Card Statistics
Rip Sewell is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with Pittsburgh in the follow-through of a pitching delivery, his weight moving forward over the planted leg as his throwing arm drops across the front of his body. The cream Pirates uniform, dark blue cap, blue belt, and red-and-blue stockings give the figure a strong Pittsburgh identity, while the lifted rear leg and extended posture create an easy sense of motion. The ballpark setting is unusually prominent, with the grandstand and bands of painted advertising forming a colorful backdrop behind the pitcher.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She models the pale uniform with warm cream, ochre, muted gray, and cool blue washes, using deeper shadows through the torso and trousers to describe the turning motion of the delivery. The cap, belt, and stockings provide the principal color accents, while the dark glove gives additional weight to the lower right side of the figure. Behind Sewell, the grandstand is handled in broad architectural bands of red, blue, green, and ochre, giving the composition a busier and more urban character than many of the open-field cards in the series.
Truett Banks “Rip” Sewell was a durable right-handed pitcher whose best years came with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1940s. He reached his peak relatively late, becoming one of the National League’s most effective starters in his mid-thirties. Sewell won 21 games in 1943 with a 2.54 earned-run average, then won 21 again in 1944, earning All-Star selections in both seasons.
Sewell is especially remembered for developing the high-arcing “eephus” pitch, an unusually slow delivery that climbed steeply before dropping toward the plate. The pitch became one of baseball’s most famous curiosities and added an element of deception to a pitcher who otherwise relied on control, changing speeds, and durability. He remained a useful Pittsburgh starter through the end of World War II and into the immediate postwar years.
Numbered #182, the Sewell card adds one of the more distinctive pitchers of the 1940s to the T3 checklist. The strong follow-through pose and colorful ballpark background give the image considerable visual energy, while Sewell’s consecutive 21-win seasons and association with the eephus pitch make him an especially memorable historical subject.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Follow Through
- Team: Pittsburgh Pirates
- Population (# Sold): 15
- First Date Sold: 2023-04-19
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-10-13
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 52.21
- Average Auction Result: $ 19.94
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Visit these teammates on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the T3-Helmar series
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