Card Statistics
Babe Herman is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with the Chicago Nationals in the follow-through of a powerful swing, his weight shifting onto the front leg as he watches the flight of the ball. The pale pinstriped uniform, blue cap, dark belt, and striped stockings give the figure a strong Cubs identity, while the flowing script across the jersey and the packed grandstand behind him create one of the livelier game-action settings in this portion of the series.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She models the cream uniform with pale green-gray, blue, and warm ochre washes, allowing the pinstripes and folds of the fabric to carry much of the figure’s structure. The bat rises vertically beside Herman’s shoulder and provides a warm brown counterpoint to the cooler uniform. Behind him, the shaded grandstand is handled in dark layered washes with small touches of muted red, green, and tan suggesting the crowd, giving the image depth while keeping the player sharply dominant.
Floyd Caves “Babe” Herman was one of the National League’s most dangerous hitters of the late 1920s and early 1930s. He became a star with Brooklyn, where his combination of power and high batting averages made him one of the league’s most productive offensive players. Herman hit .300 or better in seven seasons and enjoyed his greatest year in 1930, batting .393 with 35 home runs and 130 runs batted in.
Herman later played for Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh, and Detroit before returning briefly to Brooklyn near the end of his career. His Chicago tenure came in 1933 and 1934, when he remained a formidable hitter and gave the Cubs another veteran bat in a lineup already filled with established stars. Though remembered as much for colorful baserunning stories as for his statistics, Herman’s offensive record was substantial: he finished his major-league career with a .324 batting average and more than 1,800 hits.
Numbered #158, the Herman card adds a notable power hitter to the Chicago section of the T3 checklist. The full follow-through pose and shadowed grandstand distinguish it visually from the more static portraits nearby, while Herman’s exceptional peak as a hitter gives the subject considerable historical interest.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Hitting fly ball; crowd behind
- Team: Chicago Cubs
- Population (# Sold): 18
- First Date Sold: 2022-02-15
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-01
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 46.99
- Average Auction Result: $ 18.09
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Visit these teammates on the Chicago Cubs in the T3-Helmar series
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