Baseball Catcher and Baseball Pitcher, are one of those rare smurfs that were made especially for the US market and never originally sold in Europe. Like a number of rare smurfs that was made just for the US, in the Der Schlumpf Katalog IV it does not mention what years they were available.

Baseball Catcher was sold between 1982 to 1984 by Wallace Berrie. The Baseball Catcher is wearing a black face mask, white uniform, vest, knee pads and a brown thick padded glove. He is also in a crouching position. 

Baseball Catcher can be found with two different markings. The first version was produced with the markings Made in Hong Kong Schleich S © 1981 Peyo and the second version has the markings Made in Hong Kong W. Berrie &Co. Schleich S © 1981 Peyo. Apart from the markings there is very little difference between the two. 

Until recently I always thought that the only differences to be found were with the brown catchers mitt. From dark shiny brown to more of a dark olive brown. Then I was shown a picture of Baseball Catcher was a very light lilac uniform in the Der Schlumpf Katalog IV on page 88. Was this real or fake? Was this a prototype or painter playing with colours? I will let you decide….

Baseball Pitcher was only sold by Wallace Berrie in 1983. Standing on a grass pattern oval base, wearing black shoes, red socks, white pants, black belt, red shirt, brown high gloss painted glove, while holding a white baseball with black stitching. Like the Baseball catcher the biggest varaiance can be found with the colour brown used for the baseball glove. 

By the time Baseball Pitcher was released in 1983, the smurfs being out of Hong Kong were only being sold by Wallace Berrie so the only markings to be found for Baseball Pitcher is Made in Hong Kong W.Berrie Co Schleich S © Peyo 1983. The markings can be found underneath the base and on the figurine. 

By most collectors, both Baseball Catcher and Baseball Pitcher are considered rare, especially outside the United States. If anything if you were to compare how rare they both are, I would say that Baseball Pitcher is considered rarer as it was sold for one year. So expect to pay a little more for this. But both are worth collecting, even if you aren’t a sports fan just because gives you glimpse into American culture back in early 1980’s. 

Keep on Smurfin

Kath B