When It Was A Game: Historical Bats

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INSIDE:

CLUBHOUSE
CRONICLES
Jimmy Palermo, during a historic 7-day span in May, 1939, saw the meteoric rise of Williams and tragic decline of Gehrig.

THE GAME'S
GOLDEN ERA
An exclusive WIWAG ongoing feature.

MEMORIES
The field seemed vast to a 7-year old who had looked forward to this day for two months.

BREAKING THE COLOR LINE
The year marks the 60th anniversary of the first major league tryout for black players.

SPECIAL COLOR
LINE TIMELINE
Bud Fowler is the first know black players on an integrated team.

BOOMING BATS
of the '50s
Qualify as Grade A10.

AMERICA'S ORIGINAL
SPORTS BAR
First sports bar featured 12-inch Farnsworth TV.

BASEBALL
HISTORIANS
Two unsuspecting vintage baseball fans rediscover a "National Treasure."

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LOPATA SWUNG a Louisville Slugger (model U1) with a signature barrel stamp.

STAN LOPATA used this bat in a June 1955 series between his Phillies and the Cardinals. He belted one of his 22 1955 circuit clouts in a 9-6 win in the first game of the series.

A MEMBER of the 1955 National League all-star team, Lopata batted .271 in '55 with 58 RBIs and demonstrated his versatility and value to the team by splitting time behind the plate and at first base. Stan had the best season of his career the following year, hitting 32 homers and knocking in 95 runs in 1956.

STAN LOPATA

ALL-STAR: 1955 and 1956

Lopata a member of the 1950 pennant-winning "Whiz Kids"

Was first National League catcher to wear glasses

MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR

STAN LOPATA assumed a deep crouch at the plate at the urging of Rogers Hornsby and then hit .290 with 14 home runs in 1954; and belted 22, 32, and 18 HRs the next three seasons.

STAN LOPATA WEB LINKS

>BASEBALL-REFERENCE.COM

>BASEBALL-LIBRARY.COM

>BASEBALL-ALMANAC.COM

Stan "Stash" Lopata played with the Phillies for 11 seasons, 1948-58, and was a member of the 1950 pennant winning "Whiz Kids."

He was an excellent defensive catcher and selected to the National League all-star team in 1955 and 1956.

Lopata began his Major League baseball career on September 19, 1948, with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lopata played for 13 seasons for the Phillies and Braves, and ended his big league playing career in 1960.

A decorated World War II veteran, and the first National League catcher to wear glasses, Lopata didn't see much action behind Andy Seminick and Smoky Burgess until he assumed a deep crouch at the plate at the urging of Rogers Hornsby. He then hit .290 with 14 home runs in 1954; and belted 22, 32, and 18 home runs the next three seasons.

Lopata’s 1955 season was solid: 22 homers, 58 RBI, and a .271 average. But in 1956 he had a career year with 32 homers and 95 RBI.

STAN LOPATA was an excellent defensive catcher.

His power production took him past the previous Phillie catcher home run record of 30— and his 95 RBI tied him with outfielder Del Ennis for the team lead.

When Brave backstop Del Crandall was injured Stan was named to replace him on the 1956 National League roster for the game at Griffith Stadium in D.C.

STAN LOPATA: Did you know...

...Lopata received a lavish $20,000 bonus from the Phillies in 1946.

...Lopata was behind the plate and put the tag on Brooklyn's Cal Abrams in the crucial play that decided the 1950 pennant.

...Lopata was traded in March 1959 by the Philadelphia Phillies with Ted Kazanski and Eddie O'Brien to the Milwaukee Braves for Gene Conley, Joe Koppe and Harry Hanebrink.

...Lopata accumulated over 116 homers and 397 RBI in just 853 games.

..."Big Stash" was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.

...Lopata was born September 12, 1925 in Delray, Michigan.

ON MARCH 31, 1959, in a trade that helped neither team, Milwaukee swapped pitcher Gene Conley, and infielders Joe Koppe and Harry Hanebrink to the Phillies for Lopata, short stop Ted Kazanski and Johnny O'Brien. New Phillie Conley posted a record of 12–7 before going on the disabled list from August 20th to the close of the season. Stan played only sparingly in 1959 and retired during the 1960 season.

THIRTY HOME RUNS tied the Phils team record for homers by a catcher — and his 95 RBIs in 1955 tied him with outfielder Del Ennis for the team lead.