Card Statistics
Lew Burdette is presented in Helmar’s T4 series with Milwaukee at the completion of his pitching motion, his body leaning forward as his weight carries across the mound and his glove hand drops toward his left side. The cream Braves uniform, blue-and-red cap, blue undersleeve, and striped stockings give the figure a strong Milwaukee identity, while the crossed legs and forward bend create a clear sense of momentum. Burdette’s head remains turned toward the plate, preserving the concentration of the pitch even after the ball has left his hand.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor, and the pose gives her an opportunity to describe motion largely through balance and directional line. Burdette’s torso tilts forward while the legs cross beneath him, so the figure appears to move diagonally through the composition rather than simply stand within it. The folds of the uniform reinforce that direction, running downward from the shoulder and waist toward the planted foot. Valiukavich also uses the glove as a visual counterweight: its warm brown mass hangs low on one side while the concealed throwing arm draws the opposite shoulder back. Behind him, the grandstand, clock structure, and stadium architecture are simplified into cooler, more distant washes. The effect is not merely decorative—the softened background makes the pitcher’s mechanics easier to read and gives the figure the immediacy of a demonstration of how a delivery finishes.
Selva Lewis “Lew” Burdette became one of the National League’s most dependable pitchers during the 1950s and early 1960s. After a brief beginning with the New York Yankees, he joined the Braves organization and developed into a durable right-hander noted for exceptional control, changing speeds, and a sinking fastball. Burdette was rarely overpowering in the conventional sense, but he excelled at disrupting timing and inducing weak contact, qualities that made him particularly effective over long outings.
Burdette won 203 games during an eighteen-season major-league career and recorded 33 shutouts. His defining achievement came in the 1957 World Series against the New York Yankees, when he won three complete games, including two shutouts, and was named the Series Most Valuable Player as Milwaukee captured the championship. He won 20 games in 1958, 21 in 1959, and later pitched a no-hitter against Philadelphia in 1960. His durability, command, and exceptional postseason performance made him one of the principal pitchers of the Braves’ most successful era.
Numbered #50, this Burdette card complements the earlier T4 image of him with Boston by presenting the same pitcher after the Braves’ move to Milwaukee and during the period in which he achieved his greatest success. The crossed-leg follow-through, lowered glove, vivid Milwaukee colors, and softly rendered stadium setting give card #50 a strong sense of motion while also emphasizing the mechanics of Burdette’s delivery. His 203 career victories, 1957 World Series MVP performance, three victories in that championship series, and 1960 no-hitter give him substantial historical importance within the T4 issue.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Leaning forward to read signal
- Team: Milwaukee Braves
- Population (# Sold): 16
- First Date Sold: 2022-12-21
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-01
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 33.00
- Average Auction Result: $ 12.21
Popularity Rankings
Visit these teammates on the Milwaukee Braves in the Helmar T4 series
Click the Card # link to go to Card Info, Click the Player Name link to go the the Player Biography
