what's so special about the 1894 Alpha Engravings?

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Posted By: cmoking

I admit ignorance not knowing anything about these cards. What's so special about them that makes them so pricey?

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Posted By: Daniel Bretta

One of a kind cards of one of the more entertaining and perhaps infamous teams in the history of the game...including many Hall of Famers.

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Posted By: jay behrens

The 1894 Oriolesa are a legndary team. If you've never looked at that season, go look it up and compare it to years prior. Absolutely insane numbers posted. The term Baltimore Chop was coined for this team. They took full advantage of the rule that said any ball that landed in fair territory was a fair ball even if it went foul before passing 1st or 3rd. It's also the reason BAs are so monsterous that season.

Jay

I've just reached Upper Lower Class. I am now officially a babe magnet for poor chicks.

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Posted By: cmoking

Thanks. So is this set the only set that depicts this team? Are there few sets/cards of this era/team, thus making the set stand out even more?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

All the "One-of-a-Kind" vintage cards are becoming more and more valuable as people truly seek out rarities.

The E107 HOF cards are valuable as heck, and none of those are "one-of-one" cards.

The N167 HOF cards are valuable as heck, and none of those are "one-of-one" cards.

The 1904 Alleghany cards ARE "one-of-one"... so I would be curious to see what a nice HOF card from that set would sell for now.


In a nutshell, every collector wants to own something that NOBODY else owns... and the Alphas certainly fall into that category.

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Posted By: Preece1

For me personaly, when I was considering the Alpha purchase, I look at the following:

1. 1894 Baltimore team was a legendary team that many put on the same level as 1927 Yankees, etc.;

2. Every card is unique;

3. They are in the nineteenth century genre, which is where I concentrate my hobby efforts;

4. They are beautiful cards; and

5. Given there are only 14 total cards, only so many collectors can ever own one.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Why do I get the feeling that Patrick is going to be showing me the scan of that card until:

a) I die, or

b) I buy it?

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Posted By: Preece1

I didn't know you would be watching this thread

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Posted By: cmoking

Thanks!

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Posted By: J Levine

The Baltimore team had a large share of Hall of Famers and very intelligent baseball men as evidenced by the managerial and front office careers of many of them.

Baltimore Chop has nothing to do with the fair/foul rule though.

The Baltimore team decided it wanted homefield advantage to really work for them. The grounds crew made the area in front of homeplate so hard (like cement) that the players would hit down on the ball and the ball would jump high enough for them to reach base or actually bound over the fielders. Thus a Baltimore Chop by the chopping motion the bat took down on the ball.

The also angled the infield so ball would roll foul or fair at certain parts.

They even had ball stashed in the outfield for when a ball was lost in the grass. There is a story/legend that this practice was exposed when a gapper was hit and the two outfielders each threw a ball back to the infield.

Many rules were changed because of this team. McGraw at third base would often grab the player by the belt as he went by or while waiting on third. Slowing him enough so the out was made at home. Now very much illegal.

The mound would be watered down so much for some opposing pitchers that it would act like mud. They would then put dry sand for the Orioles between innings. Also ruled illegal.

The Baltimore team was a bunch of characters.

A good book is Where They Ain't : The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball ...

Joshua

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

Thanks Joshua,

 

I enjoyed that .

 

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Posted By: Preece1

Thanks for sharing. I didn't know any of this about the team. I will definetely pick up the book you suggest.

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Posted By: Paul

Don't forget that Kelley and McGraw and Jennings are all rookie HOF cards that predate their next oldest card by almost a decade.