DATE: 1934-36 ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Type 2 Original - Printed from the original negative, but in a later period TEAM: St. Louis Browns SUBJECT: Rollie Hemsley PHOTOGRAPHER: Norman Paulson APPROXIMATE SIZE: 3-1/2"x5-1/2" NUMBER OF PHOTOS: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: Offered is an approximately 3-1/2"x5-1/2" real photo postcard of Rollie Hemsley, pictured in his St. Louis Browns uniform. The original photo was taken by Norm Paulson, with the postcard having been produced in the 1960's-70's by Jim Elder using Paulson's original negatives. Please see scans of the actual card for further details including condition. BIO: Ralston Burdett Hemsley was born in Syracuse, OH and died in 1972 in Washington, DC. He played major league baseball from 1928 to 1947 as catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies, appeared in the 1932 World Series, and was selected 5 times as an All-Star. Hemsley was known for having a drinking problem, one which caused him to be kicked off four separate clubs. Hemsley would later attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to help himself sober up. He revealed his membership to the press in 1940, becoming the first AA member to break their anonymity on a national level. Hemsley breaking his anonymity was also one of the first developments to cause concern about personal anonymity in the organization. After retiring, Hemsley operated a real estate office in Langley Park, Maryland, was a coach for the Philadelphia Athletics (1954) and Washington Senators (1961–62) and managed in the minor leagues. He was selected Minor League Manager of the Year by The Sporting News in 1950 while serving as pilot of the Columbus Red Birds. Norman M. Paulson was born in 1916 and died in 2004 in New Port Richey, FL. Paulson began photographing baseball players when he was 18-years-old, for the Chicago based company which made vending machine postcards. He also worked for baseball card manufacturers including Topps, Bowman and Fleer, as well as The Sporting News. Paulson once said in an interview that Babe Ruth would order 5000 of his postcards at a time, and after baseball games, Ruth would go to hospitals and hand the autographed cards out. Paulson also wrote nine baseball books. The most successful was, "Baseball for Boys" which he paid a dozen ballplayers ten dollars each to help him write. He was the general manager for the Waterloo, Iowa (Three-I League) minor league team in 1949, and he served in the Marine Corps during World War II. SKU: L10050
Item: L10050
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