Old as Moses Monday: Peaches Come From a Can

Either from a can or from baseball cards.

For this week's edition of "Old as Moses Monday," we shine the spotlight on one George Frederick Graham, otherwise known as "Peaches."

Graham, shown here on Topps' ode to the old T205 tobacco cards from 1911, was the ultimate utility player.

Throughout the course of his 7-year career, the guy started at catcher, second baseman, outfielder, third baseman, shortstop and even attempted a career as a pitcher as well.  He was a regular Bert Campaneris in his day.

He was a Cubbie double-dipper as well.  His first stint in Chicago lasted just one game, during his aforementioned attempt as a moundsman.  In his only start, he allowed 3 runs in 5 innings, downright disastrous in the Deadball Era.  It would be his only MLB pitching appearance.

After bouncing around the diamond for the Boston NL club for several seasons, Peaches was traded back to the Cubs in the middle of the 1911 campaign, for long-time catcher Johnny Kling, among others.  This time, he stayed exclusively at the other side of the battery, catching 36 games.

He wasn't much of a catcher though, he led the league in passed balls in just 75 games in 1908 and then booted 22 errors in 92 games behind the plate during the next season.  No wonder he kept bouncing around the playing field.

My only other Peaches card documents his time in Boston.

It comes from Renatta Galasso's reprint set of 1911 Turkey Reds

He was traded again in the off-season, this time to the Phillies, where he closed out his career with 24 more games behind the dish.

More importantly than his statistics though is just where in the world did he get such a cool nickname?  Allegedly, while playing in Colorado Springs during his minor league days, George ate an entire bucket of peaches on a dare from teammate Bunk Congalton, himself a future Cub.  Well, Bunk did say he triple dog dared him after all...

Graham then went and rapped out 9 hits in a four-game series.  As superstitious as ball-players tend be, especially in the early 20th century, from then on "Peaches" ate a peach before every game as he sat on the bench, convinced that they were good luck.  Turk Wendell had black licorice, George Graham had nature's candy.

The man who indirectly gave "Peaches" his moniker, on a real tobacco card which I do not yet own.

Image courtesy of VintageCardPrices.com

As for the card, it hails from Topps 205, just as the company was realizing that super-retro based sets were money-makers.  Topps 206 was released a year earlier to surprising success; so, to follow up, the first series of Topps 205 was released in July 2003.

Just like the original 1911 T-205's, there are separate designs for the NL, AL and minor league players. The first third of the checklist consists of current Major League players, the second features prospects and first-year players, and the last features various "reprints" of some of the original T-205 cards. Obviously, the Graham cards comes from the latter third.

At least UD gets it with their Goodwin Champions set and so too did TriStar when Obak was sitll a thing... sigh.

This is something that Topps eventually strayed away from when it comes to their old-timey sets.  No longer can we find players from the eras being honored in sets like A&G, Gypsy Queen and the like.  I'm just saying, we have enough cards of David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez - a little nod to the players of yore would add a little spice to these increasingly repetitive releases.

End rant.

Anyway, that about does it for this week's edition of "Old as Moses Monday."  Now, I have to go and watch as Jake Arrieta (hopefully) continues his run of dominance against those damn Redbirds.  

Old as Moses Monday - Andy "Don't Touch My Hat" Coakley

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature; it shines the spotlight on Cubs players from baseball's ancient history that have found their way into my CATRC. We're talking pre-WWI here!*

Andy Coakley was lucky enough to be a member of the (as of yet, fingers-crossed) last Cubs team to win the World Series in 1908.  He wasn't there long; but, he definitely made his presence felt during his the stretch run.  However, it was his desire to be compensated for his efforts that kept him from continuing onward with the then Westsiders or any other ball club.

Coakley has quite an interesting story behind him.

He originally came up in 1902 with Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, fresh off of completing his second year of studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.  The 19-year old rookie went 21 in 3 starts for the A's with an ERA of 2.67 - not bad for a youngster.

Now, one has to wonder if there might have been some overlap with his MLB service time and his college studies.  For that 1902 season, Coakley played under the alias of Jack McAllister.  It appears as though Mr. Mack might have let Andy pull some double duty with his alma-mater's squad.

Coakley didn't start seeing regular action in the Bigs until the 1905 season - perhaps it was due to further eligibility snafus - when he burst onto the scene with an 18-8, 1.84 ERA season as the number two pitcher for the Philly AL club.  Unfortunately, Andy's breakout season would also be the one in which he punched his ticket out of town.

The ace of the Athletic's staff that season was HOF'er Rube Waddell, known for being a top-flight hurler on the mound and a first-class knucklehead off of it.  The former Cub had already ruin himself off a handful of clubs for his antics, including attempting to leave the mound in the middle of a game to chase a firetruck on it's way to a blaze.  He was something to deal with, that's for sure.

"Rube" Waddell definitely earned his nickname

That September, the A's had a comfy 7 game lead for the AL pennant.  While travelling back to Philly after a long road trip, Rube knocked Andy's straw hat right off of his head.  Though it was likely meant as a playful gesture, Coakley took offense to the childish act and engaged the man in fisticuffs.  How's that for some period appropriate terminology, eh?

Rube was injured in the scuffle and lost for the rest of the season.  The club very nearly blew their 7 game lead and then promptly lost the World Series to Christy Mathewson and the Giants in 5 games.  To top it all off, Coakley lost his only appearance in the Series in a 9-0 blow out.

To say the least, Connie Mack was a little peeved with Andy.

After his record dropped to 7-8 in 1906, Andy eventually lost his spot in the starting rotation and was then sent packing to the baseball hell that was Cincinnati.  Connie had definitely lost his patience with the young man.

The Cubs rescued Andy from the second-division Reds in September of 1908.  Needing another arm for the stretch drive of their epic battle with the Giants, Chicago still saw potential in the embattled arm.  Coakley responded by posting 2 big wins and no losses, with a minuscule 0.89 ERA in 4 appearances (3 starts).  Not too shabby, eh?

Despite his efforts, Coakley was left off of the World Series roster.  I'm not sure how eligibility worked way back then; but, he certainly would not have been eligible to play today, having been acquired after September 1st.

A visual approximation of how that meeting went

Here is where the trouble begins again.  His short-term teammates slighted Andy by voting him not even a partial share of their World Series winnings - not a single dollar.  Of course, he felt slighted by their actions; he had no illusions of earning a full-share, but he did believe he deserved a little something for his troubles.

So, Andy took the Cubs to court.  I cannot find the ruling for the case of Coakley vs. The Cubs; however, I can find that he was lambasted in the press as being greedy and ungrateful.  Additionally, seeing as his contract was still controlled by Chicago, his playing time in 1909 amounted to just a single game and he was promptly pounded in that start.

Outside of a two game cuppacoffee  with the Yankees in 1911, Andy found himself informally blackballed by Major League Baseball and was forced to play out the rest of his career in various outlaw leagues.  All because he had the audacity to stand up for himself and ask that he be compensated for his services.  

Unfortunately for Andy, Curt Flood and the player's union were still more than half a decade away.

It wasn't all bad for Mr. Coakley though,  After his playing days, he embarked on a long and successful coaching career for Columbia University, spending 37 years as the head coach of the Lions from 1915 to 1951.  His most notable pupil?  A young man by the name of Lou Gehrig.

He died in 1963 at the age of 81.

Coakley and a few of his chargees from Columbia

Photo courtesy of the Museum of NYC and taken by none other than Stanley Kubrick!

As for the card I have featured here, it's a reprint (yea, I can't afford the real stuff) of a set put out by Ramly's Turkish Cigarettes in 1909.  The company behind the reprint edition isn't entirely career; but, it was definitely released in 1993 according to the back of the card.  I was gifted the entire Cubs portion of the set by my parents on Christmas morning, roughly a decade ago, and several of these cards still serve as representatives in my CATRC, including Coakley.

Maybe someday I'll have the money to replace them with the real deal?  Yea, right.  If that ever happens, that money is going towards my student loan debt.

Still though, the reprints are more than adequate for me and allowed me the opportunity to learn a little bit about forgotten players from before my grandparents were even born, including the troubled Andy Coakley.  

Moral of the story, don't injure the star player of your own team - it won't end well for you.

Old as Moses Monday - John Clarkson

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature; it shines the spotlight on Cubs players from baseball's ancient history that have found their way into my CATRC. We're talking pre-WWI here!*

I'm resurrecting a feature that I haven't used here on Wrigley Roster Jenga that I haven't used in almost a year.   Honestly, inspiration is lacking lately and this sort of thing makes for a nice, easy jumping off point. Plus, I get to show off some cool cards that I needed an excuse to feature.

It's a win all the way around... that is, if you all enjoy reading it anyway.

Without further ado, let's talk about a Hall of Fame pitcher who grew up in the shadow of the Civil War that Jake Arrieta is doing his best to emulate:

John Clarkson may have had a relatively short career peak, but for a time, there was no better pitcher in the 19th century National League.  As a White Stocking from 1884 to 1887, John posted a 137-57 record with a 2.39 ERA while twice pacing the circuit in complete games, strikeouts and appearances.

Now, of course this was way back when the pitching mound was actually a pitching box and much closer to the plate than it is today; but these numbers were still tops for his day.  We can really only compare him to his peers... and Jake Arrieta.

What a beast!

The Massachusetts native first found his way to the Big Leagues in 1882 with the Worcester Ruby Legs (God, I love the old-timey team names), after playing semi-pro for a few years in the northeast.  Unfortunately, he only got into three games before the floundering club folded in the off-season and he found himself back in the minors.

It was here that he was re-discovered by Chicago's Cap Anson and brought to the White Stockings roster for the 1884 season.  Mid-season, he hit his stride, going 10-3 with a 2.14 ERA and earning the designation as the team's number one starter.  He was only just beginning.

In a remarkable feat of durability, Clarkson appeared in 70 games that year, pitched 623 innings and threw 68 complete games. He also posted an ERA of 1.85 as The White Stockings won the 1885 NL pennant with 83 wins, a mind-boggling 53 of which came from Clarkson.  For good measure, he tossed a no-hitter that July against Providence too.

Hmmm, so a sort-of reclamation project who debuted with a promising half-season's worth of performance quickly emerged to sheer and total dominance as the staff ace in the next season with a late-summer no-no... who does that remind you of?

There's that guy again

He followed up that otherworldly campaign with 36 wins in '86 (what a bum) and 38 in '87 with an ERA topping out a 3.08 - pretty damn good numbers, but not nearly as dominant as that first full season.

On top of that, his battery mate, the much-heralded King Kelly was famously sold to the Boston Red Stockings going into 1887, which did not sit well with Clarkson.  Already known for his fragile psyche (he was said to be unable to take any criticism, constructive or not), this major change made him even harder to deal with.  Along with the emergence of Mark Baldwin, it was for this reason that White Stockings sold Clarkson to Boston as well.

Clarkson's price was $10,000 - the same massive (for the time) sum that the Red Stockings had coughed up for Kelly the year before.  Thus, the two became known as the "$20,000 Battery" - a pretty prestigious moniker.

The other half of the "$20K Battery"

Clarkson pitched five great seasons for Boston. He was 33-20 in 1888, starting 54 games and pitching 53 complete games with an ERA of 2.76.  That said, his best moment in Beantown had nothing to do with his prowess on the mound.

During a game that carried late into dusk, John pitched a lemon to the plate in order to convince the umpire it was too dark to play.  The ump initially called the lemon a strike, and when the Boston catcher revealed that the pitch was actually a piece of fruit, he called the game and, likely, felt a great deal of embarrassment.

Jake could make it work

Original image courtesy of MLB.com; hack-job editing by me

Honestly, I think I'd pay $10,000 just to see a pitcher try that move today.

John finished the last few years of his career with the old Cleveland Spiders, as a sort of mentor for a young hurler by the name of Cy Young.  No longer the ace of the staff, his performance regressed accordingly, suffering his first losing season in 1893 (16-17, 4.45 ERA).

Already near the end of his rope, a tragic incident that off-season really sealed his baseball fate.  On their way to hunting retreat with a friend and former teammate by the name of Charlie Bennett, John watched as Bennett slipped off of the rail car they were travelling in and fall under the wheels of the train, severing his legs.

It was Charlie's misfortune that irreversibly scarred Clarkson

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

It was this incident that was said to really mess with Clarkson's mind and he was only able to last another mediocre season in the Majors before he retired.

Unfortunately, his mental state never did improve after he left the game.  Sometime in 1905 or '06 Clarkson suffered a total breakdown and was declared insane. He was then committed to an insane asylum and spent much of the next three years in various mental hospitals. John died of pneumonia in psychiatric clinic a few years later in 1909 at the age of just 47.

An inglorious and unfortunate end for a man who had once been the best pitcher in the National League.

Clarkson in his later days (1905)

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

His dominance went largely ignored until 1963, when he was finally elected to the Hall of Fame by the old-timer's committee. John's run of dominance from 1884-89 produced six 30-win seasons, two 300 strikeout seasons and an NL pitching Triple Crown in '89, all with remarkable durability.

It's this induction that you see was commemorated by the card at the top of the post, which was a part of the Baseball Immortals checklist produced annually by SSPC from 1980-87.  This seems to be an all-time favorite oddball collection for most of the blogosphere and I am certainly no exception.  The not oft-featured subjects, the colorful sketches and two tone borders... what's not to love?

Thanks to SSPC, I was able to cross Clarkson off of my CATRC needs list a few years ago for a reasonable price.  I mean, outside of this gem, John doesn't have a lot of cards that aren't original Goodwins.

Here's hoping that, with the similarities between their emergences, that Jake Arrieta can become half as good as Clarkson was in his prime.  After all, he'll never be quite as good statistically as a 19th century hurler (unless he somehow finds the strength to pitch every single day).  But, then again, his minuscule 1.82 ERA this year looks an awful lot like a Deadball Era mark to me!

Old as Moses Monday - Germany Schaefer

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature; it shines the spotlight on the Cubs in my collection that time forgot a long time ago. We're talking pre-WWI here!*

I'll bet you never guess the nationality of today's subject.

What's that?  German?  How did you ever guess?

While his parents did in fact hail from the Motherland, Herman A. Schaefer was born right here in Chicago, IL back in nineteen-aught-two.  I'd want to go by another name too if my name was Herman.

Germany made his debut in the Major Leagues with his hometown club, the Chicago Orphans, a.k.a. the Cubs, in 1901.  The feisty infielder earned his call-up based on his swift base stealing speed and his solid glovework.

However, his coming up coincided with the formation of the famous "Tinker to Evers to Chance" infield and thus there was no space for the German.  His .196 batting average over 81 games and 323 PA's in 1902 certainly didn't help his case either.  He found himself back in the minors for the next two seasons.

Germany was a good middle infielder, but not good better than these guys

He did offer a glimpse of his speed though by stealing 12 bases in that time.

The Tigers came-a-callin' in 1905, purchasing him from the old Milwaukee Brewers and immediately plugged him into their starting lineup at 2nd base.  For the next 4.5 seasons, Germany average a .250 BA and totaled 123 stolen bags (including 40 in 1908).

However, he and his Tigers were unable to extract revenge against his former club, falling to the Cubs in the World Series in '07 and '08.

Given regular playing time, Schaefer quickly garnered a reputation as a trickster.

It was during his time in Detroit that former teammate Davy Jones claimed Schaefer used his plus speed to steal first base.

While trying to employ a double steal to distract the enemy pitcher, Davy broke from first and successfully took 2nd.  Seeing that the distraction did not have the desired effect, on the next pitch he broke back to first in order that he could try AGAIN on the next play.

Davy Jones' (maybe) saw Germany's stunt firsthand

The validity of this particular claim is foggy, as no verifiable evidence exists to back up Jones.  However, there is no doubt that he successfully attempted the same stunt yet again while playing for Washington against the White Sox on August 4th, 1911.

Allegedly due to his antics, MLB instituted rule 7.08i in 1920 which states that a player is out if "After he has acquired legal possession of a base, he runs the bases in reverse order for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game. The umpire shall immediately call 'Time' and declare the runner out."

Germany was quite the unorthodox individual.  

Germany loved to showoff for the camera and, apparently, operate it too

In addition, while his moniker of "Germany" would have become controversial upon the US declaring war on Germany in 1917, he immediately bestowed a new nickname upon himself:  "Liberty."  It seems that "Liberty" was always one step ahead of the opposition.

Germany may have been quite the personality, but he was no slouch as a ballplayer; after all, his career lasted 15 seasons, finally retiring for good in 1918 after brief stints in the Federal League, the Yankees & Indians.

So, next time you're at your little brother's t-ball game and you see a child run the wrong direction around the bases, don't assume they're just an overexcited kid.  Maybe they're the next Germany Schaefer, trying to gain a competitive advantage any way they can.

Either that or picking dandelions in the outfield wasn't exciting enough by itself.

One of the two.

Old as Moses Monday - "Death to Flying Things"

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature; it shines the spotlight on the Cubs in my collection that time forgot a long time ago. We're talking pre-WWI here!*

That may very well be the greatest nickname ever bestowed upon a baseball player, nay, a professional athlete of all-time.

Who was the lucky SOB who earned that phenomenal alias?

Furthermore, how did he earn that phenomenal alias?  Was he a well-known threat to pigeons?

Well, it was none other than Bob Ferguson, a tough competitor from the earliest days of professional baseball.

The shortstop was so adept at snaring line drives at shortstop (in an era well-before gloves) that he was considered "Death to Flying Things" when he took the field.  It all makes sense now.

He begin his career in the old National Association and joined the National League upon it's founding in 1876.  He stayed through 1884.

With gambling lingering about as a constant temptation, Ferguson earned a reputation for being completely honest, with his passion for the game unrivaled.

But, he also had a bit of a temper.  Once, while serving as a temporary umpire in an NA game, he broke the arm of a player on the field with a bat during an argument.  Eat your heart out Jose Offerman.

Offerman going off his rocker

Bob spent one year, 1878, in Chicago as a player-manager - replacing Al Spalding as he ascended into the front office.  However, his tendency to scream and shout at his chargees on the field got him ran out of town after the mediocre 30-30, 4th place season.  Cap Anson seized that opportunity.

Obviously, Fergie here doesn't have many baseball cards issued today and the few that survive from his playing days would cost me my first born AND an arm to acquire.  So, what is this that you see before you?

Monarch Corona Printing is a company created by Allen Miller, Jr., a printer/designer and former sportswriter who produces small sets of baseball cards, often donated to benefits and fundraisers locally.

These sets usually have print runs of 200 or less.  There aren't a lot of these floating around.

His website states that he produces 2-10 cards every month, but it appears as though nothing new has come out since 2011.  Either that or he has a new URL that I am unaware of.

My new Ferguson comes from Miller's 2009 set of 16 cards, featuring mostly baseball players of yesteryear, plus Charley Pride & Johnny Unitas for some reason.

They all feature that wood-grain border, which evokes the designs of '62 and '87 Topps, type-written text, glossy finish and color photography.  Although, Bob's photo required some colorization and I'm not sure if Miller did that himself or not.

The original image used for the 2009 Monarch Corona card

The printing is top notch and the colors are vibrant.  Although, the aforementioned wood-grain borders make the Times New Roman font somewhat difficult to read.  

I personally would have chosen a different font, but that's just a minor complaint.

The back of this Monarch is also rather well-done:

As is true of all Monarch Corona cards, the player information is written in the present tense, as if the 1878 baseball season had just completed.  This is done to make the piece "more urgent and more interesting."

The layout is top notch and everything is easy to read.  Miller is obviously an ardent follower of KISS.

Not the band.  Well, he may be a soldier in the KISS army, I don't know; however, I was referring to the old graphic design refrain - Keep It Simple, Stupid!

KISS has an arena football team, why not baseball too?

In summation, I was happy to find this beauty for about a buck on Ebay.  A relatively rare oddball of a super old-school Cub without breaking the bank?  I'll take that any day.

Plus, after I discovered Bob's phenomenal nickname, I knew I had to have "Death to Flying Things" in my collection.

They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

Old as Moses Monday: "Kid" (No, Not That One....)

I can only wish that Gary Carter had put on Cubbie blue pinstripes at some point in his career.

Alas, I guess Jody Davis was a pretty good catcher for the Cubs throughout most of the 80's.

Also, I'm entirely aware of the irony of featuring a player who is nicknamed after youthful inhibition in a feature that celebrates how the Cubs franchise is old as dirt.  I love me some good irony.

The "Kid" to which I'm referencing is this one:

Don't worry; I haven't gone completely out of my gourd (though I'm probably mighty close thanks to this years hitless wonders), I'm well aware that this card clearly lists some guy name Mal as an umpire.

But, before Mal was an umpire, he was the "Kid" and he hurled fastballs before keeping count of them.

"Kid" Eason could have used some better teammates though.  Despite having a career ERA of 3.42 from 1900-06, Eason went 36-73 over the course of his career - eat your hearts out Jeff Samardzija and Matt Garza!

These guys feel your run support-based pain Mal!

(Too bad Spellcheck isn't sporting a throwback as well)

But, it all started out so well for Eason; in his MLB debut with the Cubs, he pitched a complete game W while allowing just one earned run.  The Cubs put up four runs for Eason that October day; who knew he'd go on to have less support in his career than a 20-year old desk chair?

 

On the strength of that late-season win, the Cubs inserted the "Kid" into their rotation for the 1901 season.  In 27 appearances (25 starts), he posted a 3.59 ERA over 220.2 innings with a lowly record of 8-17.  Granted, his ERA was a touch high for the Deadball Era, but it certainly didn't help that the then Chicago Orphans allowed well-over 100 more runs than they themselves scored (578-699).

"Kid" Eason sporting his youthful exhuberance

Image courtesy of BaseballHistorian.com

Unfortunately for Mal, the Chicago franchise was stuck in an awkward phase between their 18th century dominance led by Pop Anson (who retired in 1899, hence the "Orphans" moniker) and their Tinkers-Evers-Chance heyday.  They won 65, 58 and 68 games from 1900-02.

After just one start in 1902, the Cubs gave Mal his walking papers.  He went on to bounce around with the Beaneaters (Braves), Tigers and Superbas (Dodgers).  Through 1905, he lost as many as 12 games three times, bottoming out with a whopping 21 for the 1905 Brooklyn Superbas.  

 In 1906, it was really more of the same - despite posting a 3.25 ERA, he lost 17 games for Brooklyn.  However, in what must have been a reward from the baseball gods for having played for just one winning team in his career, Eason tossed a no-hitter against St. Louis in what was ultimately his final season.  

Though he was through as an active player, "Kid's" love for America's past-time kept him involved in the game.  From 1910 through 1917, he called games for the National League - probably because he was used to not having the support of the players around him.  Hey-o!

Umpire Mal Eason looks a touch bitter in this photo.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Conlon Collection released their famous, retrospective 1992 card series, they chose to represent Eason in the umpire subset rather than relive his frustrating days as a pitcher.

I have made it rather obvious on this blog that I absolutely love everything about the Conlon Collection. Shining the spotlight on such forgotten names as Eason is just one of the many reasons that I've treasured this set since my Uncle Louie gifted me my first sampling back in 1996.

Eason was not a part of that initial collection.  Although, as you can tell from how beaten up this card is, it came into my grubby hands shortly thereafter, thanks to a box I harassed my mother about throughout the aisles of K-Mart.  I was only 7, after all.

And, as the late, great radio host Paul Harvey would say, "now you know.... the REST of the story!"

Old as Moses Monday: Ross Barnes

The home run.  In Major League Baseball, there is no moment more exciting than the instant one hears the familiar crack of the bat and sees the ball driven high and deep.  They say chicks dig the long ball - but so do guys; after all, who doesn't like instant runs?

While such displays of power are more associated with names like Ruth, Maris, Aaron, Bonds, etc. they certainly weren't the first men to deposit a baseball into the bleachers while wearing an MLB uniform.  That honor went to a second baseman by the name of Roscoe Barnes, way back in 1876 - during the maiden season of the National League.

Ross Barnes had already been a super star in professional baseball before the NL came to be.  In fact, so much so, that the NL might not have existed without him.  While playing with the celebrated Boston Red Stockings in the old National Association (NA), Barnes twice lead the league in batting average, three times in runs, three times in hits, twice in doubles, twice in walks and once in stolen bases.  The man was an offensive force.

The Boston Red Stockings in 1874 - Barnes is standing, upper left

It was because of his impressive skill, that he was often considered the most important cog in the Cincinatti machine (well before the Big Red Machine!).  Thus, Chicago White Stockings owner William Hulbert had to have him.

Along with three other Boston players (Albert Spalding, Deacon White & Cal McVey), "jumped" and signed contracts with Chicago, despite still being under contract with the Red Stockings.  Rather than sit and wait for the NA to void these deals, Hulbert had a plan.  Already looking to seize power in the pro baseball world, he went out and formed his own league, the National League, in order to force the NA to disband.  

138 years later, I think we know who won that battle.

Ross Barne's "Band of Brothers"

At any rate, Chicago now had a team full of stars and were well on their way to dominating the early days of the NL.  Barnes certainly did his part in that inaugural season, winning the first NL batting title (.429) while also leading the league in runs, hits, doubles, triples and walks.  

But, as this card celebrates, what Barnes might most be remembered for is his lone home run on the season.  On May 2nd, Barnes took one deep off of Cherokee Fisher in Cincinnati to secure his place in trivia books for the rest of history.  It was a solo shot in the top of the 5th inning and thus began our fascination with the home run.

However, while Barnes' 1876 season was simply amazing, it was to be the last productive season of his career.  First, the NL banned the fair/foul hit (originally, any ball that landed fair and then rolled over the baseline before passing the base was considered "in play") a play that Barnes was an acknowledge master of  Then, he came down with a severe case of "'the ague,' a malaria-like affliction characterized by alternating high fever and chills, along with a marked loss of strength, stamina, and vitality.”

Had this play occurred in 1876, the ball would have been fair no matter what

As a result, he played in only 22 games the next season, batting only .272, before going to the International Association (an early minor league) for 1878.  He made two brief comeback attempts in 1879 with the old Cincinnati Reds and then in 1881 with Boston, but the magic was gone.

That said, there is still a strong push to have Ross Barnes inducted into the Hall of Fame.  While most of his playing time and his feats were accomplished in the NA, Barnes offensive dominance from 1871 to 1876 has never been matched.  He certainly appears to be worthy to me.

Yet, despite all of this, most of the recognition that Barnes receives today is for that single home run he hit back in 1876.  Proof positive that baseball fans love displays of power.

As for the card itself, it comes from TriStar's Obak series in 2011.  The focal point of this set was on forgotten players and accomplishments from throughout the history of baseball, while leaning on the original 1911 Obak tobacco cards for inspiration.  It's a set I've come to love and has provided me with much help in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

Plus, the artificially colored photograph layered over the forest background, while unorthodox, makes for a unique piece of cardboard.  The colors really pop off of the card!

That does it for this week's edition of Old as Moses Monday.  I'll be back tomorrow to brag all about my finds from the community-wide garage sale day that I attended over the weekend.  Please, try to contain your excitement!

Old as Moses Monday: Lew Richie

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature;  it shines the spotlight on the Cubs in my collection that time forgot a long time ago.  We're talking pre-WWI here!*

For this week's Old as Moses Monday feature, I present to you the oldest baseball card in my collection:  a 1911 T205 Tobacco card of forgotten cubs hurdler Lew Richie.  It had been a goal of mine to add another authentic tobacco card to my collection to keep Tom Needham company.  It came relatively cheap too, for under $20.

After all, I've stated that one of my goals in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection is to have each player represented by an authentic card from their era, i.e. printed when they were an active player.  I feel it almost makes my collection like a museum exhibit.

But enough about me and my needs, let's talk about "Lurid" Lew.

Lew Richie had an exceptional career statistically, if you ignore the time in which he played.  His career ERA is a sterling 2.54 and he kept it under 3 for all but one of his 8 years in the majors, starting in 1906.  But being that this was the Dead Ball Era and offense was at all an all-time low, this was almost league average.

Plus, he played for several mediocre Phillie teams and truly abysmal Braves (then Bees) teams and thus failed to record a winning record until he joined the Cubs via mid-season trade in 1910 for Doc Miller.  In an era when won-loss record was the premium method of analyzing pitchers, this was a killer.  As you can see, in the context of his era, Lew Richie was just another pitcher.

Richie in action - courtesy of the Sporting News and MearsOnline.com

With the Cubs, he began to break free from the pack.  He went 11-4 with a 2.70 ERA the rest of the year and saw his first and only World Series action.  Against the Athletics, he only made one appearance, closing out game 2 without giving up a run.  However, it was a lost cause as the Cubs were battered 9-3 in a series that they'd eventually lose -obviously.

By 1912 though, Richie struggled a bit out of the gate.  Cubs owner Charles Murphy thought that Richie was washed up and that 11 years of professional baseball had zapped his arm.  Murphy tried to run him through waivers and found that the rest of the league did not agree with him.  Thus, not wanting to lose him for the waiver price, Murphy reluctantly kept Richie on the roster; sometimes the best moves are the ones you don't make.

In the pennant race that summer, Richie brought his A-game.  With the Cubs seesawing back and forth against the arch rival New York Giants, Richie beat two HOF pitchers and took a third win in a single series to keep the Cubs in contention. Getting the best of Rube Marquard and Christy Matthewson was no small feat and the third win was almost a bonus after that.

 No match for the great Lew Richie!

Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as the Giants eventually pulled away that September and took the NL Pennant.  But, Lew Richie did all he could possibly do to prevent it.

It must have drained the man, because 1913 was an absolute disaster.  He went 2-4 with a ghastly 5.82 ERA in 16 games, eventually being demoted to the bullpen before being traded to the American Association.

However, his misfortune was the Cubs gain as the player acquired for Richie was none other than Hippo Vaughn, later of dueling no-hitter fame.  Richie netted the Cubs their best left-handed pitcher in franchise history.

There you have the story of Lew "The Giant Killer" Richie.  The history of the Cubs franchise is absolutely filled to the brim with stories of forgotten heroes and hopefully this Monday feature uncovers a bunch more along the way; not to mention an excuse to keep picking up these beautiful and historic tobacco cards!

I'll be back tomorrow with a few more recent new additions to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

Old as Moses Monday: Bobby Lowe

*I bet you can figure out the concept of this feature;  it shines the spotlight on the Cubs in my collection that time forgot a long time ago.  We're talking pre-WWI here!*

We're all familiar with the story of Wally Pipp, right?  In case you're not, Wally was the regular first baseman for the Yankees from 1915 until about halfway through the '25 season.  He had a bit of a headache one afternoon and needed a little bit of rest.  A young rook by the name of Lou Gehrig took over and the rest is history.

I hear what you're saying; this is a Cub-centric blog, why in the world am I recounting a Yankee story?  Well today's subject kinda got Pipp'ed before Wally Pipp.  

 I pulled this card of Bobby Lowe from a package of Mayo Cut Plug Tobacco reprints.  Even the most common of the originals will fetch a few hundred dollars; my 1986 reprint cost me pennies on the dollar.  

Hooray for card collecting on a budget!

Lowe was one of baseballs' star players during the turn of the century.  Playing for the Boston NL club, Lowe starred at (mostly) second base from 1890 through 1901.

I say mostly because he was one of the most versatile players of all-time, playing at every position on the diamond in the Bigs, except catcher (which he did in the minors).  He was like Jose Macias, except he could actually hit a baseball.

Jose Macias - ye of little use

In May of 1894, Lowe was the first player in MLB history to hit 4 homers in a game.  In addition, he tied or set records with 17 total bases in a single game and six hits in a single game.  

With his career .273 batting average (deadball) and .953 fielding percentage (highest all-time at his retirement), this quiet and unassuming man was a complete player.  Of course, by the time the Cubs acquired him, he was completely washed up.

In the 1902, the Orphans (as they were known at the time) were in a transition period, not too much unlike the Cubs of today.  Franchise cornerstones Cap Anson and Jimmy Ryan had only recently departed, hence the nickname; Anson to retirement and Ryan to Washington.  Frank Chance was still just an unproven outfielder.

 As Simon & Garfunkel once sang, "Where have you gone, Anson & Ryan..." Wait,that ain't right...

Looking to stabilize their infield corps, they bought the reliable Bobby Lowe from Boston and manager Frank Selee promptly named him Captain.  He had been coming off of a down year in Boston, hitting under .270 for the first time since 1892.  Chicago thought they were buying low; in reality, they were buying junk.

Injuries piled up and his batting average tumbled down to .248 in '02.  After just a few games in 1903, the struggling former star was given a break and the Cubs inserted a hot prospect into the lineup in his absence.  That prospect?  None other than Johnny Evers.
 

 Johnny Evers - relegating Bobby to a new Lowe

Lowe was relegated to back up duty permanently while the Cubs dynasty of the early 20th century was taking shape.  He was sold to Pittsburgh just before the 1903 season who, in turn, sold him to Detroit after just 1 game.

After hanging on for a few more seasons, mostly as a reserve, he finally called it a career in 1907.  Fittingly, just after Evers and the Cubs won their first World Series over Lowe's Tigers, a series in which Lowe did not appear.

If anything, Bobby Lowe's uninspiring Cubs tenure represents a time of transition.  A time which we Cubs fans today can certainly relate to.  Re-tread, washed up veterans and unpolished rookies populated the roster then and now.  

Here's hoping TheoJed and crew can weather their period of transition as well as the Cubs of the early aughts did.

Old as Moses Monday: Ned Williamson

*I bet you can figure out the concept here;  it shines the spotlight on the Cubs in my collection that time forgot a long time ago.  We're talking pre-WWI here!*

There is no more hallowed record in major league sports than the single season home run record.  Ever since the immortal Babe Ruth slugged a mind-boggling 60 dingers in 1927 while residing on Murderer's Row, any attempt to surpass the mark has been met with extreme controversy.

Hank Greenberg being intentionally walked due to his religious beliefs as he breached 50, Roger Maris' asterisk for schedule length and not being "Yankee" enough, Sosa/McGwire/Bonds and their pharmaceutical regimen, etc...

Enter Ned Williamson:

Ned Williamson played for the Cubs (then known as the White Stockings) from 1879 through 1889.  As a member of Cap Anson's core, Ned manned third base with exceptional skill - leading the league (at his position) in both fielding percentage and double plays five times, and assists six times.

Going into the 1884 season, his glove was his main draw; with his batting average only twice surpassing .280 and his power minimal (3 homers was his best season total), no one would contest this notion.

Then Ned went all Brady Anderson on the league.

He belted an astounding 27 home runs that season in 112 games, 9x more than he had ever slugged and more than doubling Harry Stovey's previous mark of 14.  He also became the first man in MLB history to hit 3 round trippers in 1 game.  What caused this sudden explosion of power?

Surely today we would automatically assume steroids.  But, seeing as though performance enhancing drugs were limited to alcohol, tobacco and maybe opium back then, this was obviously not the root.

We can also rule out a possible boost caused by magnificent mustaches; otherwise, we would have Carlos Villanueva batting cleanup right now.

 Best mustache since Rollie Fingers?

The key piece of evidence in this case is one stat:  25 of his 27 homeruns were hit at home.

Lakefront Park, the Cubs home field from 1878 to 1884, was an unusually shaped field.  Situated in what is now Millennium Park, the dimensions were severely limited by the Illinois Central Railroad tracks and Lake Michigan just beyond right field.  Thus, right field was only 200 ft. from home plate.

200 ft?  I know what you're thinking, even Tony Campana could park one over that short porch!  

At this time, the home club determined the ground rules for their stadium.  Previously, a ball hit over that fence was considered a ground rule double.  But, going into 1884, Cap Anson decided that any ball hit over the fence should be a round-tripper.

Now it's all starting to make sense, isn't it?  Ned Williamson was hitting Little League caliber homeruns.

Lakefront Park, courtesy of blog.heritagesportsart.com

He wasn't alone either, 3 other Cubs hit over 20 long balls and the team hit 142 all together.  For reference, second place was Buffalo at 39!  Surely this farce could not be allowed to continue.

Well, it didn't and it wasn't because the League stepped in either.  Chicago reclaimed the land that Lakefront Park stood on and kicked the Cubs to the curb.  Spending much of 1885 as a road-only team, they then moved into the West Side Grounds - where they would remain until Wrigley Field was made available.

What affect did the West Side Grounds have on Ned Williamson?  He never hit more than 9 homers again.  By 1890, he was out of Major League Baseball as a result of a nagging leg injury he suffered while touring the world on Albert Spalding's baseball exhibition in 1888.

So, what have we learned here?  That no record is legitimate?  That baseball is made up of a series of idiosyncratic rules?  Maybe.

I'd say that it's important to remember that all marks set are products of their time and will rarely be universally comparable.

As for this beautiful piece of cardboard itself, it comes from the 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions release.  The lack of an MLB license is hardly a factor when it comes to players as ancient as Ned because no one personally remembers what these uniforms looked like.  The portrait style is also a nice touch.

But, show of hands; back when Slammin' Sammy Sosa was trying to power his way past Maris and the Great Bambino, how many of you knew that he wouldn't be the first Cub to hold the homerun crown?