Hidden Treasure on Ebay

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Posted By: Daniel Bretta

Anyone else see this little gem stuck in a scrapbook on ebay?



http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8708923667&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEDW%3AIT&rd=1

The seller took a nice picture of it, but didn't mention it anywhere in the title or auction.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Is the fellow in the middle of the bottom row an African-American??

Is he a famous player who broke the color barrier long ago?

What league was this team in?

Just curious.

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Posted By: Daniel Bretta

I don't know what league the Syracuse Stars were in in 1887, but I'm pretty sure they were an American Association team in the 1890's. I tried to enlarge the picture and I can't tell if the fellow on the bottom row is African American or not. I would doubt it.

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Posted By: Brent Butcher

They were in the American Assoc.


The team was in existance from 1879-1890.

There is a John Keefe(pitcher) on the roster. Kin to Tim Keefe???

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Posted By: MyBuddy

1887:

Robert Higgins, lhp


In 1888 or 89, I believe that Stars had both Fleetwood Walker and Geo. Stovey.

Stovey and Walker were definitely the first "black battery" for 1886 Newark IL.

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Posted By: MyBuddy

Pulled my first "back to back" post:

The Stars were in the International League. In the late 1880's about a dozen African-Americans played in the IL.

And not to steal the post -- Great Item. Personnaly, I have had no luck with such a find ...... oh well ...

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

http://www.dickiethon.com/thoughtful/negro1.html

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

1887: In July of 1887, the International League banned future contracts with black players, although it allowed black players already under contract to stay on with their teams.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

In 1887, Fleetwood Walker, Bud Fowler, Frank Grant, Robert Higgins, George Stovey, and three other black players went to play in the newly organized International League. Playing in the International League was also difficult for blacks. Teams were comprised of both white and black players and the black players were often treated unkindly by the white players.

When Syracuse Stars left-handed pitching rookie Robert Higgins went to the mound to pitch his first game in the International League, the crowd yelled threats to kill him because he was black. His own teammates played poorly so that he would lose. Some of them also refused to have their picture taken with him.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Now that we know this 1887 Syracuse card featured one of the legendary African-American players who broke the color barrier 60 years BEFORE Jackie Robinson...

don't you think the buyer might be able to turn around and sell it for a wee bit MORE than $76!!!

GREAT ITEM!!!

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Posted By: joe brennan

No one else finds it odd that all the other stuff from this scrap book is about 70-80 years younger than this piece? Could this be something cut out of a newspaper published in the mid 1960's? Would be a great find if it is in fact from 1887.

A scared man can't gamble and a jealous man can't work.

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Posted By: Daniel Bretta

I got out-sniped on this item by 1 dollar. I was thinking about putting in a higher snipe, but the biggest factor keeping me from going higher was the fact that it seemed to be very out of place in that scrapbook. I probably would have gone a little higher had I realized that the card had an Afican American on it, but win some/lose some.