Old Judge?

[t206 cubs]

Can someone tell me how many Chicago players are in the Old Judge set?

Please email me at: Shearerchad@yahoo.com

[Matthew H]

[alsup2311]

delete

[Joe_G.]

Hello Chad,

Chicago was issued cards in 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890 as follows.

1887 - NL (Chicago White Stockings)
1888 - NL (Chicago White Stockings) & WA (Chicago Maroons)
1889 - NL (Chicago White Stockings)
1890 - NL (Chicago Colts)

NL = National League
WA = Western Association

In terms of difficulty, there are some extremely scarce cards including the 1890 National League cards, some of the Western Association players as well as the three Chicago players/mascot found in the 1887 short numbered series. McCormick, Williamson w Mascot, and the Mascot card itself (extremely tough) comprise the Chicago players found in the short numbered series. Note that 1887 includes a "short numbered" and "long/leading '0' numbered" series. Outside of the short numbered cards of 1887, most of the White Stockings cards are relatively common other than a few specific poses such as Anson in Uniform.

Perhaps the most collectable sub-series of cards would be the 1887 leading "0" numbered cards for which 12 players are represented among 63 poses. These cards are relatively available but the team's biggest star, Anson, wasn't issued a card until the following year. Obtaining one card of each player in the 1887 "leading '0' numbered series would be very attainable, affordable (wrt other options), and pleasing to the eyes with a common card design.

If you really want to get to know the fascinating Old Judge set, I would recommend the book "The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890)".

[oldjudge]

Just to add to Joe's post, in 1890 there are also cards of the Player's League Chicago Pirates.

[Joe_G.]

Thanks Jay, my oversight. I spent the last week in Germany, returning yesterday and found it tough to sleep last night. It was in that state of fogginess that I rambled on and somehow forgot about the Pirates.

Here is the correction:

1887 - NL (Chicago White Stockings) - both short and leading "0" numbers
1888 - NL (Chicago White Stockings) & WA (Chicago Maroons)
1889 - NL (Chicago White Stockings)
1890 - NL (Chicago Colts) & PL (Chicago Pirates)

In terms of difficulty, the Players' League cards will be just as tough, if not tougher, than the others (1888 Maroons, 1890 NL, and short numbered cards of McCormick, Williamson w Mascot, and Mascot - Willie Hahm). The single toughest Chicago subject however would likely be the mascot card of Willie Hahm (unless you count the card of him with Williamson).