- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: American Association
Matthew Aloysius Kilroy (1866-1940). Kilroy pitched for 6 teams over 10 seasons; most famously for the Baltimore Orioles. Did you know that Matt Kilroy is the single season record holder with 513 Ks in 1886? That’s 72 Ks more than the next closest total. Kilroy’s 1st 2 years: 75-53, 137 GS, 132 CG, 730 Ks & 3.22 ERA. After his sophomore year, Kilroy would win 20+ games once more, but then descended into mediocrity – going 20-34 over the last 6 years of his career.
- Pitched a no-hitter: 10.6.86
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: American Association
John Joseph Harkins (1859-1940) came by his nickname “Pa” early in his career but really earned it after his ninth son was born in 1911. Harkins was a pitcher for the Cleveland Blues, Brooklyn Grays and Baltimore Orioles from 1884-88, establishing a so-so record (51-83 with a 4.09 ERA). The stats tell only a small part of Pa’s story. A half century later, his obituaries in hometown New Brunswick, NJ would extol an esteemed citizen, father, coach and, yes, “one of the last surviving big-time baseball players of the Eighties.” He was hailed as half of the “famed battery” with Cleveland: Harkins and Bushong “which thrilled fans in 1884.” Harkins was the first major-leaguer to come out of Rutgers and went on to coach at Yale, Lehigh and Princeton. He mentored the future football legend Amos Alonzo Stagg who remained a lifelong friend. The Blues folded after Pa’s ’84 season and seven players migrated to Brooklyn including catcher Doc Bushong. Harkins was a regular starter for his three years there, got into only one game for the Orioles in ’88 and went into college coaching.
- Back home, Harkins went into business with a tavern, served in public office and as a court official
- John was the Grays’ opening day starter in 1885 and 1886
- Harkins' uniform color on this card was changed in June, 2017 from black/red to blue/red 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: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: American Association
Michael Joseph Griffin (1865-1908) was an accomplished center fielder for the AA’s Orioles, the Players’ League’s Athletics and the NL’s Bridegrooms over 12 seasons. He batted over .300 six times, scored 100+ runs ten times and stole 473 bases. On 4/16/87 he became the 1st ML player to hit a HR in his first plate appearance. Ended his career as player-mgr for Brooklyn.
- Caught up in the Baltimore/Brooklyn merger in ’98, won a salary judgment of $2,300 and retired
- Managed local Utica breweries until his death from pneumonia at 43
- Griffin’s uniform color on this card was changed in May, 2017 from black to blue/red to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. Nine cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: American Association
Thomas P. Burns (1864-1928) was an excellent player with four ML teams over 15 seasons. He starred for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, leading them to two pennants in two leagues (1889 in the AA & 1890 in the NL.) His nickname derived from his offseason job hawking shellfish. He brought his huckstering skills to the park, annoying fellow players as “the noisiest man that ever played on the Brooklyn team.” He had a temper to match his mouth, once stabbing & severing a tendon of sleeping teammate Tom Daly, who was dozing on field between games of a double-header.
- NL home-run and RBI champion in 1890
- Compiled a .300 lifetime batting average
- Burns' uniform color on this card was changed in January, 2017 from black to blue & red to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. Nine cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Pioneer Portraits II: 1875-1899
- City: Baltimore
- Team: Orioles
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Joseph McGraw (1873-1934) was an innovative player (the hit-and-run, the “Baltimore chop”) but went on to true greatness as a manager for Baltimore and, most noteworthy, the NY Giants. Only Connie Mack’s teams won more games and no NL manager approached him. Not shabby as a hitter (ranks 3rd all time behind Ted Williams and Babe Ruth in OBP), has been called “the best player to become a great manager.”
- Played for and/or managed ten NL pennant winners
- Upon his death, McGraw’s wife discovered a list of all the African-American players he wanted to sign but was prevented
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1937
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