- 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: Omaha
- Team: Omahogs
- League: Western Association
George Archer Wilson (1860-1914) was Brooklyn all the way; born, bred and buried in the beloved borough. So it was fitting that when young Tugembarked on his chosen profession in 1884, he began at the top, with the hometown Atlantics of the American Association. He got into 24 games as a catcher/outfielder and hit what was a very respectable .232 for a backstop in that era. Thereafter, Tug was a stalwart in the heartland of the sport – its minor leagues. He never again saw a big league diamond, but he did see the country. His career lasted through the 1896 season and took him from New Jersey to New England, from Oshkosh to Omaha, from the Northwestern League to the Southern Association. After being an Atlantic he was a Clamdigger, a Domestic, a Giant, a Lamb, a Mountaineer and a Nutmeg. He was a Bingo, a Star, a Bluebird, a Brown and a Cracker. What a collection of uniforms! Tug concluded his pro career in the Virginia League as a Portsmouth Brown. As he was in the twilight of his playing days, he teamed there with about a dozen youngsters who would go on to the majors. It is likely they all heard the stories of how it was back in the day, in Brooklyn.
- The ’84 Atlantics were named by owner Charles Byrne for the old Nat’l Assoc Brooklyn franchise. The new team struggled to a ninth place finish
- Tug Wilson did not appear in the Old Judge series. However, this image is taken from an Old Judge proof suggesting that OJ either had intentions of including Wilson or this image represents an as-of-yet undiscovered player & pose.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Brooklyn
- Team: Bridegrooms
- League: American Association
Joseph Paul Visner (1859-1945). An outfielder and catcher over 4 major league seasons for 5 different teams, Visner was one of the few Native Americans to play professional baseball in the 19th century. His best year was 1890 for the Pittsburgh Burghers, when he hit .267, with 22 triples, 76 BB, 71 RBI, and scored 110 Runs.
- Won a pennant with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 1889
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Louisville
- Team: Colonels
- League: American Association
Harry Francis Vaughn (1864-1914). A catcher for 13 professional seasons, Vaughn played for 6 different teams: Cincinnati Red Stockings, Louisville Colonels, New York Giants (PL), Cincinnati Kelly’s Killers, Milwaukee Brewers, & Cincinnati Reds.
- Amassed 946 hits
- Compiled a .274 lifetime batting average
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
George Hodgson Townsend (1867-1930) must have been a catcher to his core. He began in pro ball in 1887 with Reading and moved up to the Philadelphia Athletics the same year, which was also the first and only year hitters got to look at four strikes. This must have made for longer days for the pitchers and catchers, but even such a temporary advantage for the batter was lost on George who could muster only a .193 average. He slumped to .155 the next year and moved down to Baltimore in ‘90 where he hit .239. One more sub-.200 campaign followed before Townsend returned to the minors for one year in the Eastern League with the Binghamton Bings and Rochester Flour Cities. Such was the life of the hard-working, much put-upon receivers of the eighties: mangled hands and slumping batting averages.
- George had come by the “tools of ignorance” via America’s higher education: he makes the honor roll as one of 13 NYU Violets in the major leagues
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