Unpossible Autograph Friday- Billy Goodman

There are a handful of guys who played in some games for the Orioles, never had a card made featuring them with the O's and passed away before the Orioles Crown set came out in 1991. Since that set included a card of every single player who had appeared in even a single game for the Birds, every Oriole from 1954-early 1991 has at least 1 card featuring him as an O, albeit a few players are pictured wearing another team's hat. There are a lot fewer pictures from back in the day than there are now, apparently not everyone was able to take pictures with their cell phones or something.

Billy Goodman is among those players who passed away before the Crown set came out, so this is the autograph that's in my collection.

His service in WWII delayed his professional baseball career but he still played in the Majors from 1947-62 and really started his career with a bang. From 1948-54 during his time with the Red Sox, Billy was consistently one of the best hitters in the league, and even led the American League with a .354 average in 1950. He consistently received MVP votes over those years and made the All-Star team in 1949 & 1953.

In the middle of the '57 season, the Red Sox traded to him to the Orioles who then flipped him to the White Sox at the end of the year, so Billy's Orioles career lasted all of 73 games. He was traded early enough in the offseason that his '58 Topps card pictures him as a member of the Sox.

He impressively finished his career with an even .300 batting average. Not too shabby!

Billy passed away in 1984 at only 58 years old. He was posthumously inducted to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004. RIP Billy.