Posted By:
Jay Miller1-First, I believe Tom is wrong on his Beckley card years. Whites cards are 1888 while Pittsburgh cards are 1889, so there is a clear year distinction.
2-Why is it important to establish whether a card is a major league rookie card? I would think that a more interesting card is the players first card. My sense is that when people started talking about "rookie" cards years ago they were referring to first card. Rookie does not have to mean Major League rookie. You can be an American Association rookie, a Western League rookie, etc.
3- I agree with my brouther-in-name Jay. People try to structure definations to suit the cards they have or believe they can get. I don't collect first or rookie cards so I can give my unbiased view. I think the Nichols rookie is his Old Judge card. I think the Wagner rookie is the Henry Reckius(sp?) card and the Cy Young rookie is his Just So card. If that implies that someone will never finish a rookie set then so be it.