any method to the 'madness'?

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Posted By: barry arnold

I'm wondering what theories folks may have regarding the amazingly few players recognized on the T206 cards from these leagues:
Texas League--4 teams with a sum total of 6 players (2 teams had only 1 player)
Southern League--8 teams with sum total of 20 players (1 team had only 1
player)
South Atlantic League--7 teams with sum total of 10 players (4 teams had only
1 player)
Virginia League--6 teams with sum total of 12 players
Eastern League--8 teams with sum total of 47 players (1 team had only one player)
American Association--8 teams with sum total of 39 players (1 team with just
2 players and 1 team with just 3 players)

Admittedly, I'm not surprised that there are fewer than from the American
and National Leagues. I'm just intrigued that there is such an incredible difference. I'm also intrigued with some teams being represented by ONLY ONE player, e.g. 4 of the 7 teams from the South Atlantic League are represented by only one player and 2 of the 4 teams from the Texas League
are represented by only player!!!

any ideas about what's up with this, T206 scholars!

best,
barry

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Posted By: JimB

Barry my friend,
What I want to know is why you are thinking about this at 4:00 in the morning. I have an excuse. I am waiting for a plane in Tokyo.
JimB

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Posted By: barry arnold

Hi Jim ole buddy,
It was really only 3 here in my part of Florida!!
I'm still thinkin' about those beloved 206s---even reread Heitman's
The Monster the last couple of days.
I need to get back to Satprakashananda!
Have fun in Tokyo. I actually spent my pre-little league years growing up
there.

best,
barry

[Archive]

Posted By: T206Collector

I think the same reason there are so many Pirates, Giants and Cubs and the Six Super Prints can be applied in the inverse to the minor and Southern Leaguers -- player/team popularity and marketing cigarettes.

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[Archive]

Posted By: ethicsprof

Your 'inverse' argument makes sense to me but I still find it incredibly odd
that 8 teams were represented by only one player.
Thinking about the criteria you offer, would we now contend that these
players were 'lifted up' because they were that popular---i don't see the records corroborating this.
What do you think?

best,

barry

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Posted By: T206Collector

...linking T206 player stats to each name on my website and found, much to my surprise, that almost all of the southern leaguers and minor leaguers had some Major League time at one point or another. From this I believe can be derived that only the best players from non-Major League teams were fortunate enough to be featured.

Also, keep in mind that a Player had to have been photographed to make it into T206. And, also, apparently, the Player's rights needed to be secured. So you had to be somewhat accessible.

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[Archive]

Posted By: barry arnold

great research.
i was hoping that there would be some "method to the 'madness'".
it makes sense that those who 'made it' by making it to the majors,even
for a short while, would be the ones featured.
in your research, did you find that those players who were the lone representatives of the teams had been major leaguers for a bit.

many thanks for the insight and effort,
best,

barry

[Archive]

Posted By: T206Collector

...lining up player reps or anything. You can look any of them up at Baseball-Reference.com, which is where I linked them all to.

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[Archive]

Posted By: J Hull

I think what's been said already is pretty much the "method". The vast majority of minor leaguers pictured on T206s had spent some time with a major league club, usually prior to 1909. That is, they'd made it to the majors, performed for some number of seasons, and then been demoted in some way (trade, sale, or waivers) and continued their career in the lesser leagues. Given their time in the big leagues and the attendant news coverage, these players had a level of national name recognition that players who'd always been in the minors couldn't achieve. I think that's the largest factor.

Another thing to keep in mind is that being the team's manager also increased one's profile. By my rough list I note the following player-managers pictured:

Eastern League:
Dunn - Baltimore
Casey - Montreal
Ganzel - Rochester
Kelley - Toronto

American Association:
Clymer - Columbus
Carr - Indy
Collins - Minneapolis
Abbott - Toledo

Southern League:
Molesworth - Birmingham
Greminger - Montgomery
Bernhardt - Nashville

Virgina League:
Orth - Lynchburg
Shaughnessy - Roanoke
Lipe - Richmond

South Atlantic League:
Mullaney - Jacksonville


Jamie

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Posted By: barry arnold

I checked the 8 players and only 2 support the argument for major league
playing time relevant to the timetable for production of 206s.

I'm back to wondering if there may well be no or little method to the madness
in the selection of a great number of these players.

Any ideas T206 scholars?

best,

barry

Jamie, I just now had a chance to see your post as I posted mine.
That's why i'm editing now. I'll be back.

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Posted By: barry arnold

Very helpful, Jamie.
many thanks.
i had not thought about the manager angle as a key criterion, but i do think
your contention is correct.
i still wonder about why the lone individuals were singled out for the teams,
as i've mentioned, who were not part of the majors, at least not in time for
the production of 206 cards:
Coles
Helm
LaFitte
Howard
Miller
White

best,

barry

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

The reason we see such a disparity between the # of players represented, I feel, is due to the level of the Minor Leagues the teams represented.

The American Association and Eastern (later became the International) Leagues were the top leagues of the minors at the time (The PCL was also at this level but they had their own set -- Obaks). Essentially, they would be similar to the AAA teams of today. The other leagues represented (like the Texas, Virginia, etc.) were a level or two below the two aforementioned leagues. They would probably be the equivelent of a AA or possibly a A team in todays game.

The ATC probably just decided to represent the higher minor leagues more-so than the lower minor leagues.

-Rhett

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Posted By: barry arnold

Rhett,

your point is helpful and well taken.
what do you say about the 'outliers' such as St. Paul from the AA
with just 2 players;Montreal from the Eastern with just 1 player;
and 7 teams from the Southern with just 1 player.
Being represented by only 1 player just strikes me as too odd.

best,

barry

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Barry, I don't have standings in front of me but the teams that appear underrepresented may have been the teams that did poorly the years the cards were being produced. Then again, it could be simply the makers of the cards didn't have pictures of other players from those teams.
-Rhett

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Posted By: barry arnold

thanks Rhett; i'll check out the data.

best,

barry