- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Conrad Darling (1861-1904) was a modest-hitting journeyman catcher knocking around the hard-scrabble baseball towns of western Pennsylvania when The Sporting Life took note of his work following the 1886 season: “Darling was undoubtedly the most valuable man behind the bat in the International League.” Suddenly, Dell was in demand, spurning an offer from Jim Mutrie’s Giants and signing with Cap Anson’s Colts. He played well but sporadically until trying his fortune with Comiskey’s Chicago Pirates in the 1890 Players’ League. His career was in steep decline, likely due to the usual toll of catching in the big leagues. Dell played only part time for the Browns in ‘91 before hanging ‘em up. He did gain a short bit of notoriety by being implicated in a massive scheme to rob moving trains. He and other ballplayers were accused of pilfering baggage and tossing the spoils to confederates trackside. The publicity faded shortly with no indictment.
- The origin of Darling’s nickname is unknown but stayed with him through his obituary
- It was speculated that an old baseball injury contributed to Dell’s early demise
- Darling's uniform color in this card was changed from black to blue in March, 2017 to reflect recent reliable research conducted by Craig Brown and friends at Threads of Our Game. One card had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Willie Hahm, also known as “Master Willies,” was a rarity among early baseball mascots. He was white. The youngster, said to have been barely able to talk when first brought to the dugout, was the diminutive talisman for the Chicago White Stockings in the mid-1880s. “The Chicagos have great confidence in him as a promoter of success and make a great fuss over him” said Louisville Colonels manager Jim Hart in one of the earliest interviews explicating the curious role of mascots in America’s game. After triumphing in the 1884 campaign, Hart said the Sox had paraded Hahm at the head of their procession in an open landau. The Chicago Tribune reported on a big match with the rival Wolverines on June 18, 1886. Al Spalding brought a trainload of boosters to Detroit in hopes of preventing the eclipse of Chicago’s record home winning streak. Downtown Motor City was treated to the spectacle of the White Stockings and 200 rabid fans marching from the depot to the Russell Hotel carrying broomsticks with Willie Hahm leading the throng. Later, per the Tribune, “The Chicagos were escorted to the ground by a band, and entered the field behind little Willie Hahm, who carried an immense broom on which were written the words Our Mascot.”
- Many of the early mascots were black kids dragooned by superstitious players such as NY’s Buck Ewing
- The first two releases of this card (2016) were errors: Hahm was misspelled as "Hahn"
- Hahm's uniform color in this card was changed from black to blue in March, 2017 to reflect recent reliable research conducted by Craig Brown and friends at Threads of Our Game. Two cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
William H. Clarke (1865-1911) learned early why the major leaguers get the big bucks: he had uniformly outstanding success on the mound in the minors with an overall 1.81 ERA. Things were always tougher with the big clubs: an ERA of 4.16 and a journeyman record of 44-51 during seven seasons. Dad’s best year came with the Giants in 1895 where he won 18 with a 3.39 ERA. Things must have looked different when he came out of Lorain, OH to the Sandusky Suds in 1887 winning 21 with a rookie ERA of 1.13. Similar results followed in Des Moines and Omaha. Clarke even got to do a turn out west with the San Francisco Haverlys and a short stay with the Jacksonville (IL) Lunatics where it must have maddened him to go 3-3 despite a 0.87 ERA. Always a strong-willed character (the nickname reflected a grizzled visage), Dad sparred and stormed through a long up-and-down career.
- Per SABR, Dad’s innovative “system” of pitching “slants” influenced Big Train Johnson to perfect his own motion
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
James McCormick (1856-1918) was the first Scotsman to make his adopted country’s major leagues. A pitcher, Jim debuted with the Indianapolis Blues in 1878, their only season in the National League. He had a losing record but an eye-catching 1.69 ERA. He moved to Cleveland’s Blues in ‘79 and stayed until he made the jump to the Union Association in ‘84. Twice with Cleveland McCormick led the NL in wins and once in ERA. A brief term with Providence in 1885 led him to the White Stockings for the balance of ‘85 and the ‘86 season. In Chicago, Jim bonded with King Kelly. Together they helped the club to pennants both years. The battery produced 51 victories with McCormick going 20-4 in ‘85 and 31-11 in ‘86. Perhaps coincidentally (but fittingly), Jim gained a lasting place in baseball card history with his partner Mike Kelly as Goodwin & Co. honored each with ten different poses following the ‘86 championship season. Typical of the era, a contract feud led to McCormick’s sale to Pittsburgh in ‘87 when owner Al Spalding overruled Cap Anson who very much wanted to keep the sturdy hurler.
- McCormick compiled one of the great lifetime records on the mound: 264-214 with a 2.43 ERA (33rd all-time)
- McCormick's uniform color on this card was changed in April, 2017 from black to blue to reflect recent reliable research by Craig Brown & friends at Threads of Our Game. Two cards had been previously released featuring a black uniform.
- Series: Beginnings: 1880's
- City: Chicago
- Team: White Stockings
- League: National League
Edward Nagle Williamson (1857-1894). A 3rd baseman & shortstop for 3 teams over 13 seasons, Ned was an above average hitter & excellent defender (despite his portly physique). Ned held the single season HR record (27 in ’84) until topped by Ruth’s 29 in ’19. Ned’s career was shortened by a knee injury he sustained while participating in Al Spalding’s baseball world tour.
In 1894, the Reach Guide convened a panel of 11 former ballplayers, including HOFer Jim O'Rourke, to debate who was the greatest baseball player of all time. The panel concluded that the honor belonged to Ned Williamson. Cap Anson himself called Ned "the greatest all-around ballplayer the country ever saw."
- Won 5 NL pennants
- Played in two World Series
- Once owned single season doubles record: 49
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