern League in 1952, he was in 117 games and hit .303."

-1954 Bowman No. 211

"Jim came to the Athletics in a winter trade with the Yankees. He divided the 1953 campaign between Syracuse (.264 in 28 games) and Kansas City (.278 in 77 games).
He never hit below .290 in three previous full seasons as a Yankee farmhand, batting .295 at Quincy in 1950, .290 at Muskegon in '51 and .303 at Binghamton in '52.
At 12, Jim ran a basketball class for kids in Peoria, Illinois. He starred in basketball and football as well as baseball. The son of a coach at Bradley University, Jim is a tumbling instructor and can turn a neat cartwheel or a backflip."

-1954 Topps No. 149

1954 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Vic Power

"Vic comes to the A's in 1954 as one of the most highly-rated rookies in years. A smooth fielder, he joined the A's in a 13-man deal with the  Yankees.
With Kansas City in 1953, Vic won the American Association batting crown and in '52 at K.C. hit .331 with 40 doubles and 109 RBIs. In four minor league season, Vic fell below .330 only once."

-1954 Topps No. 52

1954 Yankees of the Past: Duane Pillette and Karl Drews

DUANE PILLETTE
"Dee is a good workman on the mound. He appeared in 31 games for the 1953 edition of the St. Louis Browns, winning 7 and losing 13. His record could have had more wins with a stronger hitting team behind him.
Dee was property of the Yankees, his first major league club. He began in pro ball in 1946 with Newark, where he had an 11-10 record. He reached the Yankees in 1949 after spending most of the season with the Newark. He was traded to the Browns in 1950."

-1954 Bowman No. 133

"In June of 1953 the Yankees were on an 18-game winning streak and the Browns were on a 14-game losing streak. Duane broke both, beating the Yankees 3-1.
Starting at Newark in 1946, Duane won 11 decisions and won a trial with the Yankees in '49. After being traded to the Browns in '50 he chalked up his best big league win mark in '52 with 10 victories.
The year that Duane was born, his father won 19 games for Detroit. It was natural that young Duane wanted to be a pitcher like his dad. Because of his father's teaching and the tutoring of his coach at Portland, Duane is now a major leaguer."

-1954 Topps No. 107


KARL DREWS
"Karl appeared in 47 games for the Phillies in 1953, winning 9 and losing 10.
He signed with the Yankees after he turned up, uninvited, at a tryout camp. In his first year in pro ball he had a 16-5 record with Butler of the Pennsylvania State League. He was in the Yankee farm system for a good number of years, finally making the majors at the end of the 1946 season after posting 19-9 and 14-9 seasons with Newark and Kansas City in 1945 and 1946."

-1954 Bowman No. 191

1954 Yankees of the Past: Buster Mills and Johnny Riddle (Yankee Farmhand of the Past)

BUSTER MILLS
"Buster, starting his first season as a Red Sox coach, played for six major league teams. After a 1934 trial with the Cardinals, in which he got seven straight hits against the Cubs, he made his way back to the majors by hitting .331 at Rochester in 1936, leading the league in RBIs with 134. He batted .295 for the Red Sox in 1937, .285 for the Browns in '38 and .297 for the Yankees in '40. In 1953, he coached the Redlegs.
Buster earned a degree in geology at Oklahoma University. His grandfather named him 'Colonel' for a colonel with whom he was friendly in the Civil War."

-1954 Topps No. 227


JOHNNY RIDDLE
"Johnny, a former catcher, is starting his 28th season in organized baseball. He played for the White Sox, Senators, Braves, Reds and Pirates. During his 12 seasons at Indianapolis [1928-37, 1946-47] he hit .359 in 1930, .326 in '35 and .338 in '47. In 1939 at Kansas City he led American Association catchers in fielding (.989).
He managed at Birmingham from 1942 to 1944. While managing there, Johnny sometimes pitched. He also played as a catcher; the reason- a shortage of manpower due to World War II."

-1954 Topps No. 147

1954 Yankee of the Past: Sherm Lollar

"Sherm was the best fielding catcher in the American League for the 1953 season. He appeared behind the plate in 107 games for the Pale Hose. His fielding average was .994, he made only three errors in 524 chances and participated in two double plays. He wasn't bashful with his bat, either, hitting American League pitching to the tune of a .287 average and driving in 54 runs.
Sherm formerly caught for the Indians, Yankees and Browns."

-1954 Bowman No. 182

"Sherm came up with the highest batting average of his major league career last season. Always a defensive standout, in '53 he led American League catchers in fielding and was second in assists.
Before joining the White Sox in '52, Sherm was a third-string catcher with Cleveland in 1946. But he wanted action, so he ASKED to be sent to the minors. There he showed big-league ability and was back in the majors late in '47- to stay! Sherm played two seasons for the Yankees and three for the former St. Louis Browns."

-1954 Topps No. 39

"Sherm had an excellent season in 1953 and wound up as the best defensive catcher in the American League. He appeared in 107 games for the Sox and made but three errors in 524 chances. His percentage was .994 and he participated in two double plays. His batting average was .287 and his 96 hits were good for139 total bases.
Sherm formerly played for the Indians, Yankees and Browns."

-1954 Red Man No. AL-5

"Sherm has played with six different baseball clubs since he started with Baltimore of the International League in 1943. Since 1952 he has been a power behind the plate with the Chicago White Sox.
Sherm attended Kansas State Teachers' College where he got an early grounding in the rudiments of the game."

-1954 Red Heart

1954 Yankee of the Past: Dick Kryhoski

"Dick was in 104 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1953, hitting .278. His 94 hits included 18 doubles, four triples and 16 homers and he batted in 50 runs while scoring 35.
Dick began in baseball as a member of the Yankee system, working his way up until he got to the Yankees for 54 games in 1949. He finished that season with Oakland of the Pacific Coast League, was recalled by the Yankees and traded to Detroit in December of '49. In February 1952 Dick was again traded, to the Browns."

-1954 Bowman No. 117

"Dick topped the St. Louis Browns in slugging percentage with .497 in 1953 and was tied for second in fielding among American League first basemen.
Dick's baseball record includes 11 hits in 13 times at bat- eight straight safeties- in 1948 at Kansas City. He broke into the majors with the Yankees in '49 and hit .294 in 54 games, but was farmed out to Oakland where he batted .328. Traded to the Tigers in 1950, Dick compiled a .287 mark in '51 before going to the Browns the next winter.
In the off-season, Dick is a student at Upsala College. He wants to teach history when he retires from baseball."

-1954 Topps No. 150

1954 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Dave Jolly

"Drafted from the Yankee chain after the 1952 season, Dave proved a handy reliever for the Braves last year. He spent most of '53 in the Braves' bullpen. During that time, he perfected a knuckle ball, practicing it daily. This turned out to be one of his best pitches, especially when on the mound in a relief assignment.
Dave broke into Mooresville (North Carolina) in 1946 and had a 14-7 mark there the next year. He was 12-7 at Tulsa in '49. In '52 he appeared in 40 games for Kansas City and compiled a 6-1 record."

-1954 Topps No. 188

1954 Yankee of the Past: Don Johnson

"Don joins his fourth American League team after a fine 1953 record at Toronto. He had the best earned-run average in the International League.
Don came up to the majors with the Yankees in 1947 after only one minor league season and had a 4-3 record. He was traded to the Browns in '50 and to Washington in '51, where he won 7 and lost 12.
In the summer, Don is a dependable performer on the mound. In the winter, he's a radio announcer in Portland, Oregon, his home. He has a great sense of humor and often entertains his teammates by imitating famous sports announcers."

-1954 Topps No. 146

1954 Yankee of the Past: Jackie Jensen

"Jackie was traded from the Senators to the Red Sox in late 1953. With Washington in 1953 he was in 147 games and he batted .266. He had 32 doubles and he drove in 84 runs.
An All-American football player at the University of California, Jackie made a 70-yard touchdown run in the 1949 Rose Bowl. He was signed by Oakland and purchased by the Yankees with Billy Martin, in one of the Yankees' biggest rookie deals. Washington got him from New York."

-1954 Bowman No. 2

"Fleetfooted Jackie placed third in the American League stolen base department in 1953.
Breaking in with Oakland as a bonus player in 1949, he hit .261 and was purchased by the Yankees in 1950. Playing only part time, Jackie hit .298 in 56 games for New York and was sent to Kansas City in '51. In '52 he went to the Senators and joins the Red Sox for '54.
In 1948 Jackie was a line-busting All-American fullback at the University of California. He gave up football and today is a fence-busting outfielder for the Boston Red Sox."

-1954 Topps No. 80

1954 Yankee of the Past: Johnny Hopp

"Johnny starts a new career as a Tiger coach after playing 15 big league seasons. A speedy first baseman and outfielder, he hit over .300 five times, topped by his .339 with the Pirates and the Yankees in 1950 and .336 with the Cardinals in 1944. Johnny led National League flychasers with .997 in fielding in '44. After the Cards, he played for the Braves, Pirates, Yanks, Dodgers and Tigers.
Johnny broke in with the Cardinals in their Gashouse Gang days. Playing for all he was worth, he became an outstanding base-runner. He could score from first on a single, from second on an infield out- and he used to slide on his stomach!"

-1954 Topps No. 193

1954 Yankee of the Past: Rollie Hemsley

"Ralston Burdette Hemsley comes from Charleston, W. Va., and was born June 24, 1907. He will coach the pitchers and the catchers and will take over as chief of the bullpen.

Rollie began a 20-year major league career in 1927 when he came up with the Pittsburgh Pirates- he closed it with the Phillies in 1947. He played in three World Series and five All-Star games in his heyday. He played in the 1932 Series with the Cubs and in the 1942 and '43 Series with the current World Champion New York Yankees. His All-Star years were 1935, '36,'39, '40 and '44.

Rollie was considered one of the best handlers of pitchers ever to catch in the major leagues. He was a successful minor league manager from 1949 to 1952, having won a Southern Association pennant and a Dixie Series at Nashville. He piloted Columbus to the American Association playoffs and the Little World Series that followed. He also managed at Toledo and Charleston in the Association and at Texas City in the Gulf Coast League."

-1954 Philadelphia Athletics official yearbook

"Rollie, who caught 20 seasons for seven big league teams, makes his coaching debut in the majors with the A's.
One of the top receivers of his day, he hit .309 for the Browns in 1934 and led American League catchers in fielding with a .994 mark for the Indians in 1942. He holds the distinction of having played in the All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues.
They call him 'Rollicking Rollie' because of his antics. When he was a manager, no manager could keep him from cutting up. With all his comic capers, he was still catching and managing at the age of 45!"

-1954 Topps No. 143

1954 Yankee Prospects of the Past

JIM DYCK
"Jim was in 112 games in 1953 for the St. Louis Browns, the team that is now the Baltimore Orioles. He batted .213 and drove in 27 runs. Jim has played all outfield spots and in the infield.
He played semi-pro and Legion ball around Jefferson City, Missouri and went to junior college there. In 1941 he signed with Norfolk as a pitcher. He switched to the outfield as it was decreed he was too good a hitter not to see more action- Jim hit .321 with San Antonio in 1950."

-1954 Topps No. 85


JIM GREENGRASS
"Jim, an unheralded player, made an undying impression on Dodger fans in his National League debut in September 1952. He hit a grand slam to beat them for his first major league round-tripper.
He broke into baseball as an infielder in 1944 and returned to baseball in 1946. He shifted to the mound and then the outfield in 1950, having a 5-5 mark as a pitcher and a .336 bat mark.
Jim lettered in football, baseball and track in high school."

-1954 Bowman No. 28

"Jim's terrific showing in 1952, when he hit .309 and pounded five homers in 18 games won him a regular outfield berth with Cincy last season. He led the team in triples and was third in Redleg homer production in '53.
Jim was a Yankee farmhand for seven years before he came to the Redlegs. In 1950 Jim didn't think he would ever make the majors. He wanted to quit but his wife Cathy made him keep trying. The next year he hit .379 and in '52 was brought up to Cincinnati- thanks to Cathy Greengrass!"

-1954 Topps No. 22


ELLIS KINDER
"Ellis, who has been around a long time, did a sensational job as a relief man for the 1953 edition of the Boston Red Sox. He got into 69 games, of which he won 10 and lost 6. He saved many for other pitchers, however. His earned run average, though, is the best possible indication of his effectiveness on the mound. For 107 innings pitched, his ERA was 1.85.
Ellis has been in baseball since 1938. He came to the majors with the St. Louis Browns."

-1954 Bowman No. 98

"Last season Ellis was the top  American League relief pitcher, chalking up the best earned run average of his entire career.
A major leaguer since he broke in with the Browns in 1945, 'Kinny' came to the Red Sox in the winter of '47. In '49 he had 23 wins, six of them shutouts, and led the AL in won-lost percentage with .793.
In '52, Ellis had a bad season due to a bad back injury. He considered hanging up his glove but decided to try again in '53. His back healed and he became a star reliever, setting an American League record for games pitched."

-1954 Topps No. 47


PETE SUDER
"Pete is one of the real veterans of the Philadelphia Athletics. He has been with the team since they drafted him in October 1940. During those years he has played at second, third and short.
Pete had his best season with the Athletics in 1953, batting .286 for 115 games, his highest average since 1940. He had 130 hits and drove in 35 runs. In 1950, Pete took part in five plays at second base [in one game], tying a major league record."

-1954 Bowman No. 99

1954 Yankee Prospect of the Past: Ruben Gomez

"In his rookie season, Ruben was the Giants' top pitcher. The slim screwball artist had the eighth-best ERA in the National League, ranked seventh in complete games and tied for ninth in strikeouts. He also is an outstanding fielding pitcher and a good hitter and bunter."

-1954 Topps No. 220