- Series: 1880s: Loving Paupers
- City: Kansas City
- Team: Blues (WA)
- League: Western Association
Edward Charles Cartwright (1859-1933) was built to anchor first base and, once he finally made it to the majors at age 30, he did just that; first for the Browns in 1890 and then for four straight seasons with the Washington Senators of the National League from '94-97. The stocky 5'10” 220 lb infielder hit well until his final season, better than he had in the minors. His rookie year saw him hit .300 while driving in 60 runs. After a three-year hiatus, he continued his excellent offense, highlighted by a .331 average in 1895. He carried his weight well, evidenced by the fact he still ranks 13th all-time among base stealers who played for D.C. teams. Jumbo began with Youngstown in 1883 and had one season -1886- with the Acid Iron Earths in Mobile for the Gulf League, one of the more intriguingly-named clubs in the universe of minor league baseball that had some doozies. He was with New Orleans in '87 then Kansas City and St. Joseph (another of those tantalizingly-dubbed clubs-the Clay Eaters) before heading north to Montreal in the International Association to begin the 1890 campaign prior to his call to St. Louis for his MLB debut. Despite hitting .300 in 75 games for the Browns, Ed was sent west where he played for San Francisco, Tacoma and Missoula before returning closer to home with Memphis for the '93 season. He was released by the Senators in mid-1897 and played a few more games with the Minneapolis Millers as his pro career came to an end.
- Jumbo had a game whose output at the plate justified his nickname. On September 23, 1890 he drove in seven runs in one inning, setting a mark that would stand for 109 years until another St. Louis warrior, Cardinal Fernando Tatís, hit two grand slams off the Dodgers' Chan Ho Park in the third inning on April 23, 1999
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Old Judge Pose: 70-1
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Minneapolis
- Team: Millers
- League: Western Association
James J. Daly (1865-1938) compiled a very short major league slash line. Sun made it to the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles in 1892, joining one of the more ferocious teams of the era. He got into a mere 13 games and went 12-48 for a .250 average with seven RBI for the last-place team. With the likes of McGraw, Hanlon, Stovey and Wilbert Robinson - this was a down year for a team on the cusp of greatness. Already the squad was known for making its own rules and playing with a snarl. Thus, it was unlikely for a new kid to make the big club and Daly soon found himself back in the minors. He had begun playing ball in his hometown of Port Henry, NY and moved into the professional ranks with Portsmouth of the New England League in 1888. The next year he was out west with two Twin Cities clubs where he was photographed by the Old Judge crew. The Goodwin editors note that Daly was the poorest-fielding left fielder in the Western Association at that time. He returned east with Portland and Lebanon in '91 and began the '92 campaign with the Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League. It is said that Daly acquired his nickname in the Buffalo outfield as he played the position while eschewing sun glasses. His distinctive moniker not enough to gain a toe-hold with the Orioles, Sun shuffled back to Buffalo for the '93-94 seasons. Daly then moved to Rochester for two years before wrapping it up in 1897 with stints for three Pennsylvania franchises: Reading, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.
- Sun's best year at the plate was 1895 with Rochester where he hit .337 in 128 games, by far his most prolific season
- While his endurance at the pinnacle of his sport was short-lived, Daly set a much finer life-mark by living just long enough to celebrate fifty years of marriage to the mother of their four children
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Milwaukee
- Team: Creams
- League: Western Association
Robert Lincoln Lowe (1865-1951) played a dozen years for the Boston Beaneaters, then a half dozen more for Chicago, Pittsburgh and Detroit. He could play every position and set several batting records in a long and illustrious major league career. Upon his retirement he held the best fielding average of all-time at second base, proving his value in all aspects of the game. Orphaned at 15, Lowe was a hard-working young man supporting his family in the Pittsburgh area. Friends convinced his employers to give Bobby time to play the game he clearly excelled at, leading to a chance with Eau Claire of the Northwestern League in 1887. After a couple seasons in the Western Associaton, Boston bought his contract, a deal once called “one of baseball's biggest bargains.” Lowe established himself as perhaps the best second-baseman of the 19th century and helped lead the team to five pennants. As the starter at second for eight straight seasons, Lowe formed a great double-play combo with Herman Long. With Fred Tenney at first and Jimmy Collins at third, the infield was touted by some as the best ever. When he moved to the Orphans (Cubs) in 1902, manager Frank Selee knew he had a leader and made Bobby the captain. Relegated to backing up Johnny Evers in '03, Lowe moved on to Detroit via a one-game stint with the Pirates and was named manager of the Tigers in '04. Upon his retirement from the majors, the Detroit News lauded Bobby's character: “There is no better type of the gentleman in baseball and no one ever heard ought but words of praise for him.”
- Among Lowe's batting accomplishments: first to hit four home runs in a game, first to hit for 17 total bases in a game, went six-for-six in another game, scored six times in yet another, batted over .300 five straight seasons
- Hit a solid .273 lifetime, with 74 home runs
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Minneapolis
- Team: Millers
- League: Western Association
Thomas McCullum (aka McCallum) was an outfielder for several minor league teams, primarily in the Western Association, from 1884 through 1890. He appeared in an Old Judge card pose for 1888 as a Minneapolis Miller as a right-handed batter. Data is sketchy for this young man, confused by alternate renderings of his name. As McCullum, the Baseball Encyclopedia has him playing for New Castle in 1884, Youngstown in ‘85 and the Milwaukee Brewers in ‘86 and again in ‘89, then back east in the Tri-State League with Dayton and McKeesport in ‘89-90. As McCallum, the Encyclopedia has him with Eau Claire in ‘87, Minneapolis, Davenport and the Chicago Maroons - all in ‘88. It does appear these references identify the same player. Tom’s best year was with Eau Claire where he hit a superb .354 that moved him up to the Western Association.
- As with many Old Judge subjects, the cards reflect promise sometimes unfulfilled as McCullum did get 389 at-bats in 1888 but hit only .213
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: Maroons
- League: Western Association
Emery J. Hengel (1857-1924) had brief stints in major league baseball during parts of the 1884 and 1885 seasons. Moxie signed on as an infielder with his hometown's entry in the upstart Union Association, whose Browns sought to compete with the renowned Chicago White Stockings. The experiment failed and, by August, the club had moved to Pittsburgh (as the Stogies) and lasted until September 18. Many of the players went to Baltimore's Monumentals, but Hengel landed in the Twin Cities with the St. Paul Saints (White Caps). That franchise's contribution to the UA amounted to eight games in total, all on the road. Moxie's anemic .152 average might have signaled a quick end to his would-be career, but he got one more chance - this time with the National League's Buffalo Bisons in what would be their final campaign in the majors. That 1885 season saw Hengel teaming with some real stars: first baseman Dan Brouthers, second baseman Davy Force, shortstop Jack Rowe, third baseman Deacon White, outfielder Hardy Richardson and pitcher-manager Pud Galvin were all on hand. Despite all that talent, the Bisons ended the year ahead of only the woeful St. Louis Maroons and were folded into the Detroit Wolverine club the following season. By this time, Moxie had achieved the dubious distinction of having been on the final rosters of four straight failed ball clubs within two years - and Moxie's days in the Show were over. Undeterred, Hengel returned to the minors, playing for the Utica Pent-Ups, Chicago Maroons, Minneapolis Millers and others before closing his pro tenure with the Minneapolis Minnies of the Western League in 1894 at age 36. In '92 Moxie made a stop in Michigan with the Ishpeming-Negaunee Unions of the Wisconsin-Michigan League, a team that, thankfully, never had to recruit a radio broadcaster.
- Moxie's first major league manager was Ed Hengel. One of three managers for the Chicago Browns in 1884, Ed managed the team to 34 wins and 39 losses. Ed was also born in Chicago and just two years before Moxie. While it's hard to imagine the two were not related, research has not revealed any familial connection.
- Moxie's batting average for his three big league teams was .180. He hit no home runs but did manage three doubles and two triples in his 35 games
- Moxie may have been a better leader than ballplayer: He managed the Chicago Maroons in 1888 and the Minneapolis Millers (road games only) in 1889
- The first release of this card (January, 2017) was likely an error: Hengel was misspelled as "Hengle." This is actually a common mistake for Moxie and it has caused a fair amount of confusion through the years. The Old Judge editors spelled his name "Hengle" and his Wikipedia entry uses the two spellings interchangeably. Deeper research indicates that "Hengel" is the most likely spelling. All subsequent releases of this card will feature the name "Hengel."
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