Kruger vs Krueger

[frankbmd]

A board member Dennis recently shared his Horner cabinet of Otto Krueger with me with writing on the back verifying that the photo is actually Otto Krueger. My analysis and specious conclusions follow. Is the photo correct, or is the name and team correct on the T206 card? Feel free to decide on your own.

Otto “Oom Paul” Krueger is a member of the T206 Monster or is he? He is identified and pictured playing for Columbus, a team for which he never played. The photograph presented offers several clues that I believe lends some incite into this mystery.

Arthur Theodore Kruger (different spelling and the spelling on the card) played outfield for Columbus in 1908 and 1909. He had brief appearances for Cincinnati in 1907 and for Cleveland in 1910. All three cities begin with “C” that appears on the unform of the T206 card.

Otto “Oom Paul” Krueger played first in the majors for Cleveland in 1899. He then played three years in St. Louis before joining the Pirates in 1903. In 1905 he played briefly for Philadelphia. By 1909 he was playing for Fresno and San Jose in the California League, a fact probably not known to the American Tobacco Company.

The Krueger photo shown along with the T206 card are clearly related. The uniform is the photo is not identified. On the card the vest pocket has been removed and the “C” was added. The reverse of this photo is signed by “Oom Paul” Krueger, I believe, and the pennant winning Pittsburgh team of 1903 is referenced.

Other T206 players had major league careers well before 1909. I think Otto was chosen for the set probably because of his years with the Pirates. ATC got the picture right, but when they wanted to find his current team they made a mistake and found Art Kruger from Columbus. They misspelled Krueger on the card and added the Columbus “C” to the picture.

With the photo and the writing on the back, I have some comfort with this explanation. Art Kruger played for Columbus but is not the photo on the Kruger card. Otto “Oom Paul” Krueger is the player pictured on both the photo and the card.

Or on the other hand could ATC have contacted Art Kruger in Columbus, when it went after consent from the 4 other Columbus players included in the set (Bunk Congalton, Bill Clymer, Joshua Clarke and Ossie Schreckengost). Art could have agreed to his inclusion in the set.

Then apparently the picture from Art Kruger was never received and someone at ATC or the lithographer found the incorrect Krueger picture shown here, that of Otto Krueger. The result of this scenario would be that the spelling on the card and the team Columbus are in fact correct, and the photograph used is the error. Because Otto was playing in California in 1909, it seems less likely that ATC obtained his consent there for inclusion in the set.

One could argue either way, but what seems clear is that the Horner photo shown here is the photo used for the card and with the writing, the image is that of Otto Krueger known affectionately as “Oom Paul”.

A picture is worth a thousands words, certainly more than what I’ve written. The photo though adds to the understanding of the T206 Kruger (or Krueger). The small photo is a thumbnail of Art Kruger, clearly not an identical twin, and a Cleveland shot of Art Kruger as well.

I've shared my deliberations with Scott who has graciously posted this photo on his web collection of photos used for the lithographs. The link is added below

http://t206themonster.com/T206-Kruger.html

[Runscott]

Great work, Frank

Page updated with new photo and edits: http://t206themonster.com/T206-Kruger.html

[Bridwell]

Thanks, Frank.

The name spelling and team listed tells me that ATC intended to make a card of Art Kruger. I would think it should be listed as Art Kruger in T206 checklists. That is the normal protocol for other pre-war sets with a correct name and team, but wrong picture.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Bridwell

Thanks, Frank.

The name spelling and team listed tells me that ATC intended to make a card of Art Kruger. I would think it should be listed as Art Kruger in T206 checklists. That is the normal protocol for other pre-war sets with a correct name and team, but wrong picture.

Thanks Ron. I have been shifting toward the Art camp, which I now favor. At least we will always know what Otto, a champion in 1903, looked like. Looks like he'll forever ride the pines in the T206 set, just as he did in the 1903 World Series.

[GoldenAge50s]

Have read this thread w/ great interest & commend you, Frank, on your fine research!