Card Statistics
Burleigh Grimes is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with Brooklyn in a distinctive pre-delivery pitching pose, both arms raised behind his head as he prepares to bring the ball forward. The pale pinstriped uniform, blue stockings, and simple cap give the figure a restrained Brooklyn appearance, while the unusually high arm position creates a strong vertical rhythm through the composition. The open green field and low, distant buildings keep the setting understated and allow the pitching motion to dominate the card.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She models the white uniform with pale cream, gray, and cool blue washes, using the pinstripes and stronger shadows around the shoulders and trouser folds to define the figure. The blue stockings provide the principal color accent, while the glove and dark shoes anchor the upper and lower portions of the pose. The background is treated softly, with a muted green field, distant architecture, and a cloudy blue-gray sky that gives the scene a quiet, slightly overcast atmosphere.
Burleigh Arland Grimes was one of the most durable and successful pitchers of the 1920s and the last major-league pitcher legally permitted to throw the spitball. A hard-throwing right-hander with a fierce competitive reputation, Grimes became a star with Brooklyn after joining the club in 1918. He won 20 games for Brooklyn in 1920 and helped pitch the club to the National League pennant that season.
Grimes’ career eventually carried him through several clubs, including Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Chicago, and New York, but his years with Brooklyn established his reputation. He led the National League in wins twice, surpassed 20 victories in five seasons, and finished his career with 270 wins. His reliance on the spitball made him one of the last direct links to an earlier style of pitching after the pitch was generally outlawed in 1920, when established practitioners such as Grimes were allowed to continue using it.
Numbered #156, the Grimes card adds one of Brooklyn’s most important pitchers of the Deadball and early live-ball transition period to the T3 checklist. The unusual overhead set position is especially effective for a pitcher so closely identified with a distinctive and now-vanished pitching technique. Grimes was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: top of wind-up
- Team: Brooklyn Dodgers
- Population (# Sold): 20
- First Date Sold: 2022-01-25
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-30
- Card Status: Retired
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 72.01
- Average Auction Result: $ 23.42
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Visit these teammates on the Brooklyn Dodgers in the T3-Helmar series
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