1941 Play Ball

The 1941 Play Ball team set of the Boston Red Sox contains cards of the players that personified the resurrection of the team's fortunes.  After 1918 the team went through a number of years of futility.  But the gradual addition of the following players in the 1930's brought them to relevance and competitiveness again in the 1940's.

Joe Cronin came to the Red Sox from the Washington Senators in 1935.  He was an established all-star and brought leadership to the team.  He played with Boston until 1945, managing the team at the same time every one of those years.  He also managed the Red Sox in the 1946 World Series.

 

Jimmie Foxx came to the Red Sox in 1936 after some incredible seasons with the Philadelphia A's.  He would do more of the same in Boston, staying with the team until 1942.  At age 59 he had an untimely death due to choking on food during a meal with his brother.  Unlike Goudey, Play Ball was able to spell his name right.

Bobby Doerr was a rookie in 1937 and played with the Red Sox his entire career, until 1951.  He's still alive at age 99.  He's the oldest living major league player and last to play in the 1930's.  I hear he's a good TTM signer, although my experience wasn't successful.

Ted Williams, the best hitter of all-time, was the biggest single reason for the Red Sox resurgence in the 1940's.  He was a rookie in 1939 and played with them until 1960.  His time spent in military service, most of five seasons during his prime, leave us wondering what his lifetime stats could have been.

Dom DiMaggio joined the Red Sox in 1940 and stayed with them until his retirement in 1953.  Some say he has a case for the Hall of Fame, but I'm not of that opinion.

One more player that certainly fits the story is Johnny Pesky.  He played with the Red Sox from 1942 through 1952, but wasn't in this Play Ball set.