- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: American Association
John K. O'Brien (nee Bryne) (1860-1910) was a rare find for Billy Sharsig and his Athletics in 1881--a catcher who could hit. Jack joined the new franchise in its season in the Eastern Championship League and stayed on when the club joined the American Association the following year. By the '83 season, Jack would lead his team to the pennant, driving in a team-high 70 runs with a .290 average. O'Brien had entered baseball out west with the San Francisco-Reno team in the Pacific League as a raw 19 year old. He eventually played six of his eight major league seasons with the Athletics, for whom he always hit remarkably well for his position and era. His two years away from Philly with Brooklyn and Baltimore were struggles for him at the plate, but still exceeded the usual output for a catcher. Overall, Jack had a lifetime .266 BA in 555 games, driving in 308.
- Proving he wasn't quite done after his final year in Philadelphia, O'Brien signed on for the 1891 season with the St. Paul Apostles/Duluth Whalebacks of the Western Association where he hit .317 in 97 games
- In SF, Jack played with Sandy Nava, who would become the first Mexican-American in the major leagues with Providence and Baltimore
- Although the Old Judge series features nine known poses of Jack O'Brien, I could not find one of suitable quality for this project. This image is taken from an Old Judge proof taken at the same time as O'Brien's other OJ images and may represent an as-of-yet undiscovered pose.
- O'Brien’s uniform color on this card was changed in May, 2017 from black/red to blue/red to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. Two cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
Robert T. Mathews (1851-1898) won the 1st Nat’l Assoc game on May 4, 1871. Over 20 years, Mathews became the only man to win 50+ games in each of the 3 early major leagues: NAPBB, the NL, and the AA. His resume includes an NL and an AA title with the Providence Grays and Phil. Athletics respectively. Stands 25th among winningest pitchers in MLB history.
- Won 297 games, more than any other pitcher NOT inducted into the Hall of Fame
- One of the first to use the spitball and execute the curve
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Blues (AA)
- League: American Association
Charles Louis Zimmer (1860-1949) was one of the great catchers the game has known. As Cy Young’s receiver from 1890-98, Chief was extolled by the great pitcher as a peerless partner. The two grew up together with Cleveland with Zimmer setting numerous records at his position while guiding the nascent talent that would come to define baseball greatness. Perhaps fittingly, when Young left Cleveland after the ‘98 season, the club let the 38-year-old Zimmer go, too. He was spared the indignity of laboring for next year’s “worst team in history” club that went 20-134. Chief went on to a pennant with Pittsburgh in 1901, catching HOF’er Jack Chesbro. In ‘03 Pirate owner Barney Dreyfuss persuaded Zimmer to move to Philadelphia to manage the Phillies before retiring at 42.
- Zimmer claimed no Native American heritage. The “Chief” was due to being the team leader on an early club so speedy as to be dubbed “Indians”
- The Sporting Life wrote in 1890 that Zimmer was one of about 6 major leaguers who abstained from both liquor and tobacco. Despite his aversion to smoking, Zimmer made a fortune selling cigars, spreading his business to every city his ball club visited
- Was elected 1st president of The Players’ Protective Association – predecessor to the MLB Players’ Association
- An entrepreneur and wise investor, Zimmer was known to be one of the wealthiest players of his day
- Zimmer famously invented Zimmer’s Base Ball Game, a mechanical parlor game popular in the 1890s
- Zimmer's uniform color on this card was changed in June, 2017 from black to blue to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. Six cards were previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
John Weyhing (1869-1890) was signed by the Cincinnati Red Stockings as one of the youngest players in the league at 19 in 1888. In eight games he went 3-4, but had a remarkable 1.23 ERA and completed seven games. He was victimized by poor defensive support: only nine of 26 runs charged were earned. The Columbus Solons bought his contract for ’89 but TB took his health and his life the next year.
- John’s older brother Gus was also an MLB pitcher
- Became one of only four big leaguers to die before age 21
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
August Weyhing (1866-1955) was a successful pitcher for 11 ML teams over a 14-year career from 1887-1901. A durable hurler, Gus stands 12th in complete games all-time, with 448 in 495 decisions. From 1889-92, Weyhing won 30+ games each year. In a career of firsts and lasts, he pitched the last season of the AA, the first and last of the Players’ League, the 1st year of the AL, and the Senators’ finale in the NL.
- Was NL saves leader in 1892
- Struck out 200+ four times and holds the record for hit-batters with 278
Ars Longa Store
Newsletter
