- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Cincinnati
- Team: Red Stockings (AA)
- League: American Association
Clarence G. Baldwin (1864-1897)
“Clarence Baldwin, known in the baseball world as ‘Kid’ Baldwin, once a famous catcher, has been taken to the Cincinnati Hospital as a charity patient, a hopeless wreck from dissipation. He cannot live long.” New York Times, June 3, 1897.
Baldwin died five weeks later, on July 10, 1897. It was a sad coda to the short, tumultuous life of an infamously strong-armed and strong-willed player.
- Kid's best offensive year was 1887, but stats never captured his prowess behind the plate
- Many in and out of the game tried to help Baldwin’s sobriety, but he evaded all aid
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Detroit
- Team: Wolverines
- League: National League
Charles B. Baldwin (1859-1937) got his first taste of "big league” ball with the Cream Citys (Milwaukee Brewers) when that Northeastern League franchise briefly joined the Union Association in 1884. For five more years with the Detroit Wolverines, Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Buffalo Bisons of the renegade Players’ League, Lady’s left arm would win 73 games with a 2.85 ERA and 582 Ks. His stellar season of 1886 saw him lead the NL with a 42-13 record including 55 complete games and a league-best 323 strikeouts. His 42 wins still place him 2nd all-time among southpaws. Baldwin followed that annus mirabilis with an injury plagued season in 1887, but still managed to pitch five complete games (winning four) to lead Detroit over the St. Louis Browns in the inaugural Dauvray Cup series.
- Baldwin’s nickname derived from his abstemious ways and a refined manner uncharacteristic of 1880s baseball
- It is said that Baldwin was the first lefty to master the curve
- Matt Kilroy is the only left-hander to win more in a single season with 46 in 1887
- Of Baldwin, Hall of Famer Ned Hanlon said, "I will not hesitate in saying that 'Lady' Baldwin was the best left-handed pitcher of his day and one of the best that ever stood in the box. He had wonderful command, speed and curves, and knew how to work the batters." - Sporting Life, September 11, 1897
- Although the Old Judge series features five known poses of Lady Baldwin, I could not find one of suitable quality for this project. This photo was taken during the Tomlinson Studio photoshoot of 1886 in Detroit and is not known to exist in the Old Judge series.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Marcus Elmore Baldwin (1863-1929) had a career that mirrored the stormy times in which he pitched. In his seven years with five clubs, Baldwin managed to get on the good and bad sides of some of the most notable figures in early baseball. He warred with Chris von der Ahe, including time in the slammer and charges of kidnapping. He practically put the “pirate” in the Pittsburgh Pirates by poaching inter-league players. He was the mound mainstay for Al Spalding’s world tour, only to return to lawsuits and acrimony as Spalding accused him of rowdiness beyond the bounds of a dissolute era. His debut was aborted as Cap Anson tried to insert him into the series with the Browns only to be expelled by the officials. Such was the checkered path that proved preparation for a long medical career in Pittsburgh.
- Baldwin was regarded as the flamethrower of his era. Catcher Jack O’Connor, who also caught Cy Young, said Baldwin was “the fastest pitcher I ever caught.”
- His fastball was all the more intimidating given Baldwin’s wildness, often walking as many as he fanned.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: St. Paul
- Team: Apostles
- League: Western Association
John Sloane Barnes (1855-1929) was a dapper dude, confidently embracing the challenges of pioneering the new national pastime in the 1880s and 90s. After toiling in the Upper Midwest with three St. Paul franchises, Barnes came into his own out in the Pacific Northwest, earning the title “Father” of that tradition. He founded the Pacific Northwest League in 1890 with Spokane, then helped get the Western League started. As that was the precursor to the new American League, Barnes left an indelible imprint on the modern game. Devoted not only to looking good, he traveled to Asia promoting physical fitness, returning in 1909 to helm the Butte Miners in the Inter-Mountain League.
- In 1890, John quickly helped arrange financing to commission teams in Seattle, Portland and Tacoma in addition to his Bunchgrassers, the champs that year
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Charles Edwin Bassett (1863-1942) was a well-traveled infielder with the Providence Grays, Kansas City Cowboys, Indianapolis Hoosiers, the New York Giants and Louisville Colonels for nine major league seasons from 1884-92. Bassett had three fine years with the Hoosiers, getting nearly a hit a game. His most productive season was 1891 with the Giants, batting .260 in 524 at-bats. In his 917 games he drove in 402 runs and stole 116 bases.
- Hall of Stats ranks Bassett 189th among all second-basemen
- Bassett attended Brown University in his native Rhode Island
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Charles J. Bastian (1860-1932) was the model “good field, no hit” infielder, squeezing 4 different leagues and 6 teams into his 8 year career. He started in MLB with the Wilmington Quicksteps of the evanescent Union Assoc’s only year, 1884, and finished with a game in the Players’ League in 1891.
- Lifetime BA of .189 defeated his finesse in the field
- Led all NL second-basemen in fielding % in 1886
- His main club was the Quakers, who were the Phillies when Bastian returned for one game in ‘91
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Whites (WA)
- League: Western Association
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Jacob Peter Beckley (1867-1918) was a durable first-baseman over a 20-year career. Though he never played for a pennant winner, Beckley hit .309 lifetime and held the games-played-at-first record until Eddie Murray surpassed him in 1994. Hit .300+ in 13 seasons (three different Pittsburgh clubs, Giants, Reds and Cards). Upon his retirement, Beckley’s 2,930 career hits placed him second only to Cap Anson.
- Not above subterfuge, worked a hidden-ball trick on Honus Wagner using two balls
- Known for cheating on the base paths, was called out by the ump for “getting there too fast!” after racing from 2nd directly home while Blue wasn’t looking
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1971
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Detroit
- Team: Wolverines
- League: National League
Charles Wesley Bennett (1854-1927) was one of the premier catchers of the 19th century. He played 15 years from 1878 to 1893, briefly for the Milwaukee Grays and Worcester Ruby Legs before joining the Detroit Wolverines. Charlie played all seven years of that club’s history in the NL before concluding his tenure with the Boston Beaneaters his final five seasons. Starring for four pennant-winners, Bennett set defensive records in fielding percentage (seven times), putouts, double plays and games behind the plate and was an excellent hitter. His career ended tragically in 1894 when he lost both legs in a Kansas train accident. The beloved backstop was honored by his Motor City admirers when the Tigers’ new stadium was named Bennett Park in 1896.
- Credited with developing the first chest-protector – a cork-lined vest worn under his uniform
- Played in two pre-World Series title matches: Detroit in ’87 and Boston in ‘92
- This image is not known to exist in the Old Judge series. The photo was taken during the Tomlinson Studio photoshoot of 1886 in Detroit. However, the one known OJ Bennett image was taken during the same photoshoot.
Auction History
Cartophilia
Old Judge Pose: 27-1
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Athletics (AA)
- League: American Association
Louis W. Bierbauer (1865-1926) was the treasure, buried then in the snows of Lake Erie, who gave his beloved Pittsburgh team its new name. Ned Hanlon was the privateer who braved the icy waters of Presque Isle in winter to sign the second-baseman away from the Athletics. This “piratical” act became so celebrated it gave the Alleghenys their permanent identity. Louie had done very well by the Athletics’s for his first four years in MLB. His year in the Players’ League with Ward’s Wonders was equally effective, causing the canny Hanlon to seize on Philadelphia’s lapse (they had not “reserved” Bierbauer). Lou rewarded his new club with six fine years at second base. Over his 13-year career, Lou would hit .267 with a .656 OPS. His performance stumbled a bit after joining the Pirates, but Bierbauer remained a strong hitter and defender through the 1896 season.
- Per Sporting Life in ’89: “Bierbauer is undoubtedly the king-pin second-baseman of the [American] Association”
- Ended his major league tenure in 1898 but continued in the minors. Lou managed the Canadian League’s St. Thomas Saints in 1915, his final year in pro ball
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Walter Bogart (Bogert?) is depicted on Old Judge cards identified as the first-baseman for the Indianapolis Hoosiers. There are four poses that suggest an infielder. The commentary in The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890) edited by Miller, Gonsowski and Masson indicate Bogart was invited to compete for the Hoosiers’ first-base job in 1888. They cite a Sporting News reference calling Bogart “an experiment in the league, at best.” Bogart did not make the roster. Dude Esterbrook and Jumbo Schoeneck were the team’s first-sackers that year. No other information about this aspiring big-leaguer is available.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Stockings (NL)
- League: National League
Thomas Henry Bond (1856-1941) entered pro ball as the 1st Irishman to do so, and survived to become the last living member of the NL’s first season. In between, he was a force of nature on the mound, leading the NL in wins twice, winning 40+ from 1877-1879 for the Boston Red Caps.
- Hurled 386 complete games in 406 starts with 42 shutouts and ERA of 2.31
- In 1877 won the “triple crown” with 40 wins, 2.11 ERA and 280 SOs
- Compiled a career 234-169 record with a 2.14 ERA, 10th in MLB history
- Bond appeared only once on the Hall of Fame ballot, in 1936, and received only 1% of the votes by the Veteran’s Committee
- Tommy Bond did not appear in the Old Judge series as he had retired in 1886. This image is taken from a studio cabinet of unknown origin.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Washington, D.C.
- Team: Nationals
- League: National League
Abner A. Boyce was posed by the Old Judge photographer prior to the 1888 season in a Washington Nationals uniform. The right-handed would-be major leaguer never fulfilled that ambition. According to the Goodwin card editors Boyce made the pre-season roster as a catcher for D.C. but fizzled out in exhibition games. They cite aWashington Post comment that Boyce was “quite nervous,” evidenced by eight passed balls in one game against Amherst College. The Post reporter noted: “It has been decided not to sign Boyce.” Apparently that was at least partly due to a high salary demand of $1800. By comparison, starting catcher Connie Mack received $2500 that year from the same club.
- Boyce hailed from Poughkeepsie, NY
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: Maroons
- League: Western Association
Charles Boyd is another of the Old Judge mystery men. He appears in the 1888 card series in three poses in the uniform of the Chicago Maroons of the Western Association. He is right-handed and identified as a first-baseman. Miller, Gonsowski and Masson, in their Old Judge compendium, relate a reference from the Feb 18, 1888 Sporting News reporting the signing of Charles, of Sheffield IL, by the Maroons. A March 31 article predicted this fleet-footed (“he can beat Billy Sunday”) slugger would join the club by April 15. We find no record of Boyd making the Maroons or any other minor league team. There is a cryptic reference to a “Boyd” on the roster of the Danville, IL Browns in 1888 but there is nothing else to identify that player.
- The Old Baseball Cards website lists the Boyd card as depicting “Jake” Boyd while the Goodwin editors have him as “Charles” with the Sporting News items as support
- As ever with these “ghosts” from the early decades of the game, Ars Longa welcomes any leads on identifying Mr. Boyd
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Henry J. Boyle (1860-1932) was known to his adoring fans as “Handsome Henry” during his ML career with the St. Louis Maroons & Indianapolis Hoosiers from 1884-89. His managers may have focused more on his mediocre performance than his comely appearance. The sturdy right-hander compiled an 89-111 record on the mound over his six seasons with a respectable lifetime 3.06 ERA. In an 1886 New York World article titled “How Men Pitch Base-Ball” it was noted that Boyle “depends chiefly upon the effectiveness of the ‘up-in-shoot’ and the terrific speed with which he drives in the straight pitch.” In an 1884 contest with the Washington club, Boyle was the center of controversy as the game was forfeited to the Maroons after losing the argument that Boyle’s foul ball was now too lopsided to be used.
- Boyle’s last season in St. Louis was the team’s finale as well. He was the NL ERA champ that year for the hapless Maroons with a sterling 1.76 ERA and a dismal 9-15 record
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Browns (AA)
- League: American Association
John Anthony Boyle (1866-1913) debuted with the Red Stockings in 1886 for one game before being traded to Comiskey’s Browns. Jack became their regular catcher when Doc Bushong got hurt. Comiskey then took Boyle with him to the Players’ League Chicago Pirates for the 1890 season and then back to St. Louis when that venture collapsed. Sold to NY in ‘92, Jack became the “giant” of the team at 6’4”. The Giants used Jack and others to reclaim HOF’er Roger Connor from the Phillies the following year. Boyle finished his ML tenure with the Phils where he had his best years at bat. As he gained experience behind the plate, Jack’s defense measured up to his strong offense.
- Boyle compiled a career .253 average and fielded .929 overall, mostly as a durable catcher
- Per SABR, “Honest Jack’s” trade to the Browns was the very first in the major leagues
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Sioux City
- Team: Corn Huskers
- League: Western Association
George Washington Bradley (1852-1931) groomed for the major leagues with the vaunted Easton, PA club, known as the top amateur squad of the day. He signed with the NA’s St. Louis Brown Stockings in 1875 with a number of teammates. “Grin” (for what may have been his mesmerizing smirk that befuddled batters) hurled a shut-out in his second start against the White Stockings, a feat that came to be known as “Chicagoing” for years after. That promising beginning was completely overshadowed the following year as Bradley led St. Louis to a second-place finish in the new National League. George pitched all but four innings of the ‘76 season and his record and the team’s were identical: 45-19. He led the league in ERA at 1.23. He threw 16 shut-outs. He scored the first NL no-hitter. No one has since exceeded the shut-out record (only Grover Cleveland Alexander tied it). After that remarkable year Grin became a vagabond. He logged 16 cities over the next dozen years. He never came close to such heights on the mound and played infield as much as he pitched. He was a superb-fielding third baseman.
- A former manager, Frank Bancroft, cast a shadow over Bradley’s career-year. Grin was said to have found a way to access the game ball and smash it with a vise, yielding a malleable sphere to befuddle batters even more than the evil smile
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
Master William Breslin was one in a line of NY Giants’ mascots in the 1880s, primarily due to HOF catcher Buck Ewing’s love of “hoodoos.” Superstition is still alive and well in baseball and goes back to its roots. In the old days it wasn’t rally monkeys, tomahawks or Phanatics–it was young boys recruited from the mean streets by ball players desperate for an edge. Lads such as “masters” Bretsie and Preston prowled the NY dugout in 1886, preceded by an unknown “colored boy” that year. Any charm could do, though. Ewing seized variously on a yellow mutt, a ring-tailed monkey named “Mose,” and a toy barking dog. But no mascot seems to have gained the popularity and fame of Willie Breslin.
One of Buck’s proteges was Fred Boldt, a Chicago waif the team picked up on the road. Back in NY, young Fred ran up an account at a diner near the Polo Grounds and absconded with Cannonball Titcomb’s shoes.
- The Breslin Old Judge cards have become highly prized
- Sadly, biographical data for Willie and his cohorts is lacking. We trust he turned out better than young Boldt
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Detroit
- Team: Wolverines
- League: National League
Dennis Joseph Brouthers (1858-1932) was one of the truly great hitters of the 19th century. Dan (pronounced BROOTHERS) played for ten teams over 19 seasons. He led the NL in OBP five times; SLG% seven times; H & 2B three times; Rs, HRs, & RBI twice. The 19-year old Brouthers vowed to quit the game when Johnny Quigley, a catcher for Harlem in 1877, died a month after a horrific home plate collision with Big Dan. He relented after the shock subsided & went on to the most prolific career of his era.
- One of only 29 to play in four decades
- .342 BA is 9th all-time; .423 OBP is 15th
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1945
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
William M. Brown (1866-1897) was a catcher & infielder for 7 seasons with 5 clubs, including stints with NY’s Giants in both their National League and Players’ League incarnations. He began in New York in 1887, left for the Phillies in ’91, was out a year before catching on with the Orioles. His final year in the majors was with two teams: the Louisville Colonels & St. Louis Browns in 1894. This native San Franciscan was exotic enough to be nicknamed for his State in an era dominated by eastern teams and players. Chronic lung problems limited his play. He sought milder climes in the west & Hawaii to no avail, succumbing to the disease at age 32. He is buried in the necropolis “City of Souls” in Colma, CA, near his hometown.
- Brown’s finest year was 1893 with the Colonels, batting .304 with 140 hits and 85 RBI
- His 50 walks that year gave him an OBP of .373
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Boston
- Team: Beaneaters
- League: National League
Thomas Tarlton Brown (1860-1927) began a long career in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles in 1882. The young Englishman would go on to roam the outfields of ten franchises, ending with the NL’s Senators in 1898. Tom hit his stride with Boston’s Beaneaters and Reds. With the latter, he starred for a rare team to win pennants back-to-back in two leagues, as the Reds captured the Players’ League title in 1890 and the American Association flag in ’91. The fleet-footed Brown covered a lot of ground in the outfield, perhaps too much. He holds the MLB record for 490 OF errors, far more than the records in the AL and NL. His speed paid dividends on the bases as Tom led the league twice in steals, compiling a career total of 657.
- Selected for A.G. Spalding’s “World Tour” taking baseball global on an 1888 trip to Europe/Africa
- Enjoyed a career season in ’91, leading the AA in triples (21), SBs (106), hits (189) & runs (177)
- Is considered to have been part of the innovation of the platoon system with the ‘87 Indianapolis Hoosiers, paired with Gid Gardner
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Louisville
- Team: Colonels
- League: American Association
Louis Rogers Browning (1861-1905) starred in the outfield for six teams over twelve seasons and was the best hitter in the ten-year history of the American Association. Pete’s nickname with the Eclipse was The Gladiator, but Browning is known to history as the Louisville Slugger: the first player to order bats from Hillerich & Bradsby after the owner’s son, Bud, invited the slumping slugger to the woodworking shop for a custom-made model that produced three hits the next day. Bud defied his dad’s unwillingness to bother with baseball equipment and sealed the company’s reputation when Honus Wagner became the first star to officially endorse a bat. Browning always ranked among the batting leaders and won the crown three times. Fighting the excruciating pain of mastoiditis with alcohol, Browning dominated at the plate even as his drinking increased. The chronic childhood affliction caused deafness and contributed to Pete’s erratic performance afield.
- Only four right-handed batters have eclipsed Browning’s .341 lifetime average
- A lifelong eccentric, driven by his demonic ailments, Pete lovingly named his bats and retired them when he deemed them to have used up their quota of hits
- Selected as SABR’s 2009 Overlooked 19th Century Legend still awaiting the Hall
- Pete's nephew, Tod Browning, was a film director best known for his films Dracula (1931) & the classic cult film Freaks (1932)
- Browning's uniform color in this card was changed from black to maroon in January, 2017 to reflect recent reliable research conducted by Craig Brown and friends at Threads of Our Game. Nine cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Charles Ruley Brynan (1863-1925) had two cups of coffee with major league clubs separated by three years. He was primarily a minor-league, right-handed pitcher with quick looks by two National League teams: the Chicago White Stockings in 1888 and the Boston Beaneaters in 1891. Along the way “Tod” played with two Southern Association teams in ‘86, the Nashville Americans and Memphis Grays followed the next year with the Duluth Freezers. In ‘88 Brynan played for the Minneapolis Millers and St Paul Apostles before getting a late-season chance with Chicago where he was 2-1 with a high 6.48 ERA. He fared worse with Boston, failing to get out of the first inning after giving up six.
- The remainder of his service had been with the Milwaukee Brewers, Des Moines Prohibitionists and Grand Rapids of the Michigan State League in 1889
- Brynan’s career mark in the minors was 31-39 with a 3.00 ERA
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Columbus
- Team: Solons
- League: American Association
Albert C. Buckenberger (1861-1917) never made the big leagues as a player, but managed 4 franchises over 9 seasons from 1889-1904. He was the field general for the Columbus Solons of the AA for 2 years before moving to the NL, first with the Pirates for 3 seasons, the Browns for one and then with the Beaneaters for his final 3 campaigns. While with Pittsburgh, Al served a stint as club president as well. His career record on the bench was 488-539. By the time owner Chris von der Ahe brought him to St. Louis for the 1895 season, Buckenberger’s predilection for coaches’ hand signs was well known. He was the brunt of a mocking anecdote following the Browns’ 11th place finish. The Washington Post reported von der Ahe’s caustic assessment of the manager’s emphasis on teaching signals at the expense of physical conditioning: “I guess they have learned to make signs to the waiter in order to get more than their share to eat.” During the ’94 season, Buckenberger and others were expelled from the NL for “plotting” the resurrection of the American Association but was reinstated the next year.
- Buckenberger enjoyed 2d-place finishes in 2 leagues: with the Solons (AA) in 1890 and the Pirates (NL) in ’93
- Led the Beaneaters to a 3rd place finish in 1902
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Indianapolis
- Team: Hoosiers (NL)
- League: National League
Richard D. Buckley (1858-1929) was a catcher with four teams over an eight-year career in the majors. He started with the Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1888 where he was behind the plate in 51 of his 71 games. Dick hit a robust .273 his rookie season. He played two full campaigns in Indiana, two with the Giants, two with St Louis and finished with two more with the Phillies, closing his MLB tenure in 1895 with a fine overall batting average of .245. Buckley wasn’t through with pro ball however, continuing in the minors with Midwest clubs until retiring at age 42 with the Omaha Omahogs of the Western League.
- Buckley was born to the game: in Troy NY just at the beginnings of organized ball. In 1860 the Victories of Troy were one of 62 teams in the new NABBP, reconstituted in ‘66 as the Unions of Lansingburgh (a neighborhood in north Troy) where young Dick would have seen baseball’s finest come through town
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Quakers
- League: National League
Charles G. Buffinton (1861-1907) was one of the most accomplished hurlers of his era; his sinker befuddling batters as it dove into the dirt. The Fall River native helped lead his Beaneaters to the title in 1883, ably supporting Grasshopper Whitney. The two combined for 62 of the team’s 63 victories. The following year was one of the most remarkable in baseball history and Charlie was one of its heroes, joining six others in shattering the previous strikeout record. Buffinton’s 17 Ks in a game remains the Braves franchise record. Boston’s try for a repeat championship died at the strong right hand of Old Hoss Radbourn who carried the Providence Grays with his mind-boggling 59 wins to Charlie’s 48. He went on to win 20+ seven times. His 233-152 lifetime record still ranks him 63rd in wins all-time. Typical of the era, Buffinton finished his own starts, an eye-popping 351 times out of 396. Only eight other pitchers of the 19th century exceeded his strikeout total.
- The New York World published a feature in 1886 “How Men Pitch a Base-Ball” and Buffinton was a prominent subject for the speed he attained from “but little effort”
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