Lot 75
New York: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. George Toporcer (born Toporczer; February 9, 1899 May 17, 1989) was a professional baseball player and executive. He served primarily as a utility infielder during his eight seasons in Major League Baseball, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1921 through 1928. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed and was listed as 5 feet 10" tall and 165 pounds. Toporcer is widely considered as the first major league baseball position player to wear eyeglasses on the playing field. The distinction gained Toporcer his nickname, "Specs". Major Leagues: Born and reared in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, he never played high school or college ball and went directly from the sandlots to major league competition in 1921. Now known as George Toporcer, he split his first professional season between the Cardinals and the minor league Syracuse Stars, the Cardinals' top farm team. He played all infield positions for the Cardinals, especially shortstop, and was the club's most-used midfielder in both 1922 and 1925. In 1928, Toporcer got into only eight games for the Cardinals, and spent the bulk of the year with their top farm team, the Rochester Red Wings. Minor Leagues: Following his major league career, Toporcer played for the Cardinals Triple-A affiliate Rochester on four straight pennant-winning teams (192932), being named the International League MVP in 1929 and 1930. He became the Red Wings' manager in 1932, continuing to play and manage the team until 1934. He continued to play in the minors until 1941, typically serving as a player-manager. During his seven years playing for Rochester, the Red Wings won the International League pennant four consecutive years. For the last three years in Rochester, he served as the manager of the Rochester team. But after a financial dispute with general manager Branch Rickey, Toporcer left the St. Louis organization. He would pilot other minor league teams for the next seven years before he became the farm director for the Boston Red Sox. In 1951, while managing the Buffalo Bison's, Toporcer became blind after a fifth operation to save his failing eyesight was unsuccessful. The book was signed in 1954 when he was blind. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and the bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request
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Dimensions:
- 5.5" x 8" Condition:
- Excellent Condition with no missing or torn pages
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