- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Brooklyn
- Team: Superbas
- League: National League
Jacob Ellsworth Daubert (1884-1924) is considered by some the best first-baseman NOT in the Hall. His fielding was never below .989, he led the NL in batting 1913 & ’14, and was MVP in ’13. Seven times from 1911-19 he was named to Baseball Magazine’s All-America team. Popular with players and fans, his union activity alienated mgmt.
- Charles Ebbetts sent him from Brooklyn to the Reds in 1919 following a salary dispute
- Became ill and died during his final road trip with the Reds in 1924
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Jake Daubert
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Detroit
- Team: Tigers
- League: American League
William Edward Donovan (1876-1923) paid a $10 fine for earning his nickname, awarded after walking 9 straight for his minor league Hartford team. He went on to a fine ML career over 18 years with 4 clubs as player & manager. He emerged from Brooklyn’s bullpen obscurity to compile a 25-15, 2.77 ERA record in 1901 & really came into his own with the Tigers from ’03-12. He led his team & the AL with a 25-4 mark in ’07, still the franchise’s best winning %. Like his Detroit mates, Donovan struggled in his World Series opportunities, going 1-4 & earning the dubious distinction of losing two straight finales in ’08 and ’09. Until his arm gave out in ’12, Donovan was a consistent closer & still ranks 50th all-time in complete games.
- Donovan stayed in baseball as manager of the New Haven Profs in the EL. He was en route to Chicago for winter meetings when he died in a train wreck of the 20th Century Limited
- Lifetime: 378 games, 186 Ws with 289 completed & a 2.69 ERA
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Wild Bill Donovan
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Phillies
- League: National League
Charles Sebastian Dooin (1879-1952) played nearly all of his long and successful catching career for the Phillies, 1902-14. He batted .240, managed the club for 5 years and nurtured the young Grover Cleveland Alexander in his early years. Still holds the Phillies team record for games caught. Despite his small stature, was known for his fearless plate-blocking.
- Dooin always claimed Roger Bresnahan got the idea for shin guards from him in 1906
- After the Depression wiped out his wealth, used his rich baritone on the vaudeville circuit
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Red Doin
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
Lawrence Joseph Doyle (1886-1974) was one of the premier 2nd basemen of the NL for much of his 14 yr career, most of it with the Giants. Led the league in several hitting categories including BA in ’15, hits in ’09. He also won 3 pennants and was MVP in 1912. His .290 lifetime avg. was 4th among veteran 2nd basemen.
- Still holds modern Giant record for triples in a season — 25 in 1911
- In 1913 became 1st to hit a HR out of the Polo Grounds
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Larry Doyle
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Washington, D.C.
- Team: Senators
- League: American League
Norman Arthur Elberfeld (1875-1944), nicknamed the “Tabasco Kid” for his fiery temper and violent outbursts against umpires, covered 2nd base with a ferocity that daunted even Ty Cobb – who never slid head-first again after losing an encounter with Elberfeld’s spikes. Played mostly SS for 7 teams, 1898-1914 and was a solid hitter (.271 lifetime).
- Never afraid to take a spike, a punch or a pitch, he still ranks 13th on hit-batter list
- Career stats suffered from frequent suspensions and injuries
- Had a knack for mentoring young players, including rookie Casey Stengel
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Kid Elberfeld
- Series: Pilgrims
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
William George Evans (1884-1956) began as the youngest ML umpire and went on to a Hall of Fame career of whom a top Yankee pitcher said “He is the best, fairest and squarest umpire in the league.” A rare official with no playing experience, Evans quickly established his credibility in a rowdy era. In “one of the most disgraceful scenes ever witnessed on a ball field” his skull was fractured by a hurled bottle in a Browns/Tigers game.
- A gifted writer and analyst of the game, authored books and was an early sports columnist
- Went on to executive positions with teams and head of the minor league Southern Association
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1973
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Harry Gasper
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: Cubs
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Joseph Evers (1881-1947) was immortalized as the pivot man with Joe Tinker and Frank Chance in the most famous double-play combo of all time. Evers was a good-hitting, slick-fielding 2nd baseman, winning World Series with the Cubs and Braves. A fiery-tempered man, Evers was said to have had more impact on a team than any at his position.
- The quintessential “small ball” player, Evers excelled in bunts, steals and heads-up play
- Saved a pennant race for Chicago by calling ump’s attention to Fred Merkle’s “Boner”
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1946
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Johnny Evers
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Naps
- League: American League
Frederick Peter Falkenberg (1879-1961) pitched for 7 ML clubs over a 15-year career from 1903-17, laboring in obscurity and mediocrity until he emerged in 1913 (at age 32) with a secret weapon that transformed him into a world-beater. For one meteoric season he went 23-10 with a 2.22 ERA using the “emery ball,” a legal but dubious pitch that practitioners kept on the down-low.
- In 1914, lured to the new Federal League, he continued his success for one more year
- The Federal League and Falkenberg both flamed out the following year
- Retired to San Francisco and became an entrepreneur for his favorite game: bowling
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Cy Falkenberg
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
Arthur Fletcher (1885-1950) was cut from the same cloth as the fiery John McGraw for whom he starred for over a decade. When McGraw took his Giants to Dallas in 1908 he saw a cocky kid who played ball the way he did, not just with glove and bat but with fists and mouth. He took young Art (who off the field was a temperate, whole-souled gentleman) to New York, and soon installed him as the replacement for local hero Al Bridwell at short. It didn’t take long for Fletcher to vindicate his mentor as his strong batting and slick fielding anchored an all-star infield for three straight pennants. In all, Fletcher played in four World Series under McGraw. Fletcher managed the Phillies before finding a home as coach for the Yankees, a post he held until a heart attack forced his retirement after nineteen seasons. It has been said that, in his four appearances as a player and ten as coach, Art cashed more World Series checks than anyone.
- Art came to detest being field general. His time with the Phils was not happy, aggravated by a raw relationship with renowned umpire Bill Klem. He was content to stay in coaching and leave the managing to Miller Huggins and Joe McCarthy
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Russell Ford
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Naps
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Elmer Harrison Flick (1876-1971) subbed for injured Sam Thompson in right field for the Phillies in 1898, beginning a 13-year run as a powerful hitter with great speed on the bases. After joining Cleveland in 1902, Flick became such a fixture that he earned his place in trivia lore as the player the Naps kept rather than trade for a young Ty Cobb. He and teammates Nap Lajoie and Addie Joss are among only 6 modern players to make the Hall of Fame with no World Series appearance on their resumés.
- Health problems began to plague Flick in 1908, severely curtailing his productivity and by 1914 he was out of baseball entirely
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1963
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Joseph Lake
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Rochester
- Team: Bronchos
- League: Eastern League
Edward Cunningham Foster (1887-1937) played mostly 2B and mostly for the Senators over a 13 year career. He broke in with a bang in 1912 and AL pres. Ban Johnson dubbed him the rookie of the year long before it became an official award. He later became known as the best hit-and-run batter in the AL.
- Career BA of .264, hit his best for the Browns in 1922 (.306)
- Survived typhoid fever in 1913 but lost much of his season
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Eddie Foster
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: Leland Giants
- League: Cuban-American Negro Clubs Series
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Andrew Foster (1879-1930) was “the foremost manager and executive in history of the Negro Leagues” according to his Cooperstown plaque. He is known by many as “the Father of Negro Baseball,” a title earned by decades of playing greatness on the mound, managing championship teams, and founding the Negro NL in 1920. John McGraw recruited Foster to instruct his pitchers. Foster is said to have taught Mathewson the screwball. His nickname may derive from his defeat of Waddell in one of many exhibitions with the “real” big leaguers.
- Honus Wagner said Foster was “one of the greatest pitchers of all-time”
- But it was his brilliance as an executive that left a legacy of greatness in African-American history as the league he founded finally gave a national platform for the talents of black players
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1981
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T201 Mecca Canvas: JB Seymour
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Sox
- League: American League
William Lawrence Gardner (1886-1976) is celebrated in his hometown of Enosburg Falls, VT as the best baseball player to come out of the Green Mt state. He anchored 3B for the Red Sox and Indians winning 4 world titles. Was the hero of the 1912 Series, driving in the winning run after two Giants’ miscues in the 10th inning.
- Gardner’s 3 hits propelled rookie Babe Ruth to his 1st win as a Red Sox pitcher
- Ruth beat Walter Johnson 1-0 three times in 1916, the last via Gardner’s 13th inning hit
- Claims to have hit a HR off Jack Coombs in Ebbets Field with his eyes closed
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Larry Gardner
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Pittsburgh
- Team: Pirates
- League: National League
- Hall: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
George C. Gibson (1880-1967) was the epitome of the defensive, canny catcher. Despite the punishment at this position, Gibson shattered the MLB mark in ’09 for consecutive games caught. He lasted 21 years, helped the Pirates beat the Cobb-led Tigers in ’09. Stayed in baseball as one of the 1st Canadian managers with Pittsburgh and the Cubs.
- From 1908-10, Gibson averaged 144 games caught, unheard of in that era
- Led NL in fielding % three times
- Elected to Canadian BB Hall of Fame: 1987
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T201 Mecca Canvas: George Gibson
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cincinnati
- Team: Reds (NL)
- League: National League
Edward Leslie Grant (1883-1918) had a cup of coffee replacing an ailing Nap Lajoie with the Indians at the end of the 1905 season, upon his graduation from Harvard. Caught on with the Phillies ’07-10, then played for the Reds and Giants thru 1915. An early enlistee for WWI, Grant became the 1st ML veteran to die in that conflict, leading a heroic search for the “Lost Battalion.”
- A Harvard lawyer (’09), Grant refused to holler “I Got It!,” preferring “I Have It!”
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Eddie Grant
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Portland
- Team: Beavers
- League: Pacific Coast League
Sylveanus Augustus Gregg (1885-1964) took the Pacific Coast League by storm in 1910, hurling 14 shutouts for Portland, never bettered in the PCL. Signed to the Cleveland Naps the next year, Gregg led the AL in ERA at 1.80 and went on to become the only 20th century pitcher to win 20+ his first three seasons in the majors. He remains the franchise leader in winning percentage. Dealt to the Red Sox in 1914, Gregg’s arm wore out. He got the thrill of playing for the two championship teams in ‘15-16 but was soon out of the game entirely until making a comeback with Seattle. At age 40, Vean made a remarkable final appearance in the big leagues, going 2-2 with two saves for the Senators in 1925 following a six-year absence.
- The southpaw made quite an impression in his rookie year at Cleveland. Hal Chase, Ty Cobb and HOF ump Billy Evans all thought he was the best lefty they had seen
- Played among the greats at Cleveland: Lajoie, Joss, Cy Young and was helped in 1911 by Joe Jackson’s .408 average
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Earl Moore
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cincinnati
- Team: Reds (NL)
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Clark Calvin Griffith (1869-1955) was a successful pitcher for over 20 years but had only just begun his baseball career. AL founder Ban Johnson prevailed on Griffith to take the helm of the NY entry into the new league in 1903. That began a tenure as manager and owner that lasted until Griffith’s death in 1955. With a showman’s touch and a veteran player’s savvy, Griffith turned around the D.C. franchise.
- Only one in history to be a player, manager and owner for over 20 years in each role
- Counted eight U.S. presidents as friends during his long tenure as owner of the Senators
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1946
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Harry Baker
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: New York
- Team: Highlanders
- League: American League
Roy Allen Hartzell (1881-1961) was a versatile infielder/outfielder for the St Louis Browns and NY Highlanders (Yankees) from 1906-16. A NY Times article in 1914 called him the “handiest utility man the Yankees ever had…” After his ML career, Hartzell returned to his CO home to manage the Denver Bears.
- Was 6th in AL in RBI in 1911
- On 7/12/11 drove in 8 runs, a record that stood until Jimmy Foxx had 9 in 1933
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Roy Hartzell
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Boston
- Team: Doves
- League: National League
Charles Lincoln Herzog (1885-1953) was loved and hated by John McGraw: “I hate his guts, but I want him on my club.” Traded 3x and brought back to the Giants twice, this most versatile of infielders played with a fire matched by few of his era. His 1,493 career games were equally divided between 2nd, 3rd and shortstop.
- Herzog’s 12 hits in the 1912 Series stood as the record for half a century
- Always a shrewd negotiator, signed a record $12K minor league contract in 1920
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Buck Herzog
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: American Giants
- League: Cuban-American Negro Clubs Series
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Preston Hill (1882-1951) was a giant among early 20th Century players, starring for the Cuban X Giants, Philadelphia Giants, Leland Giants & the Chicago American Giants of the Negro Leagues. The Virginia native broke in with the Pittsburgh Keystones in 1899 & went on to a renowned career in the US & Cuba playing & managing for 11 teams until his final tenure with the Baltimore Black Sox in 1925. Hill forged a strong bond with Rube Foster while playing for the Leland Giants. Following their phenomenal 1910 season (123-6), Hill was Foster’s captain when he formed the Chicago American Giants. While relegated to playing against minor league white teams, Hill’s teams also held their own when given the chance with MLB squads. For example, the vaunted 1908 Cubs (104 wins) played an October exhibition against the Leland team. Mordecai Brown won two close games to edge the black team.
- Hill’s HOF plaque notes his “rifle arm” in CF, and calls Hill “one of the greatest line-drive hitters of his era”
- Homestead Grays’ Cumberland Posey called Hill “the most consistent hitter of his time”
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 2006
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Ed Summers
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Boston
- Team: Red Sox
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Harry Bartholomew Hooper (1887-1974) anchored right field for one of the best outfields in baseball for the Red Sox with Tris Speaker and Duffy Lewis from 1910-15. Still holds Boston club records for triples and SBs. Entered the Hall of Fame in 1971 with 2466 hits and a career .281 BA.
- First player to lead-off both games of a doubleheader with a home run
- With Heinie Wagner, was part of a record four Sox World Series championships
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Roy Miller
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Cardinals
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Miller James Huggins (1879-1929) played 2B for the Reds and Cards (1904-16), then managed the Cards and Yankees during the latter’s dominant decade, winning 6 AL pennants and 3 World Series. Despite a low-key style, Huggins shook up the NY roster, drawing heavily from the Red Sox and even reined in the mighty Babe, laying the groundwork for Murderers’ Row.
- Presided over consecutive World Series sweeps in 1927 & 28
- Following Huggins’ untimely death at age 50, all AL games were canceled in tribute
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1964
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Miller Huggins
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Naps
- League: American League
Joseph Jefferson Wofford Jackson (1887-1951) had the “perfectest” swing according to Babe Ruth who copied it. After nearly a century of more contenders, many would still say Shoeless Joe was the purest hitter ever to wield a baseball bat. Expelled from baseball by Judge Landis, Jackson lives in infamy despite demonstrating prowess at the plate and grace afield. While he will ever be branded with the “Black Sox,” Jackson stirred passions that still echo in baseball today.
- Still ranks as the third-highest career batting average in history (.356)
- His .408 average in 1911, his rookie season, is sixth-highest in the modern era
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Ed Fitzpatrick
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Detroit
- Team: Tigers
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Hugh Ambrose Jennings (1869-1928) became the premier ML SS for the Orioles in the mid-90s, hitting .401 in ’96. Nearly killed by an Amos Rusie quick-pitch, this survivor returned to be hit 46x in ’96. Irrepressibly good-natured and brilliant, Jennings was an attorney and manager after his playing days, guiding the volcanic Ty Cobb to his phenomenal career.
- Still holds record for being hit by pitch (287)
- Is credited with inventing the platoon system
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1945
Auction History
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Hughie Jennings
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Washington, D.C.
- Team: Senators
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Walter Perry Johnson (1887-1946) played his entire 21-yr career for the Senators then managed them for 4 more. Ty Cobb’s first impression was of a “rube out of the cornfields.” But when the rube threw “The thing just hissed with danger.” Cobb wasn’t the last player to be stunned by this man’s fastball: Most shut-outs in MLB, 2nd in wins, 4th in complete games, etc.
- Only member of 3000 SO club until Bob Gibson joined in 1974
- Still holds record 12x league-leader in strikeouts
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1936
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Walter Johnson
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