[GeoPoto]

Card 4: William E. "Wid" Conroy. Utility player for the Washington Senators in 1909-1911. 1,257 hits, 22 home runs, and 262 stolen bases in 11 MLB seasons. Debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. He had at least 384 plate appearances in each of his 11 MLB seasons. He was the first-string SS on the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1902. He moved to 3B in 1903 with the New York Highlanders, twice leading AL third basemen in total chances per game. He was an opening day starter for the Highlanders for the first five years of the team's existence. In 1907 he swiped 41 bases second only to Ty Cobb. He finished his career with Washington and in one of his last games set an AL record with 13 total chances at 3B.

Wid Conroy with Bat Sweet Caporal 350 Factory 30: Conroy with Bat is the second of the two Conroy T206 cards and is fairly common (PSA-578). PSA has graded fourteen Conroy with Bat T206 cards PSA 7, one 7.5, and another seven PSA 8. Conroy with Bat is in Print Group 3.

Heritage/Rounders Entry: Graded 7 by PSA, this card has sharp corners and edges and a good clear image. The back is okay with moderate fading. This card is centered a little left but is well-centered top to bottom. Overall, the borders are fair, although the left border is worrisome.

My Entry: Graded 5 by PSA this card presents very well. The edges and corners are sound, and the image is clear, and the surface appears unblemished. The centering is very close to perfect. The borders are fair. The back is clean with vibrant color, showing minimal fading.

Comparison: These two cards present very similarly, both with a clear, crisp image. My card shows corners with just a hint of softness/rounding, which supports its lower grade compared to the H/R card. Neither card has any obvious surface wear or blemishes. My card has better centering and stronger borders than the H/R does. Both backs are clean, with the edge going to my card's better coloring which is less significantly less faded.

My conclusion: I like my card. Both cards present very well, but my card has better centering and stronger borders (left and top), which more than offsets the extent to which the H/R card has slightly sharper corners. My card's back is also better. The tight left border on the H/R card is the difference maker here.

The bottom line: If we ignore resale value, I would not trade my card for the H/R card. I like my card better. The somewhat smaller borders on the H/R card would be a constant reminder that the card may have been altered. While alteration can't be ruled out regarding my card, the stronger borders provide some reassurance compared to the H/R card.

Additional Wid Conroy Fun Fact: Connie Mack signed him to play the 1900 season for the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League. The following year, the league attained major league status and Mack moved to Philadelphia.