Helmar This Great Game #36 Joe Black Brooklyn Dodgers

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About the Player

A short bio from the Helmar “This Great Game” card back: Joe Black failed several times, and it’s a good thing for the Dodgers. Originally a catcher in his native New Jersey, Joe struggled to block pitches behind the plate. Next, his coaches moved Joe to shortstop, where he threw too many baseballs over the head of the first baseman. Finally, someone had the brainstorm to place Big Joe on the hill, and it’s proved to be his natural habitat on the diamond. The wise Charley Dressen deserves credit for grooming Black as a relief pitcher, an unusual job for a rookie when he arrived in 1952. Joe is unusual in another way: he throws almost exclusively his fastball. But hitters can know it’s coming, and still not make solid contact.

About the Series

This series marks a step in a new direction for Helmar. For the first time we take a serious look at baseball in the 1950's and then, perhaps, the 1960's. The game found itself changing dramatically in this post WWII era, influenced by both the larger society and technological innovation. The color barrier may have been officially broken in 1947 but the acceptance of black players by the big league clubs came slowly, if surely. Reliable and inexpensive air transportation paved the way for geographic expansion. The game, which had been centered in the East and Midwest, found new opportunities along the West Coast.

The very center of the baseball world through the decade was New York City. New York teams competed in every World Series through the decade except for 1959. In many of those years both teams competing were from the city. Interestingly, New York also became the center of the art world at the same time. Migration after WWII brought many creatives to the Big Apple and movements such as abstract, modernism, surrealism and avant-garde.

Studying the era has inspired Helmar to use bold, often surreal colors in this series. We hope that you will join us as we explore this era of change.

Card size: 3" x 4"

Individually Numbered 1-20

Related Cards in the Series

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Helmar This Great Game, Brooklyn Dodgers
Card #	Thumbnail Pic	Player Name	Position	Top Auction Price
3		Hodges, Gil	Standing	$ 60.99
6		REESE, Pee Wee	Full figure, two bats	$ 63.00
18		SNIDER, Duke	Sitting, smiling	$ 69.07
27		DRYSDALE, Don	Portrait, leaning on left elbow	$ 87.50
36		Black, Joe	Folded arms	$ 37.00
38		CAMPANELLA, Roy	Dugout	$ 86.00
71		Gilliam, Jim	Leaning on bat	$ 124.50
80		Amoros, Sandy	Batting cage	$ 69.50
81		Branca, Ralph	Full figure follow through	$ 97.50
82		Cox, Billy	Sitting in dugout	$ 97.50
83		Erskine, Carl	Portrait chest up	$ 72.50
84		Furillo, Carl	Batting stance at camera	$ 77.78
86		Loes, Billy	Portrait chest up	$ 86.55
88		Newcombe, Don	Hands on hips	$ 59.89
90		ROBINSON, Jackie	Bat horizontal at knees	$ 260.00
93		Neal, Charlie	looking up after swing	$ 59.89
97		Podres, Johnny	Set position	$ 108.05
99		Roseboro, Johnny	Catching position	$ 100.50
118		Roe, Preacher	Yellow pole	$ 80.00
124		Bridges, Rocky	blue buildings	$ 76.55
And more!

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