Sampler Album Additions: Newk, Sawatski and Popeye

I got a few cards for my sampler album this week and thought they were good enough to show now instead of waiting for their respective pages to be complete:

 

I’m really happy with this 1958 Don Newcombe.    Newcombe was the only player to ever win the Rookie of the Year Award, MVP Award  and Cy Young Award until Justin Verlander completed his trifecta this year. 

 I wrote a few weeks ago about initially thinking Sherm Lollar was related to former Razorback and MLB pitcherTim Lollar.  That was not the case,  but I did manage to find a 1953 card of someone else who was related to a former Razorback:

Carl Sawatski  was former Razorback Jay Sawatski’s grandfather.    Jay Sawatski never made it out of the minor leagues with the Twins organization due to injuries, but he was a super star when he pitched for the Hogs, and led them to the College World Series in 2004.  Carl Sawatski had a long, but not remarkable career in baseball, and was President of the Texas League until his death in 1991.

 
Someone you all do know is Don Zimmer.   I was thrilled to get this 1964 card for only a few bucks, and I think he is one of those players who I slowly will come around to collect as it dawns on me how affordable their cards are in relation to their overall contribution to the game.