Posted By:
Joe_G.Hello Scott,
You are correct in assuming it was applied by a collector after the issue of the card. All Ward cards were issued with him playing for New York. Pose 478-3 was issued in 1887, 1888, and 1889 with yours being an 1888 example. The Brooklyn update is hiding "N.Y's". I believe you could remove it if you wanted by gently pulling at it while locally swabbing with a wet q-tip. It's your call, the card may be more interesting as it stands. If you do remove Brooklyn, you might find that "N.Y's" has been crossed out or scratched off.
Best Regards,
Joe Gonsowski