Latest revision as of 20:02, 4 September 2024

Description

1941 Play Ball (ACC: R336) is a 72-card set measuring approximately 2 1/2" by 3 1/8". Many of the cards in the 1941 Play Ball series are simply color versions of pictures appearing in the 1940 Play Ball set. This was the third, and final, year Gum, Inc. released their Play Ball set, and 1941 was the only one in color. After World War II, Gum, Inc. would be rebranded as "Bowman Gum" and would re-enter the baseball card market by the end of the decade.

The set was released in two series of 48 and 24 cards. It is believed that those final 24 cards were not issued until 1942. The first 48 cards were also reissued in 1942, but without a copyright date.

The set is anchored by cards of Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams, as well as Bill Dickey, Lefty Gomez, Carl Hubbell, Chuck Klein and Mel Ott, with the rookie card of Pee Wee Reese. The set is also noted for the single, simultaneous appearance of all three DiMaggio brothers in the same trading card production as Dom and Vince joined brother Joe. The Chicago Cubs, who were owned by the competing Wrigley family, are not represented in the set.

Distribution

Two cards plus one stick of gum per pack. (MSRP: $0.01)

Reviews

Checklist

Base Set

1941 Series

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1 Eddie Miller
2 Max West
3 Bucky Walters
4 Paul Derringer (Duke)
5 Frank McCormick (Buck)
6 Carl Hubbell
7 Harry Danning (The Horse)
8 Mel Ott
9 Pinky May
10 Arky Vaughan UER (Vaughn)
11 Debs Garms
12 Jimmy Brown
13 Jimmie Foxx
14 Ted Williams
15 Joe Cronin
16 Hal Trosky
17 Roy Weatherly (Storm)
18 Hank Greenberg
19 Charley Gehringer
20 Red Ruffing
21 Charlie Keller
22 Bob Johnson (Indian)
23 George McQuinn (Mac)
24 Dutch Leonard
25 Gene Moore
26 Harry Gumpert (Gunboat)
27 Babe Young
28 Joe Marty
29 Jack Wilson
30 Lou Finney
31 Joe Kuhel
32 Taffy Wright (Taft)
33 Al Milnar (Happy)
34 Rollie Hemsley
35 Pinky Higgins
36 Barney McCosky
37 Bruce Campbell (Soupy)
38 Atley Donald
39 Tommy Henrich
40 John Babich
41 Frank Hayes (Blimp)
42 Wally Moses
43 Al Brancato (Albert)
44 Sam Chapman
45 Eldon Auker
46 Sid Hudson
47 Buddy Lewis
48 Cecil Travis

1942 Series

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49 Babe Dahlgren
50 Johnny Cooney
51 Dolph Camilli
52 Kirby Higbe
53 Luke Hamlin (Hot Potato)
54 Pee Wee Reese
55 Whit Wyatt
56 Johnny Vander Meer (Vandy)
57 Morrie Arnovich (Moe)
58 Frank Demaree
59 Bill Jurges
60 Chuck Klein
61 Vince DiMaggio
62 Elbie Fletcher
63 Dom DiMaggio
64 Bobby Doerr
65 Tommy Bridges
66 Harlond Clift UER (Harland)
67 Wally Judnich (Walt)
68 John Knott
69 George Case
70 Bill Dickey
71 Joe DiMaggio
72 Lefty Gomez

Variations

No Copyright

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All 48 cards from the "1941" series exist with or without a 1941 copyright date in the lower-left corner of the reverse side. It is believed that those cards without the 1941 copyright date were issued in 1942 along with the 24 cards in the 1942 Series.

Thin Stock

The entire 72-card set was also printed on a thin paper-like stock without a cardboard backing; these are generally encountered in sheets or strips.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 =Description=
-Play Ball is a 72-card set measuring approximately 2 1/2" by 3 1/8". Many of the cards in the 1941 Play Ball series are simply color versions of pictures appearing in the 1940 set. This was the third, and final, year Gum, Inc. released their Play Ball set, and 1941 was the only one in color.  After World War II, Gum, Inc. would be rebranded as "Bowman Gum" and would re-enter the baseball card market by the end of the decade.
+Play Ball (''[[American Card Catalog|ACC:]]'' R336) is a 72-card set measuring approximately 2 1/2" by 3 1/8". Many of the cards in the 1941 Play Ball series are simply color versions of pictures appearing in the [[1940 Play Ball]] set. This was the third, and final, year Gum, Inc. released their Play Ball set, and 1941 was the only one in color.  After World War II, Gum, Inc. would be rebranded as "Bowman Gum" and would re-enter the baseball card market by the end of the decade.
 The set was released in two series of 48 and 24 cards.  It is believed that those final 24 cards were not issued until 1942.  The first 48 cards were also reissued in 1942, but without a copyright date.