What is the Baseball Monument described on Turf Cigarette card of Sisler?

[brianp-beme]

As seen below, the 1925 British Turf Cigarette card featuring on front (in theory) George Sisler, as is stated on the back, has always been an interesting foreign card. Even more interesting and curious is the '$100,000 Base Ball Monument in Washington' (I assume DC) that is described on the back.

Does anyone have any information on this? Was it ever built? I couldn't find out anything with a quick check on the internet.

Brian (but not Brian's card)

[GeoPoto]

I have lived near Washington for 65 years and never heard of it, which doesn't mean it couldn't exist. I'm struck by the unfortunate proprietor name on the back -- Alexander Boguslavsky, LTD. Makes it sound like something out of Mad magazine.

[Casey2296]

Could be the name of a new Russian grading company "Alexander Boguslabsky".

[MCyganik]

I've got no concrete proof, but I think it alludes to the reported "$100,000" expansion of Griffith Stadium that made the news around August 1923.

The wording of the entire back of the card is a bit confusing, as it perhaps would to a Brit with only a cursory understanding of the American game.

"C.H." Sisler - C instead of G for George?
41,979 - instead of .41979 as we write it

Sisler hit .41979 in 1922. The Senators were rapidly improving with Walter Johnson (eventually winning the 1924 WS and losing the 1925 WS) and gathering larger and larger crowds due to stars like Babe Ruth and Sisler (who did not play in 1923) visiting D.C.

So taken as such, "$100,000 Base Ball Monument" could be taken from a contemporary news story about Clark Griffith's plans to greatly expand what was then National Park and renaming it Griffith Stadium due to the rising attendance.

Perhaps there was a contemporary news article that mentioned the original plans of the expansion to include the names of the A.L.'s biggest stars on a monument... or on the stadium itself?

[Tyruscobb]

I remember reading about this a few years ago. This article provides the answers.

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/george-sisler-1925-baseball-monument/

[doug.goodman]

I remember reading about this a few years ago. This article provides the answers.

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/george-sisler-1925-baseball-monument/

Good memory Ty

[brianp-beme]

Thanks everyone, and TyrusCobb for the link to Anson's article about the issue. Thanks to his research, it seems likely that it was intended to be a monument to memorialize the top American League player each year.

Then again, Griffith Stadium expansion is a possibility, with a 'monument' in the stadium. Either way, sounds like this monument was never built, and we will forever just have to imagine the C.H. Sisler name etched in stone for his fabulous 41,979 batting in 1922.

Brian

[Yoda]

I've got no concrete proof, but I think it alludes to the reported "$100,000" expansion of Griffith Stadium that made the news around August 1923.

The wording of the entire back of the card is a bit confusing, as it perhaps would to a Brit with only a cursory understanding of the American game.

"C.H." Sisler - C instead of G for George?
41,979 - instead of .41979 as we write it

Sisler hit .41979 in 1922. The Senators were rapidly improving with Walter Johnson (eventually winning the 1924 WS and losing the 1925 WS) and gathering larger and larger crowds due to stars like Babe Ruth and Sisler (who did not play in 1923) visiting D.C.

So taken as such, "$100,000 Base Ball Monument" could be taken from a contemporary news story about Clark Griffith's plans to greatly expand what was then National Park and renaming it Griffith Stadium due to the rising attendance.

Perhaps there was a contemporary news article that mentioned the original plans of the expansion to include the names of the A.L.'s biggest stars on a monument... or on the stadium itself?

Why didn't Sisler play in1923? Injury?

[paul]

He had something wrong with his eyes in 1923.

[FrankWakefield]

That article with the Sports Collectors Daily link refers to Mr James' book, The Politics of Glory. I found that an enjoyable read. I'd forgotten about the $100,000 monument reference. I painfully recall the way the Hall has selected players as described in the book. I'm a Cardinals fan, and I had to hang my head if Frisch and others advocated strongly for Cardinals old timers. Seems to me that there's several dozen players too many who've been inducted, many of them enshrined after Mr. James' book. I recommend that book, along with The Fix is In and the first edition of the Historical Baseball Abstract. And for fiction, The Celebrant is like a time machine back to when the players in the white border tobacco cards were playing.

I hope everyone is enjoying safe holidays.