[z28jd]

Now before I start, I didn't pay anything for this card, so if it turns out to not be real, then it's no big deal. I helped my dear old friend Kevin Cummings find a card he has been looking to get for awhile and he sent me this as a token of his appreciation.

Here's what I know. The card is the correct size despite the irregular cut and the back is blank.

It has the 1887 copyright on the card, BUT it's not a listed player/pose in the catalog. That could actually be a good thing, since new OJ poses are found all the time and new players have been found in the past.

Here is where it gets a bit sticky. He says the player is "Stick" Michael, a shortstop for NY. I looked at the Giants stats from 1887 and that isn't a listed player, though that didn't stop the OJ people from putting Harry Whiteacre in the set on the Athletics and list Bob Allen with Pittsburgh. It could have been a Spring Training player that didn't make the team.

There is a Gene "Stick" Michael that played shortstop much later as many of you know, and ironically it was for New York. This wouldn't be the first time a nickname was reused in baseball. Look up how many times a player with the last name Freeman got nicknamed Buck!

There were other teams in NY in 1887, including the New York Metropolitans of the American Association and the New York Gorhams of the National Colored Baseball League(that would be an exciting find!)

So I'd like some opinions on this card from others. I'm hoping it's real, but I have my doubts. Thanks