Alas, in 1953, the Yankees were nearing the end of their five-year reign as defending World Series champions.

The set also celebrates the dynastic Yankees at the height of their powers. The patch adorning their sleeve celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the legendary team. Look closely at Billy Martin, card #118, and Allie Reynolds, card #68. Card #114 of Bob Feller is emblematic of the rush to get the cards ready for release. Some were taken during Spring Training, including the Dodgers ballpark in Vero Beach. Not all the player photos in the set were taken at Polo Grounds or Yankee Stadium, however. The best examples being card #7 Harry Chiti and #96 Sal Maglie at the Polo Grounds and card #105 Eddie Joost at Yankee Stadium. Hiring New York-based shutterflies only made more sense when you consider that most of the ballplayers were photographed in the two area ballparks: The Polo Grounds, located in Manhattan, and Yankee Stadium, located across the Harlem River, in Bronx.Īs both venues no longer exist, the set represents an enduring window to a bygone era of flannel uniforms, sharp spikes and bulky gloves. Although the finished product sizzled, the financial impacts of using color photography put a strain on the company. Using top-notch photographers from the New York Times, Life and other big-time New York media outlets, no expenses were spared. In fact, the company nearly went bankrupt from production expenses. The Bowman Card company went to great lengths to put out a great looking product.

1953 bowman stan musial