This past summer, on this blog, I bragged about tracking down one of my long-standing, want-list nemeses - Herman Reich's 1949 Eureka Sportstamp. As a refresher, these stamps were no good for postage, but looked damn great when and stuck into their corresponding collector's album. They were marketed straight to philatelists through the "Poster Stamp Bulletin" and made use of beautiful full-color Kodachrome photography, a rarity for the time. All in all, they make for lovely, super-vintage oddballs and, due to the relative lack of contemporaneous baseball cards, the checklist features a few subjects who lack traditional trading cards... just like the completely forgotten Cubs first baseman, Reich.
Similarly, Rube Novotney's name has been lost to the sands of time. The former Windy City backstop's only Major League "card" came along with Mr. Reich as a Sportstamp, which has also sat on my want-list for many years. After all, niche-marketed, tiny, fragile, 68-year old slips of paper generally aren't all that easy to come by in my modest price range. However, over the weekend, I was able to finally spear me a Rube.
Considering the season, when I saw this super-vintage gem listed on Ebay in such pristine condition (even the original glue remains, un-licked, on the back) for a $6.99 BIN, I thought it was more "trick" than "treat." Thus, I was a little hesitant in pulling the trigger on what seemed like a deal too good to be true - I surely didn't want to end up sharing a nickname with Mr. Novotney. That said, the seller's feedback was near immaculate and, with a little wheeling and dealing, I was able to knock the price down even further... I simply could not pass up this potential boon to my CATRC.
As you can see from the scan above, the transaction definitely worked out on the "treat" side. The stamp looks as if it were printed up yesterday, with it's vibrant colors still popping and it's surface, edges and, corners showing almost no wear and tear whatsoever. Plus, I have to admit, I get a chuckle out of the image selected for the Sportstamp, as it looks more like Rube just felt a drop of rain hit him on the shoulder than him giving chase on a pop fly.
Needless to say, I'm quite pleased with this pick-up.
I can't help but be reminded of this classic Rockwell painting when I gaze upon Rube's stamp.
Be that as it may, I must admit, despite my encyclopedic knowledge of the North Side ballclub, I knew very little about the man they called "Rube," beyond his name and his chosen position on the diamond. Perhaps it's time to take this opportunity to learn a little bit more about this short-term Cub from the post-WWII era?
Ralph "Rube" Novotney was a local guy, born and raised in nearby Streator, IL. How he earned a nickname which is defined by Webster as meaning "country bumpkin" I do not know, seeing as the city had been reliant on the coal and manufacturing industries (not agriculture) since long before he was born. On another note, one of the folks who resided in Streator along with the future MLB'er was Clyde Tombaugh, aka the guy who discovered Pluto. Apparently, some cool people come out of Streator... so, that's pretty neat.
Later on, Ralph attended college at the University of Illinois, where he starred on the diamond and earned a contract with his hometown club. Perhaps it was during his time in the more rural Champaign-Urbana that Novotney earned the moniker of "Rube?" Anyway, after four years spent in the minors, his only Major League action came during the 1949 season - the same year his Eureka stamp was issued, when he broke camp with the big club and got into 22 games.
Rube during his trial with Chicago, image courtesy of Gordon Brett Eichols
All told, Rube didn't make much of a mark overall (.269/.300/.328 slash), though he did have a pair of days in the spotlight. In back-to-back games against the Giants, the catcher went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI (including the game winner) in day one and followed that up with a 3-for-3 performance against Dave Koslo. However, that's about where the highlight reel runs out for Novotney.
On May 22nd, with the club reeling (a common tale for the post-War Cubbies) and in desperate need of change, Rube was demoted to the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels -along with Clarence Maddern and Cliff Aberson - never again to experience the glitz and glamour of the Big Leagues.
Clarence and Cliff shared that train back to Los Angeles with today's subject, now they accompany him in my CATRC.
Ralph would continue play in the minors with the original LA Angels for the next year and a half, before being transferred to the Nashville Volunteers of the Southern Association, which was also a Cubs affiliate, for 1951. After an injury shortened campaign (27 games), the Cubs brass decided to cut bait and when the Vols were taken over by the New York Giants (the same team against which he had his shining moment) organization, "Rube" was left behind. After two more seasons in the bushes, Novotney decided to hang up his spikes and catchers' gear for good.
On that note, this is about where the trail of information ends on Ralph "Rube" Novotney.
Rube with the SA's Nashville Volunteers on Opening Day 1953. Rube is the back row, second from the left
Does anyone have any more info on Rube Novotney that they'd like to... wait for it... "Volunteer?" ba-dum-tiss. At any rate, I'm over-the-moon about finally being able to track down Rube's only Major League/Cubs "card" at such a reasonable price for my Cubs All-Time Roster tome. First of all, Eureka Sportstamps rarely show up at all - they weren't a big seller at the time and were mostly limited to east coast distribution - let alone at a price I'm even willing to consider. Second of all, being able to talk the seller down to six bucks shipped - or, less than half the price of a blaster of a modern, "blah" product - was a real cherry on top. I'd truly be a "Rube" for passing up that deal. You might say that this find absolutely earned my "stamp of approval!" Okay, I promise, no more terrible dad jokes... in this post, anyway. I can't hold myself to that kind of long-term commitment. All puns aside, welcome to my CATRC binder, Rube! |
It took me about 10 seconds to figure out Rube was holding his catcher's mask in his right hand. Lol. I guess I'm getting slow. Nice addition to your collection.
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