- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: Cubs
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown (1876-1948) gained the Hall of Fame on the strength of a wicked curve, enhanced by childhood accidents that cost him parts of two fingers on his “twirling” hand. He won 20+ for the Cubs six times from 1904-12 with two world championships.
- Career record of 239-130 and the 3rd best ERA of all time: 2.06
- Had legendary duels with Giants’ Christy Mathewson, and went 13-11 against him
- His 2.06 ERA is best ever by a pitcher with more than 200 wins
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1949
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Mordecai Brown
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AL)
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Charles Albert Bender (1884-1954) won 212 games en route to a Hall of Fame career. He began life amid the abject poverty of a Minnesota reservation, was mentored by Pop Warner at the Carlisle Indian School and hit the majors with a bang for the Athletics in 1903. “Albert” as Connie Mack called him, beat future Hall members Cy Young and Clark Griffith compiling 17 wins in his rookie season. He led the league 3x in win percentage but was at his best under pressure. In 5 World Series, Bender won 6 games with a 2.44 ERA and completed 9 of his 10 starts.
- Connie Mack said that of all his players he would most trust Bender to win in the clutch
- Admired for his brilliance, Ty Cobb dubbed him the most intelligent pitcher he ever faced
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1953
Auction History
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Chief Bender
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Syracuse
- Team: Stars (NYSL)
- League: New York State League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Grover Cleveland Alexander (1887-1950) earned his plaque in the Hall of Fame on the strength of his strong right arm and an indomitable spirit. The battered WWI vet fought German mustard gas, epilepsy-inducing artillery, PTSD-induced alcoholism, and opposing hitters, all with honor and distinction. It is impossible to know the record he would have achieved but for the interruption of the war.
- Led the NL in ERA: 1915, ‘16, ‘17, ‘19, and ‘20
- Led GIs into battle in 1918
- Named after President Grover Cleveland, was sometimes referred to as Alexander the Great orOld Pete, but friends and family called him Dode.
- Said of his induction into the HOF: “the greatest treat and one of the biggest thrills” of his life
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1938
Auction History
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Jimmy Barrett
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Pittsburgh
- Team: Pirates
- League: National League
Charles Benjamin Adams (1882-1968) was one of the most remarkable control pitchers in baseball history. The superlatives just keep coming: only rookie to win 3 WS games (and, until Lackey in ’02, only rookie to win game 7); lowest rookie ERA ever at 1.11; fewest walks in a season of over 250 innings (18 in 1920 AFTER recovering from sore arm.) Still ranks at or near top of Pirate pitching records, the team for which he played virtually his whole career. Only pitcher with a better walk ratio in 20th Century was his Pittsburgh teammate Deacon Phillippe. Held Ty Cobb to 1 for 11 in the ’09 Series during his 3 complete games. Held Marquard’s Giants without a walk for 21 innings on 7/17/14, never equaled. Lifetime 2995 innings & ERA of 2.76, pitching shut-outs in his 40s. Were it not for intermittent arm troubles throughout his career, this Babe might have a place in Cooperstown.
- The Depression forced Adams to work into old age. He entered journalism and covered WWII and Korea as a war correspondent
Auction History
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Bobby Byrne
- Series: Pioneer Portraits I: 1850-1874
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Stockings (NAPBBP)
- League: National Association (NAPBBP)
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Albert Goodwill Spalding (1850-1915) was an elite pitcher who retired at age 27 and proceeded to influence the game as few others have. He helped organize the National League, co-founded A.G. Spalding sporting goods, published the game’s first official rules, traveled the world to promote baseball, owned the White Stockings and led an Olympics, leaving one of the great legacies in sport.
- Was a five-time pennant winner with the Boston Red Stockings and Chicago White Stockings
- Career 252-65 record with a .796 winning percentage
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1939
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