[Archive]

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hey John, Ted...

Here's the 2 Downey card so everyone who cares (the 3 of us) can look at them.

There are 22 Cincinnati cards. Griffith has 2 cards, Huggins has 2. Both made the HOF. And the only other fellow who might have 2 cards is Downey. Both of my cards are 350 series. 1909 is Tom's first year in the majors, first game May 7th, he hit .231 in 119 games. Hardly stellar enough for 2 cards. The fielding card is only in 350, I think. The batting card is in 350 and 460. 8 of the 22 Cincy cards have a good view of a belt. Most are wide and red. The Downey batting belt is narrow. (Color isn't significant, I think, because that was created by the printer, not necessarily reality.)

I count 27 Brooklyn cards. I'd hoped one would have that big stripe on a sleeve like the batting Downey, but I don't see that. A variety of sleeve length, a jacket, a sweater, but no big stripe.

Red Downey of Brooklyn is in the majors for his first and only year in 1909, first game September 14th. He hit .258, 20 for 78 in 19 games.

The batting Downey is batting right handed, Red was a lefty. The batting Downey has lighter hair on the card than the fielding Downey, Red was a "redhead". The batting Downey card has no team logo, name or initial on it, somewhat unusual for the issue. Of the 22 Cincinnati cards, all show a letter or "Cincinnati" or part thereof, except these: Downey batting, Ewing (showing his right side and back in a follow thru so no letter would show anyway), Griffith batting (showing him from left elbow up, left side so no letter would show anyway), and McClean (who is shown from thigh up, but he has a chest protector and mask on, tools of ignorance, no letter would show anyway). Only the batting Downey shows chest but no "Cincinnati".

The American Tobacco Trust cards heavily favor the New York area. There are lots of those cards. Lots of Cubs and Tigers. That stripe on batting Downey looks way out of place (but it doesn't match with a Brooklyn uniform either), and the belt is inconsistent. Batting Downey has lighter hair (which could be attributed to artistic license as much as matching red hair). I think John is correct about this batting Downey being Red Downey, because of the focus on the New York area, because Tom didn't deserve 2 cards and it is more likely the "other" card belongs to someone else, and because the belts don't match.

What we need are some good photos of both Tom and Red, and see how the cards compare to the photos.

Frank.