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Posted By: Bob Manning

The guys you have in mind are Deacon Phillipe and Babe Adams. Philipe is in the set; Adams isn't. Sam Leever, though he was 8-1 in relief in 1909, isn't in the set either. In fact what's striking is how few Pirates are actually represented, given that the team was at, or close to, its peak in the period just before and during the years in which T206s were produced. (Between 1900 and 1913, the team never finished lower than 4th, and won four NL championships and the 1909 WS against Cobb & Co.) Even so, there are only 19 cards representing 13 Pirates, while the slightly more capable NY Giants (five NL championships and a WS win, all under McGraw, between 1903 and 1913) were allowed 54 cards of 26 players. (A quick count from Bert Sugar's "Sport's Collectors Bible." May be in error, but not by much.) This topic has been discussed before on the board, but never, to my knowledge, resolved.

Babe Adams was 12-3 in 1909, pitched and won three complete games in the Series, and finished his career 194-140 with an ERA of 2.76.

Deacon Phillipe won 189 games, against 109 losses, and had a lifetime ERA of 2.59. Nearly all of his career was with Pittsburgh. Both receive occasional mention for the HOF. Teammate Vic Willis was elected in 1995, so there's always a chance.