Baseball-themed advertisements from a 1953 Phillies scorecard

In the late 1990s, I acquired a "1953 Official Score Card" for the Philadelphia Phillies. It's a treasure trove of baseball information, vintage illustrations and advertising that gives a wonderful snapshot of Philadelphia-area businesses and commerce nearly six decades ago.

Reeling off a lineup of the company names within would certainly create a wave of nostalgia for those who remember this era: Philco, Roper, Blatz, Hygrade's, Ortlieb's, Old Gold, Squirt...

For today's post, I am focusing on some of the advertisements from the scorecard that specifically incorporated baseball themes.

Leading off is a quarter-page advertisement for Sealtest ice cream that made its point with very few words:

This advertisement for Philadelphia clothier Krass Bros.¹ offered a "complete wardrobe" to the first Phillies players who achieved certain statistical milestones.

Here, Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts made a pitch for Gem Duridium razor blades.

There's a themed page with eight advertisements and a headline that states "YOU'RE SAFE! ..... WHEN YOU PATRONIZE THESE RELIABLE FIRMS."

I chuckled at one of the juxtapositions on that page, shown below.

Finally, here's an advertisement for Philadelphia Electric Company that includes a nifty illustration of a lightning-bolt baseball player.

Footnote
1. Krass Brothers was even more well-known, in later years, for a series of commercials that aired in the Philadelphia area. Those are documented and remembered on Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, The Blog of Death, and The Consumerist.