2002 Hartland of Ohio Figures Dick Groat St. Louis Cardinals
The Hartland name is synonymous with sports figurines, and for good reason. Despite many ups and downs, Hartland figures remain a fixture of the vintage sports collectible market.
Since the 1940s, the nostalgic figure series has earned a legion of fans. With a special emphasis on baseball, the company has issued many figurines across its storied existence.
Founded in 1941 and originally based out of Wisconsin, Hartland was the first company to manufacture licensed sports figures. The first series, designated as the 900 Series, was originally produced in 1958 using mold-injected acetate plastic resin. The figures were then hand-painted using acetate-based paint.
Richard Morrow Groat (November 4, 1930 – April 27, 2023) was an American professional baseball and basketball player, who was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in Major League Baseball. He rates as one of the most accomplished two-sport athletes in American sports history, a college All-America in baseball and basketball as well as one of only 13 to play both at the professional level.
In 1960 Groat won the National League batting title with a .325 average, was the league's Most Valuable Player, and earned World Series championship with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He finished his 14-year career with a .286 batting average and 2,138 hits with four teams. For seven seasons from 1956 to 1962, Groat teamed with future Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski to give the Pirates one of the most efficient keystone combinations in baseball history. He ranked ninth in major league history in games played at shortstop (1,877) and fourth in double plays.
Groat attended Duke University, where he was a two-time All-American, two-time McKelvin Award winner as the Southern Conference athlete of the year, and the first basketball player to have his number (10) retired in school history. In 2011, he was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first person to be admitted to the college basketball and baseball halls of fame.
