Pastor Rich Zawadzki sings the virtues of Jim Bottomley’s 1928 APBA card. As well he should. It’s quite the card.
Jim Bottomley played in the era of luminaries like Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx so sometimes he is overlooked. Not in 1928 though. That year, he won the National League MVP award. It for good reason as not only did he bat .325 but he led the league in homers with 31 AND triples with 20.
Illinois-native Sunny Jim who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, also scored 123 runs and drove in 136 (also leading the league).
Bottomley’s main competition in the 1928 NL MVP vote was Freddie Lindstrom who certainly deserved a look. Lindstrom batted .358 and collected 231 hits. Interestingly, Rogers Hornsby hit a monster .387 but ranked 13th in the vote. It didn’t help that Hornsby played for lackluster Boston. Hornsby’s unlikeable personality probably played a role in his low popularity as well.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 Totals | 149 | 667 | 576 | 123 | 187 | 42 | 20 | 31 | 139 | 10 | 71 | 54 | .325 | .402 | .628 |
Look at Bottomley’s power numbers. He has five of them (1-2-5-5-6). A single column 2 is pretty rare but on top of that he has two 5s. Clutch!
Bottomley’s .325 average was enough to warrant a 55-7. With 10 steals, the APBA cardmakers gave him a 15-10. Instead of the standard three 8-two 9 combination, he received two of each.
Bottomley had 54 strikeouts and walked 71 times. As a result, he was awarded four 14s and only two 13s.
Worth mentioning: Bottomley’s two unusual play numbers are sequential. He received a 61-37 and a 62-41.
thanks Rich!!
