Posted By:
Brian Weisner
Hi Jamie, Scot, and Ted,
I have always believed that the upcoming release of the T210 series had quite a bit to do with the shortage of many of the Southern League cards. I haven't had time to track every card, but when you consider that the 8 Southern League "proofs" were almost all issued in the T210 series it seems to make sense. Of the 8 proofs, 6 of these guys were star players in 1909, making them a shoe in for the T210 set, but a little late for inclusion in the T206 set that consisted of mostly poses and players from the 1908 season.
Let's take a closer look at the 8 "proofs":
Alcock Chattanooga
Meek Chattanooga
Lee Jacksonville
Roth Jacksonville
Dwyer Jacksonville
Osteen Montgomery
Pepe Montgomery
Mayberry Danville
The Chattanooga team which entered the South Atlantic Association in 1909 is probably the best example; they dominated the first half of 1909 with a 45-16 record, but aren't represented in the T206 set at all. Obviously, the proofs of Alcock, who batted .349 in 1909 finishing 2nd in the League to Joe Jackson, and Meek another Chattanooga slugger would have been excellent choices for a "second SL series".
The Jacksonville club dominated the league in 1908 and thus have many players included in the T206 set, but in early 1909 many of the stars were traded and the club fell to 7th place. The only remaining veterans from the Jacksonville squad in 1909 were Lee, Roth, and Dwyer who were probably also slated for a "second SL series"...
I don't have time to finish my thoughts on the other 3, but will try to get around to it this afternoon.
Anyone interested, should read Olbermann's article in the December 2000 issue of VCBC, as it is a wealth of information.
Be well Brian