Card Statistics
Herb Score is presented in Helmar’s T4 series with Cleveland at the beginning of his pitching motion, standing tall on the mound with his hands joined at chest height and his weight gathered over the rear leg. The cream Cleveland uniform, dark undersleeves, black cap with red insignia, and dark stockings give the figure a restrained club identity, while the slightly bent knees and inward turn of the body suggest the instant just before the delivery unfolds. Score’s pose is comparatively quiet, but the tension in the stance conveys the stored energy of a pitcher renowned for extraordinary velocity.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. The painting is particularly effective in the way it describes balance before motion. Score’s upper body remains compact and nearly vertical while the hips and legs begin to shift beneath him, creating the sense that the delivery is about to uncoil. Valiukavich uses the joined hands and glove as the visual center of the figure, then lets the darker undersleeves, cap, stockings, and shoes form a structural pattern around the pale uniform. The mound is rendered with warmer earth colors and stronger texture than the distant field, while the trees and horizon dissolve into soft washes. This contrast between a sharply constructed pitcher and an atmospheric setting gives the image depth without distracting from the mechanics of the stance.
Herbert Jude “Herb” Score emerged in the mid-1950s as one of the most electrifying young pitchers in baseball. A hard-throwing left-hander with a powerful fastball and sharp breaking ball, he reached Cleveland in 1955 and immediately established himself as one of the American League’s leading strikeout pitchers. His combination of velocity, youth, and dramatic mound presence made him one of the most exciting players of the period.
Score won the 1955 American League Rookie of the Year Award after striking out 245 batters, and he again led the league in strikeouts in 1956 with 263. He was selected to two All-Star teams before his career was dramatically interrupted in 1957, when a line drive struck him in the face during a game against New York. Score eventually returned to the majors, but he never fully regained the dominance of his first two seasons. His brief peak nevertheless remains one of the most impressive openings to a pitching career in baseball history.
Numbered #85, the Score card presents one of Cleveland’s most celebrated young pitchers in a poised pre-delivery moment rather than at full extension. The joined hands, upright posture, dark Cleveland accents, and softly painted mound and tree line give card #85 a restrained but expectant character within the T4 series. Score’s Rookie of the Year Award, consecutive American League strikeout titles, two All-Star selections, and extraordinary early-career dominance make him one of the most compelling pitching subjects in the issue.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Middle of Wind-up
- Team: Cleveland Indians
- Population (# Sold): 6
- First Date Sold: 2025-04-23
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-29
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 23.38
- Average Auction Result: $ 13.40
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Visit these teammates on the Cleveland Indians in the Helmar T4 series
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