Rare R.W. Johnston Studios Triple-Fold Postcard of the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates. Honus Wagner is standing third from the right. When this card was printed, the Pirates were the National League Champions (as is captioned on the front of the card). This team went on to defeat Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in the World Series, with Wagner batting .333 over the seven-game series. CLICK ON THE CARD FOR A CLOSE-UP OF HONUS WAGNER.
The sports star as pitch-man: Joe Tinker of Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance fame in his new Case automobile. The first card at right is an early example of the private advertising card issued by the Case Motor Co. of Racine, WI. Case produced autos from 1910 to 1927.
This 1909 Topping & Co. set rivals the Rose cards as the most attractive vintage baseball player set of the pre-linen era. The series featured portraits of the Detroit Tigers. Unlike his ballplayer brother, the subject of this card, Jim Delehanty wasn't swept over Niagara Falls to his death. He played 14 yrs, helping the Tigers win their 3rd straight pennant in 1909, when he was captured on this postcard.
This card does not appear in any of the postcard catalogs. Issued by The Boston American newspaper, it depicts HOFer Rabbit Maranville of the Boston Nationals, c.1912-15. This card likely was issued in 1914, the year the "Miracle Braves" of Beantown shocked the world to win the World Series in four straight games over the powerful Philadelphia Athletics.  Any info appreciated ->
Issued in 1912 as a premium by The Sporting News, this six-card set is collected by both baseball card and postcard collectors. This is the publication's only postcard issue. These two cards depict Hall of Famers Roger Bresnahan and Eddie Collins.
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Low grade example of extremely rare postcard showcasing Honus Wagner and Hometown Views of Carnegie, published by Pittsburgh Gazette Times. This card is faded and crazed, but nearly impossible to find, c. 1910.
1909 - 1914

CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO ENLARGE THE IMAGES
This 1909 Cubs issue is known as the $-in-shield series, due to a unique symbol on the reverse. Researchers have determined the cards were issued by The Crose Photo Company. The card at left features Chicago Cubs pitcher, Jack Pfiester, who won 70 games during a six year stint with the team. Below is the entire Cubs team.
A classic high-quality 1912 postcard issue, this series features the World Champion Boston Red Sox. The cards were released by The Boston American newspaper as promotional inserts. The photos and printing are of high quality almost luminescent. This card at right showcases Jake Stahl, manager of the championship team and a hometown favorite.
From 1909 to 1916, the Max Stein Company issued a series dubbed "Postcards of Noted People." Included were several baseball players, team montages and group shots. Stein's U.S. Publishing House imprint also issued baseball postcards,
FOR 1915 - 1955
PLAYER POSTCARDS
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[ ALSO FEATURED: 1906 IN COLUMBUS SPOTLIGHT ]
Circa 1913-1914, this rare Pastime Novelty Co. postcard showcases an all-time great and a huge fan favorite, Christy Mathewson. Emblazoned beneath his photo are the words: "Our Matty, Christy Mathewson, the World's Greatest Pitcher." The photo was taken on Oct. 8, 1913 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, which here is misprinted as "Shibo" Park.
A great card featuring major leaguer, Addison "Ad" Brennan, with the US Army, Company D, 27th Inf., Ft. Sheridan, Ill baseball team, c. 1916-17. Brennan pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1910 to 1913 before signing with the Federal League Chicago Whales in 1914-15.
Brennan is most well-known for his celebrated decking of NY Giants manager John McGraw in a fistfight beneath the Polo Grounds stands in 1913. Both he and McGraw were suspended for five days. After his release from the Army, he pitched one game for Cleveland and two games for Washington in 1918.
PLAYER POSTCARDS
Particularly scarce, this postcard of Cincinnati Reds infielder Tom Downey was issued by Corbit Studio Inc. The card is a real photo postcard that could only have been issued between 1909 and 1911, the years Downey played for the Reds. Not much is known about this series -- what teams were included or even where Corbit was located. Any info appreciated ->
This interesting card features the 1910 National League Champion Cubs team, including stars Frank Chance, Joe Tinker and Ed Reulbach. This postcard also spotlights Cubs owner, Frank W. Murphy, who owned the team from 1905 to 1914.
Slightly oversized lengthwise, this card features the 1910-11 Cheyenne Indians, champions of the Rocky Mountain League. According to minor league historians this league wasn't formally an affiliated minor league until 1912.
These two postcards of the 1911 New York Highlanders and The 1910 Philadelphia A's comprise the unique team series from The Sporty Postal Card Co. of Newark, NJ. Not as strange as they might seem at first glance, these cards adhere to themes predominant in each team's marketing of the day. NY manager Hal Chase is cast as the   kilt - wearing  leader  of  the  team,   a
reference to The Gordon Highlanders, a British Army regiment recruited mainly from Scotland. For his part. the A's owner Connie Mack is seen straddling a white elephant, the team's mascot and a pointed response to a barb from John McGraw of the Giants.
The 1912 New Haven Murlins, are shown in this Real Photo card, in their championship season in the Class B Connecticut League. P'ayer-manager Clarence "Pops" Foster led the league in home runs. He previously played in the majors from 1898 to 1901.
In this second Case card, Tinker is joined by teammates John Evers, Tom Needham, Harry McIntyre and Jim Shekard. Printed at bottom: "Joe Tinker is another satisfied Case owner. Joe is hard to please -- ask the umpire." The card's reverse sports Cubs and White Sox schedules for 1912.
Joe Tinker wasn't the only ballplayer captured at the wheel of a shiny new car. This intriguing postcard features Boston Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan and two other uniformed players being feted with a car following either their 1915 or 1916 World Series victory, Note the stylish Red Sox pennant affixed to shiny new auto. The red and yellow tinting is especially striking.
The 1912 World Champion Red Sox were the beneficiaries of many postcard issues, none more odd than this Real Photo card of the Sox at an exhibition game against the University of Chicago prior to the 1913 season. This card was one in a set of Strauch's Student Life Series at the university. Seen here are Jake Stahl, Tris Speaker, Joe Wood, Harry Hooper, Duffy Lewis and others with George Huff, who managed the Sox for eight games in 1907 before becoming athletic director at this university.
An extremely scarce series, the 1914 E&S Publishing Co. postcards feature highly detailed line drawings of baseball stars, surrounded by amusing cartoons about the player's career. This card spotlights Joe Benz, noting his 1914 no-hitter,
This amazing Real Photo postcard of star Red Sox and Yankees shortstop, Everett Scott, depicts him in his minor league days. The card was actually sent by Scott to his uncle and features this message on its reverse: "I am playing again for Youngstown (s.s.) in the Central League, and am doing as well as can be expected. How is everything out on the farm? Everett Scott." The card dates from 1912, when the Youngstown team moved from the Ohio-Penn. League to the Central Association.
SPOTLIGHT:  1910 BERGER POSTAL CARD FOLDERS
THE WORLD CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

A particulalry intricate postcard, this issue was actually a "Souvenir Folder" that was intended to be sent through the mail. Inside, were photographs of twenty team members in an accordian-style fold-out strip consisting of ten two-player panels. The folder was issued by the Berger Postal Card Co. of New York, with  photos by Burke & Atwell. Other folders were released for the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants.
Click on the Images to Enlarge
DAVIS / COLLINS
PLANK / LAPP
BARRY / BAKER
McINNES / KRAUSE
BENDER / LIVINGSTONE
COOMBS / THOMAS
MORGAN / MURPHY
LORD / STRUNK
OLDRING / HARTSELL
The 1910 PC796 Sepia series includes stars from both leagues. Both single player and double-player cards were issued.
This c.1912 Real Photo numbered postcard of Giants pitcher Hooks Wiltse originates from the exceedingly scarce Underwood & Underwood postcard series. Other known examples include cards of Rube Marquard, Christy Mathewson, Jake Stahl and Joe Wood. This publisher later issued
postcards of boxers.