1951 Bowman - George Kell

George Kell was part of the TV announcing team (with Al Kaline) for the Tigers during the 80s and 90s. I enjoyed his Arkansas voice. Kell and Kaline were a great team. George Kell played for the Tigers in the 40s and 50s. He was a top third baseman and an excellent hitter. He was eventually inducted into the HOF.

The 1951 Bowman cards are probably my favorite of the Bowmans. I like the size and the almost cartoon quality of the art. They are somewhat smaller than the average card size of today. Bowman had some smaller sets, but as they moved into the 50s the cards got bigger. Pictured after the '51 back is a 1955 Bowman of George Kell (with the White Sox by that point). The measurements on that one are slightly bigger than the average card, which makes it tough sometimes to get them into a card holder. The color TV design may have seemed fun at the time, but the set is not in high demand. Topps bought Bowman in 1956, before Bowman produced a set for that season. So the color TVs were the last set for Bowman (at the bottom is a bonus picture of kids with their Bowman cards in '55).