Supplement — No. 106

The Legendary Lajoie

A special card inspired by Goudey’s answer to the collector demand for a missing number.

The basic puzzle is simple enough. Why does Napoleon Lajoie appear on a card number that did not exist in Goudey baseball card packs in 1933, and why does he appear there in a design that looks partly 1933 and partly 1934?

Part of the answer is documented. Big League Gum was planned as a 240-card set, and No. 106 first belonged to Leo Durocher. Before final printing, Goudey pulled that card from the sheet and replaced it with a second Babe Ruth. That left a real hole in the checklist, and collectors noticed quickly.

By 1934, enough collectors had complained that Goudey created a real No. 106 with Lajoie’s name on it, but in an art style that looked more like the nostalgic portraits of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth from Sport Kings Gum.

The most reasonable reconstruction is that Lajoie’s artwork belonged somewhere else first. He fits the mold of Sport Kings Gum much better than Big League Gum: a foundational older star, famous enough to matter, but well removed from active play by the 1930s. Goudey mailed his card to those who asked about the missing number, making it one of the first collector-driven releases.

For a more thorough analysis of the business context and card itself, read: Where did 1933 Big League Gum #106 Nap Lajoie really come from?

If you received this card on its own and want to know more about the full 12-card Cleveland set, visit the Cleveland set page.