Card Statistics
Frank McCormick is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with Cincinnati in a dramatic fielding pose, both arms raised high as he prepares to complete a catch. The oversized first baseman’s mitt, shown almost directly toward the viewer with the baseball already settled inside, becomes the dominant visual element of the composition. McCormick’s pale Cincinnati uniform, dark cap with red trim, and bold red-and-dark lettering across the chest provide a restrained Reds identity, while the upward gaze and foreshortened glove give the card an unusually immediate sense of action.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She gives particular attention to the glove, building the worn brown leather, dark lacing, webbing, and deep pocket with unusually precise detail. The white baseball and red stitching stand out sharply against the darker leather. McCormick’s cream uniform is modeled with warm ochre, gray, and pale green washes, while his face and raised hands are strongly illuminated against the expansive blue-and-white clouded sky. By eliminating nearly all ballpark detail, Valiukavich turns the composition into a concentrated study of the catch itself.
Frank Andrew McCormick was one of the National League’s outstanding first basemen of the late 1930s and early 1940s. He became Cincinnati’s regular first baseman in 1938 and immediately emerged as one of the league’s leading run producers. McCormick led the National League in hits in each of his first three full seasons and drove in more than 100 runs in four consecutive years from 1938 through 1941.
His greatest season came in 1940, when McCormick batted .309 with 19 home runs and 127 runs batted in and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player. Cincinnati won its second consecutive pennant that year and defeated Detroit in a seven-game World Series, giving the Reds their first uncontested World Series championship. McCormick was also highly regarded defensively and earned a reputation as one of the most dependable first basemen of his generation.
Numbered #176, the McCormick card adds another major star from Cincinnati’s championship era to the T3 checklist. The extreme upward fielding pose and prominently displayed mitt make it visually unlike most of the surrounding cards, while McCormick’s 1940 MVP season and central role on the World Series champions give the subject considerable historical importance.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Waiste up, reaching for high ball
- Team: Cincinnati Reds
- Population (# Sold): 14
- First Date Sold: 2023-04-19
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-30
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 65.00
- Average Auction Result: $ 19.14
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Visit these teammates on the Cincinnati Reds in the T3-Helmar series
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