Tom Urbani baseball cards hold a special place in the history of the sport and in the collecting world. While not one of the all-time great players, Urbani had a solid career in the majors in the 1930s and 1940s and is best known today for the historic and valuable baseball cards that were produced featuring his likeness. Let’s take a deeper look at Tom Urbani, his playing career, and the legacy of his classic baseball cards that continue to fascinate collectors decades later.
Thomas “Tom” Urbani was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1910. A talented young baseball player, Urbani broke into the majors in 1934 with the Philadelphia Phillies at age 24. Urbani would go on to play parts of 10 seasons in the major leagues primarily as a utility player and bench bat, suiting up for the Phillies, Boston Bees/Braves, and Pittsburgh Pirates between 1934-1943. While never an everyday starter, Urbani was a valuable role player who could play almost every position and was a decent slap hitter known for making contact.
In 541 career games, Urbani compiled a .257 batting average with 244 hits, 46 doubles, 7 triples, 2 home runs, and 88 RBI. He stole 23 bases and scored 125 runs. Urbani’s versatility allowed him to play every position on the field except pitcher and catcher over his MLB tenure. His best season came in 1937 for the Bees when he batted .286 in 89 games. Urbani played his final MLB game on May 23, 1943 at the age of 33 as a member of the Pirates. He went on to spend 1944 playing in the minor leagues before retiring from baseball altogether.
It was during Urbani’s early seasons in the mid-1930s that the baseball card company Goudey Gum Company decided to include him in their iconic 1933 and 1934 Goudey baseball card sets. These highly collectible cards were inserted in packs of Goudey gum to promote the brand. While several hundred players received card issues in 1933 and fewer in 1934 as the Great Depression hit, Tom Urbani somehow merited cards in both sets despite being a rookie backup player at the time.
This is what made the Urbani Goudey cards especially intriguing – he wasn’t a huge star but was included twice in the pioneer modern baseball card releases. Today, the 1933 and 1934 Goudey Tom Urbani cards are among the most valuable vintage issues in the hobby. Graded high copies have sold at auction for over $100,000 due to their rarity, history, and the mystique surrounding Urbani receiving duplicate cards so early in his career.
Several intriguing theories surround why Urbani, of all players, was selected for dual 1933-1934 Goudey issues. Some believe he may have had a personal relationship with someone high up at Goudey or with the photographers who shot the player images. Others think it was simply dumb luck or the result of overproduction leading to player selection choices not entirely based on merit. Whatever the reason, the Urbani Goudey cards are a bit of an anomaly that collectors have long puzzled over.
Beyond just their rarity and the intrigue of multiple Urbani selections, the actual Goudey cards themselves increase the desirability. The 1933 Urbani features a clean photo image with a light blue border around it. The 1934 has a smilier style but with a thicker black border. Both exhibit splendid eye appeal with bold photos and colors that have held up extremely well over 90 years given the fragile nature of early 1930s cardboard. They are truly magnificent specimens of early modern baseball card design and printing.
After his playing days ended, Urbani spent time scouting for the Pirates in the mid-1940s before leaving the game entirely. He passed away in New York in 1978 at the age of 68. While he never achieved great individual MLB success, Tom Urbani secured his place in history and in the hearts of vintage card collectors due to those impossibly rare 1933 and 1934 Goudey issues. They stand as some of the most coveted old cardboard in the entire hobby due to their aesthetic beauty, historic significance as pioneer cards, and the mystery surrounding Urbani’s dual selections.
Whether you’re a casual collector or serious investor, the saga of Tom Urbani and his treasured Goudey cards makes for a truly fascinating story. It shows how even the most obscure players can achieve immortality through the enduring medium of early baseball cards. Today, in an era where 7-figure card prices are increasingly common, the high-grade Urbani Goudey rookies continue smashing records and appreciation only grows for one of the true oddball mysteries in the annals of sportscards. As long as collectors exist, the legend of Tom Urbani will assuredly live on.
