A Different Kind of Play at the Plate

Not all play at the plate cards show a catcher trying to tag out a runner. I was looking for some 1956 Topps cards to add to my wish list when I found this Billy Pierce card. While this play isn't technically "at the plate", it's near enough to the plate for me.



Billy pitched in the majors for 18 years, so he's obviously the runner in this shot. I'm guessing sac bunt maybe? Billy had a nice career. He was 211-169 with a 3.27 ERA and 1,999 strikeouts. One more call and he would have hit that 2000th K. He had back to back 20 win seasons in 1956 and 1957, both years in which he won the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award.

Billy was also a 4 time All-Star and pitched in the World Series twice, losing with the White Sox in 1959 and the Giants in 1962. As you can see from the card back, Billy was a very good pitcher in his day. He led the A.L. in ERA in 1955 with a solid 1.97. He had a 39 inning scoreless streak in 1953.

This is one card I'll be adding to my collection as my fascination with the 1956 set continues to grow.