Collect the Top Players from 1931-1940
The 1930s ushered in a transformative era in baseball, characterized by the dominance of legendary players whose performances not only defined the decade but also left an indelible mark on the sport’s history. As the game evolved, these athletes set new standards of excellence, captivating fans with their skill and charisma.
Their legacies endure, immortalized through both their on-field achievements and some of the most iconic and sought-after trading cards in The Hobby.
Best Baseball Players & Their Cards: 1931-1940
Catcher: 1933 Goudey #19 Bill Dickey
Player info
• seven-time world series champion
• hall-of-famer
• 11-time all-star
Set info
• 240-card set
what they said
• “Bill Dickey is the best [catcher] I ever saw.” – Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller.
First Base: 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig
Player info
• Hall-of-famer
• six-time world series champion
• two-time al mvp
set info
• 128-Card set
• some believe this is gehrig’s first card
What they said
• “Lou Gehrig was a guy who could really hit the ball, was dependable and seemed so durable that many of us thought he could have played forever.” – teammate george selkirk
Second Base: 1938 Goudey #265 Charlie Gehringer
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• 1935 world series champion
• six-time all-star
set info
• 48-Card set
What they said
• “You wind him up in the spring, turn him loose, he hits .330 or .340, and you shut him off at the end of the season.” – Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez
Shortstop: 1933 Goudey #229 Floyd Vaughan
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• pittsburgh pirates hall of famer
• Nine-time all-star
Card/Set info
• 240-Card Set
What they said
• “[Arky] was one of the fellows who went out of his way to be nice to me when I was a rookie.” – jackie robinson
Third Base: 1933 Goudey #22 Pie Traynor
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• Two-time all-star
• 1925 world series champion
set info
• 240-Card set
what they said
• “He had the quickest hands and the quickest arms of any third baseman I ever saw.” – teammate charlie grimm
Left Fielder: 1933 Goudey #35 Al Simmons
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• Two-time world series champion
• Two-time al batting champion
Set info
• 240-Card Set
what they said
• “I wish I had nine players named Al Simmons.” – Hall of Fame Manager Connie Mack
Center Fielder: 1941 Play Ball #71 Joe DiMaggio
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• Nine-time world series champion
• mlb all-century team
set info
• 72-Card set
What they said
• “I never saw him look bad and he made it look so easy.” – hall of famer ted williams
Right Fielder: 1933 Goudey #127 Mel Ott
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• 1933 world series champion
• 12-time all-star
set info
• 240-card set
What they said
• “I never knew a baseball player who was so universally loved. Why even when he was playing against the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, he would be cheered – and there are no more rabid fans than in Brooklyn.” – Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher
Starting Pitcher: 1933 Goudey #220 Lefty Grove RC
Player info
• hall-of-famer
• tw0-time world series champion
• nine-time al strikeouts leader
set info
• 240-Card Set
What they said
• “Sometimes, when the sun was out, really bright, Grove would throw that baseball in there and it looked like a flash of white sewing thread coming up at you.” – Joe Sewell
