1934 Goudey Baseball is the follow-up to the popular 1933 release and brings over much of what made the initial a hobby staple. Given their intense, distinctive colors, it is simple to see why the 1934 Goudey baseball cards have kept a devoted following among classic card collectors.
Comprising only 96 cards, the 34 Goudey set is not excessively challenging to finish, even with the last 2 dozen cards being comparatively harder to find.
1934 Goudey Baseball Card Set Design
Many of the initial cards in the set use the same design as 1933, but add subtle updates. This is apparent when you take a look at an early card in the set such as Lefty Grove.
The player’s name is featured at the top of the card and the bottom uses a blue or red banner with a tagline that checks out “Lou Gehrig states.” or “Chuck Klein says.
Lou Gehrig is featured on 84 cards, while Klein is only on 12.
Those 12 were cards later in the set of National League players.
While the 1934 Goudey Baseball fronts showcase an updated appearance, the card backs are very comparable to the 1933 style.
Instead of a standard bio with player statistics, the details on the back exist as a direct quote from either Lou Gehrig or Chuck Klein.
In addition, some cards consist of trivia concerns about baseball records on the reverse (e. g., on the back of Ed Wells’ card (No. 73): “What popular pitcher was denied by John McGraw? See answer on card No. 85.”). Near the bottom of Adam Comorosky’s card is the answer: “Lefty Grove, now with the Boston Red Sox in 1926.”
Most Valuable 1934 Goudey Baseball Cards
Jimmie Foxx #1
Jimmie Foxx had actually just won the Triple Crown, so it’s not a surprise Goudey made him the very first card in their 2nd set. Like many of the other early cards, it features the same picture as the 33 release, but with a few small additions to the card. A baseball diamond and the Lou Gehrig says are the small differences between the two.
Mickey Cochrane #2
Cockrane won MVP during this year. He won 2 MVPs in his career and 3 World Series. He played for the Tigers during the later part of his career
Dizzy Dean #6
1934 was Dizzy Dean’s greatest season. He lead the league in Strikeouts and Wins which helped him collect an MVP award. To top it off, the St Louis Cardinals won the world series that year.
Leo Durocher #7
Despite him playing for years, he was inducted into the hall of fame as a manger. He was a 3 time all-star and won 2 World Series during his career
Paul Waner #11
Waner was a hall of famer that landed 2nd in the MVP race in 1934. Paul wasn’t the only athlete in his family. In fact, his brother Lloyd Waner is featured in the 1933 Goudey set (unfortunately he doesn’t have a card in this set).
Carl Hubbell #12
During this year, Carl Hubbell was an all-star. In the year prior to this set’s release, he won the MVP award. He had one of his best pitching years ending with a 2.3 ERA
Lefty Grove #19
During this time period, Lefty Grove was have an elite run of years pitching. It’s no surprise that he got a card in the 1934 Goudey Baseball Card set. Also that year he was traded to the Boston Red Sox which (in my opinion) is why his cap color is changed between the two Goudey releases.
Charlie Gehringer #23
In 1934, Gehringer had a great year. He finished high in MVP voting and was an all-star. Gehringer had one of his highest batting averages in his career (.350).
Floyd "Arky" Vaughan #22
1934 for Vaughan’s first year becoming an all-star and only his third year in the league. he had his third highest batting average this year at .333.
Luke Appling #27
Appling was a hall of famer who was also a 7 time all-star. He played for the White Sox for his whole career and this is his first mainstream card
Lou Gehrig #37
Lou Gehrig has two 1934 Goudey Baseball Cards. Card #37, features a portrait shot with a bright yellow background. This card pops in comparison to 61.
Lou Gehrig #61
This is the 2nd Lou Gehrig card in the set. He was the only player to be featured in multiple cards for this release.
The design on 61 is much different than the earlier card as it features him in a batting stance. Also, the background is darker and doesn’t pop as much.
Hank Greenberg #62
Right after Lou Gehrig’s card No. 61 in the set is another huge name: Hank Greenberg. This is technically the 3rd most expensive card in the set and a highly regarded Rookie Card to collect.
Greenberg was a significant star of the day and his card is extremely essential here in that he wasn’t included in the 1933 concern.
Kiki Cuyler #90
Cuyler’s card is the only Hall of Famer in the high number series, it’s absolutely one of the more notable cards in the release.
This is one of the 12 cards that features Chuck Klein instead of Lou Gehrig. The banner at the bottom is also red instead of the classic blue look.
1934 Goudey Baseball Card Checklist
Although there are no main short prints, the high numbers (# 73-96) are noticeably harder to locate. Located below i
1 Jimmy Foxx
2 Gordon (Mickey) Cochrane
3 Charlie Grimm
4 Elwood (Woody) English
5 Ed Brandt
6 Jerome (Dizzy) Dean
7 Leo Durocher
8 Tony Piet
9 Ben Chapman
10 Charles (Chuck) Klein
11 Paul Waner
12 Carl Hubbell
13 Frank Frisch
14 Willie Kamm
15 Alvin Crowder
16 Joe Kuhel
17 Hugh Kritz
18 Henry (Heinie) Manush
19 Robert (Lefty) Grove
20 Frank Hogan
21 Bill Terry
22 Floyd Vaughan
23 Charley Gehringer
24 Ray Benge
25 Roger Cramer
26 Gerald Walker
27 Luke Appling
28 Ed Coleman
29 Larry French
30 Julius Solters
31 Baxter Jordan
32 John (Blondy) Ryan
33 Frank (Don) Hurst
34 Charles (Chick) Hafey
35 Ernie Lombardi
36 Walter (Huck) Betts
37 Lou Gehrig
38 Oral Hildebrand
39 Fred Walker
40 John Stone
41 George Earnshaw
42 John Allen
43 Dick Porter
44 Tom Bridges
45 Oscar Melillo
46 Joe Stripp
47 John Frederick
48 James (Tex) Carleton
49 Sam Leslie
50 Walter Beck
51 Jim (Rip) Collins
52 Herman Bell
53 George Watkins
54 Wesley Schulmerich
55 Ed Holley
56 Mark Koenig
57 Bill Swift
58 Earl Grace
59 Joe Mowry
60 Lynn Nelson
61 Lou Gehrig
62 Henry Greenberg
63 Minter Hayes
64 Frank Grube
65 Cliff Bolton
66 Mel Harder
67 Bob Weiland
68 Bob Johnson
69 John Marcum
70 Ervin (Pete) Fox
71 Lyle Tinning
72 Arndt Jorgens
73 Ed Wells
74 Bob Boken
75 Bill Werber
76 Hal Trotsky
77 Joe Vosmik
78 Frank (Pinkey) Higgins
79 Eddie Durham
80 Marty McManus
81 Bob Brown
82 Bill Hallahan
83 Jim Mooney
84 Paul Derringer
85 Adam Comorosky
86 Lloyd Johnson
87 George Darrow
88 Homer Peel
89 Linus Frey
90 Hazen (Ki-Ki) Cuyler
91 Dolph Camilli
92 Steve Larkin
93 Fred Ostermueller
94 (Red) Rolfe
95 Myril Hoag
96 Jim DeShong
