The Sauer Patch Kids

You may have heard of Hank Sauer - aka, "the Mayor of Wrigley Field."  From 1949-55, Hank manned left field at the Friendly Confines and carried one of the biggest bats in the National League.  One of the era's premier power hitters, Mr. Mayor cranked 37 home runs and 121 RBI to lead the league in both categories in 1952, paving the way for his selection as the NL MVP.  The two-time All-Star was regularly showered with packets of his favorite chewing tobacco by bleacher bums, upon returning to his spot in left field after having gone yard.  All told, Hank Sauer was one of, if not the only, bright spot on those dismal Cubs teams in the post-WWII era.

However, this post isn't about Hank Sauer; but, it is about another Sauer who played for the "Lovable Losers."  Unlike Hank, this Sauer played for a Cubs team good enough to take the National League pennant, although he was not in the running for the prestigious "political office" his similarly-surnamed peer held for Chicago.  Without an official title, Hank's little brother Ed also called the Windy City home, from 1943-45.

A few days ago, I came across this ultra-vintage beauty on Ebay.  Ed, being a marginal player during the War Era, doesn't have much of a cardboard presence and, thus, adding him to my CATRC binder has proven to be a challenge.  When I saw this oddball pop up in my saved searches, for less than an Alexander Hamilton flash card, I immediately pounced.

Back in 1947, Signal Oil partnered with the original Pacific Coast League (which then nearly rivaled the MLB in popularity) to produce a large set of baseball cards featuring the League's stars. 
These unnumbered sets consists of five of the eight PCL Teams as part of the promotion. Thankfully for me, the Cubs-affiliated Los Angeles Angels were one of the five teams who participated.

As for the cards themselves, they are black and white and measure a bizarre 5-9/16" x 3-1/2" on thin, sepia-toned stock. The front shows drawings of the player and some personal and career highlights in cartoon form. meanwhile, on the back, we have player bios, an ad for Signal Oil and an ad for the corresponding radio station, which carried each clubs broadcasts.

In my experience, I rarely see these bad boys go for anything less than $25.  Oftentimes, the ultra-vintage oddities run up price tags up above $50, especially when they are in as good a shape as Mr. Sauer here.  Therefore, seeing that Ed was a needed Cub and doesn't provide many other alternatives, there was no way I was ignoring this deal.  Plus, it's just a unique and wonderful-looking card - it's like the comics on the back of 60's Topps sets, except all over the card!

Said comics and the brief biographical snippet on the back provided a few tidbits of trivia on Ed - apparently he was quite the superstitious fellow, a versatile athlete in his youth, and was a multi-talented musician.  But, perhaps it's time to learn a little more about little Sauer's baseball career.  To the internet!

'45 Cubs Sluggers: Lowery, Secory, Nicholson, Pafko & Sauer - photo: William Greene

Despite being the younger of the two, Ed's Cubs tenure came before that of the elder Hank; during Ed's three years with the team, Hank was busy being a star in Cincinnati.  Unfortunately, the two brothers never got to play with one another, as by the time Hank was traded to the Second City (for Harry Walker and Peanuts Lowrey), midway through the 1949 campaign, Ed had moved on to St. Louis.  Much like the Patterson brothers, the Hungarian brothers missed each other by a few years... they could have been the "Sauer Patch Kids!" Well, Sour Patch Kids weren't a thing 'til 1985, but still...

Ed and Hank - the "Sauer Patch Kids."

Signed in 1940, out of Elon College in North Carolina by the Yankees organization, the younger Sauer brother made his way to the Cubs chain during the 1941 season.  He rose through the ranks with a reputation as a slugger, and made his Big League debut in 1943.  For the next few seasons, Ed would serve as a substitute in the outfield and as a pinch-hitter off of the bench, never earning a regular role.  For his Cubbie career, he saw action in 86 games over the course of three seasons, plus two World Series contests.

Of course, significantly, the last season of his Cubs stint lined up with the last World Series appearance the Cubs made in the 20th century.  Ed ultimately snuck into two October tilts against the Tigers, as a pinch hitter (games 5 and 7), but struck out each time against Hall of Famer, Hal Newhouser.  Nevertheless, until recently, being a Cub who saw World Series action was a rare accomplishment!

Unfortunately for Ed, those two at-bats proved to be his last in a blue uniform.  After the Series, Ed was demoted back to the minors, where he spent three seasons as a regular with the Los Angeles Angels (as the card which starts this post indicates) in the OTHER Wrigley Field, before brief trials with the Cards and the Braves in 1949.  After the close of his MLB career, Ed played for a few more years in the PCL, through 1951, to wrap up his time in the game of baseball.

Ed's older brother Hank, 1954 Topps

There you have it - the 411 on the younger half of the "Sauer Patch Kids."  Ed may have never risen to the rank of Mayor of Wrigley Field, but at least he got to bring home a pennant with the Boys in Blue.  That's a promise that they Mayor was never able to deliver on.

Now, Ed gets to join his brother in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

All in all, I'm thrilled to be able to add this superb 1947 Signal Oil PCL single to my CATRC binder.  First of all, any time I'm able to add a new name to those pages is a happy feat.  Second of all, rarely am I able to find such obscure players for such a reasonable price.  Third of all, super-vintage cards like this one are always a joy to uncover, no matter what.  FOURTH of all, this is the second card in a row to enter into my CATRC that could be classified as "super vintage" - my Johnny Hudson 1940 Play Ball addition was chronicled yesterday.  Obviously, it's been a good week for the Cubs collection.

Ed and Hank - they may be Sauer, but then they're sweet additions to my CATRC.