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Carl Erskine was a fan favorite for the Brooklyn Dodgers. A rookie in 1948 when he autographed this card, Erskine pitched in 5 World Series in his first 9 big league seasons. A 20-game winner in 1953, Erskine was an All Star pitcher who authored two no-hitters.

In 1953 “Oisk” broke Howard Ehmke’s 1929 record of 13 strikeouts in a World Series game. Ten years later former teammate Sandy Koufax eclipsed Erskine by striking out 15 Yankees in Game 1 of ’63 Fall Classic.

In the collection is this postcard signed by Erskine during his first Major League season, just 15 games into his 12-year career with the Dodgers. To better understand how this piece’s date is verified, take a look at the next image and its description.

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Government postcards were a medium of choice for many collectors through the years. Autograph seekers sent self-addressed, stamped postcards to players who would adorn the cards with their signatures and drop them in the mail. The US Postal Service would then affix it’s postmark including the date and location of the post office, giving collectors a safe bet as to where and when the item was mailed.

As shown on this image, Erskine dropped this postcard in the mail on September 25, 1948 in Brooklyn. That same day the Dodgers subdued the Phillies 3-0 behind a Rex Barney complete-game shutout.

Roy Campanella drove in Gil Hodges in the bottom of the 5th for the game’s first run. Brooklyn added two insurance runs in the 8th when Pee Wee Reese’s double drove in Jackie Robinson. The next batter, Pete Reiser singled home Reese to cap the scoring.

Though Erskine autographs are plentiful, examples signed in his rookie season as a 21-year old are much more difficult to find.

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Carl Erskine’s finest season came in 1953. That year he set career highs in wins, strikeouts, and WAR. The 20-game winner pitched the Brooklyn Dodgers into that season’s Fall Classic. In Game 3 against the Yankees, Erskine fanned 14 New York batters to break Howard Ehmke’s mark of 13 K’s established in Game 1 of the ’29 Series.

In the collection is this letter dated January 11, 1954, just three months after pitching his October gem. Erskine writes to 1929 batting champ Lew Fonseca, who by then was MLB’s Director of Promotions , “I received the 1953 World Series film and have all ready (sic) enjoyed seeing it several times. I always get he feeling early in the film that this is the year were (sic) going to do it but it always comes out the same.

“Because of its contents, I treasure this as the top memento of my professional baseball career…”

Though his signature is common, letters signed by Erskine from the 1950s are seldom seen. The content of this example makes the letter highly desirable.

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Brooklyn and their hometown Dodgers had a love affair dating back to 1883. The Dodgers won two National League championships in the 1890s and ten overall from their founding until 1954, but never earned a World Series title.

In 1955 the team finally got over the hump, giving Brooklyn it’s first World Series title. The Dodgers left Brooklyn after just two more seasons, forever indebting the city to the ’55 club.

In the collection is this 1956 Topps card autographed by Brooklyn great Carl Erskine. The pitcure

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Brooklyn fans never forgave Walter O’Malley for moving the Dodgers west to Los Angeles. Dem Bums were a New York institution. Nothing lasts forever. The team played its last game in Brooklyn in 1957 and moved across the country to California. Carl Erskine made the move with the club, closing his last two big league seasons in Los Angeles before retiring.

In the collection is this 1958 Topps baseball card of Erskine signed boldly. It features Oisk in today’s familiar “LA” Dodgers cap. Erskine’s best years were behind him by the time of the move. In two seasons in LA, he went 4-7 with a 5.62 ERA.

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In this 5-question questionnaire, Carl Erskine writes about his career highlights and no-hitters. When asked to reflect on his no-no’s, the humble pitcher writes, “I had two no-hitters. In each case it was the late innings before you began to think about a no-hitter. Then it’s one hitter at a time. Winning the game was most important.”

Erskine also recounts a one-hitter in which, “…Gus Bell of the Reds bunted & beat it out for the only hit…”.

When asked who the toughest hitter was, Erskine replied, “Stan Musial of the Cardinals because he always made contact, hit to all fields, and had power.”

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Carl Erskine played each of his twelve big league seasons with the Dodgers. For all but one of those years Erskine was backed up by Hall of Fame shortstop Pee Wee Reese. A ten-time All Star, Reese was captain of the team from 1950-1958.

In the collection is this Dodger press release from four days after Reese’s passing. Dated August 18, 1999, the day Reese was buried in Louisville, Kentucky, the press release announces the organization’s decision to adorn player uniforms with a patch honoring Reese, the longest-running team captain in franchise history. At the bottom of the press release Erskine has written his thoughts on the shortstop.

“Harold ‘Pee Wee’ Reese was a captain of captains. Our infield was full of captains. Roy Campanella was like a field general, Gil Hodges a sharp thinker with baseball savvy. Jackie Robinson – smart and aggressive – anyone (sic) of them could have been a captain. Pee Wee however was the respected leader. He played for at least four different type managers all of whom considered him their extension on the field. All of us who played with Pee Wee saw a quiet leader, real pro and sincere friend.”

Erskine has boldly signed the bottom of the letter, adding “Dodgers 1948-1959”.

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Vin Scully was the soundtrack of summer for generations of Dodger fans, starting in Brooklyn in 1950 and spanning 67 years to 2016. Toward the end of his career Scully signed one-year contracts, gauging his interest toward each season’s end before agreeing to the next.

In the collection is this Dodger press release dated August 26, 2011, announcing Vin’s return for the 2012 season. On September 7, 2011, Carl Erskine penned his thoughts about baseball’s greatest announcer at the bottom.

“I first met Vince Scully in 1950 – he was fresh out of Fordham Univ – I immediately looked at his red hair and said, ‘This kid is a pup out of Red Barber.’ How poetic – in fact Vin has been all that Red Barber was and more…”

High praise indeed from Erskine who was there at the start of Scully’s career.