Walter Moved Quick and Horace Jumped to Candlestick

The New York Giants’ and Brooklyn Dodgers’ franchise shifts to the West Coast for the 1958 season is well chronicled. “White flight” to the suburbs, aging ballparks, and lack of parking all factored into Giants’ President Horace Stoneham, and Dodgers’ “Prexy” Walter O’Malley decamping to sunny California. Of course, the prospect of huge, untapped markets and new stadiums warmed the “cockles” of the two moguls as well.

The National League officially approved the franchise shifts on August 19, 1957. Topps-though probably bummed that their prime locations for NL photos (Ebbets Field and Polo Grounds) were gone-had plenty of lead time to produce ’58 cards for San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In the spring of ’58, young San Franciscans jumped on the nearest cable car and headed for Woolworth’s, Newberry’s or the candy store to buy wax packs in hope of finding cards embossed with “San Fran. Giants.” The youngsters received a real “San Francisco treat” when they discovered that Willie Mays was the first card Topps produced for the transplanted club (#5 in the set’s numerical sequence).

Obviously, Mays’s cap has an airbrushed interlocking “SF.” The artist probably made an educated guess on the emblem’s appearance by using the PCL Seals cap logo as a source. The airbrushed “SF” is found on the majority of the ‘58 cards and fluctuates in size and thickness.

Most likely, the first card with an authentic “SF” is that of pitcher Paul Giel (#308). The emblem is the right font and size. Plus, this ’58 Jay Publishing photo-taken in spring training- appears to be from the same session.

 

If you are skeptical of Giel’s photo being the “real McCovey,” there is no doubt the Orlando Cepeda (#343) is authentic. As you can see, the accompanying photo-taken during ’58 spring training-is identical to the card photo.

Other “real” San Francisco Giants are Jim Davenport (#413) and Ray Monzant (#447). By the way, Monzant actually has two cards in the ’58 set, since Mike McCormick’s card features Ray’s photo.

The first Dodgers card Angelino youngsters may have pulled from their packs was Charlie Neal (#16). Not quite as awe inspiring as Mays but a major leaguer, nonetheless. The airbrushed “LA” is a decent approximation of the real one but doesn’t quite match. As with the Giants, the artist may have been using the PCL Angels emblem as a guide. 

Collectors had to settle for airbrushed “LAs” on Drysdale, Reese, Hodges, Snyder and other familiar names before finding the first actual Los Angeles cap on the noggin of Danny McDevitt (#357). The emblem has the correct length of the horizontal part of the “L,” and the flourish on the tip is correct. The photo is almost identical to one taken in spring training for a team set by Dodgers concessionaire, Danny Goodman.

Joe Pignatano (#373) appears to be the only other Dodger with an authentic “LA” on the cap. The photo is also nearly identical to the one used for the Goodman set.

If you believe my conclusions are pure “California dreamin’,” let me know. I would rather be corrected than “stuck in Lodi, again,” with wrong suppositions.