Happy 170 years, Cap "the Swede" Anson

[pete zouras]

Anson.

[oldjudge]

You are exactly right. It is an old picture which I will change. Thank you for pointing that out.

[Seven]

I don't know how to feel about Anson.

He was a fantastic baseball player, he has some beautiful issues as well. He was also clearly a product of his time, and one of the main catalysts for instituting a color barrier in Major League Baseball.

I respect his talent, I do not respect the man. Would probably sum up my feelings the best.

[G1911]

If people object to posting pictures of cards of players who held views that are not in accord with present values (which will soon be out of date and anathema to the popular narratives themselves), then there will be very, very, very little we could possibly post about .

Can we just see some cards? I'm a poor armpit collector so I don't have any Cap's from his career, but I love the art style on his 2011 Goodwin:

[Seven]

Originally Posted by G1911

If people object to posting pictures of cards of players who held views that are not in accord with present values (which will soon be out of date and anathema to the popular narratives themselves), then there will be very, very, very little we could possibly post about .

Can we just see some cards? I'm a poor armpit collector so I don't have any Cap's from his career, but I love the art style on his 2011 Goodwin:

I don't object to the posting of his cards at all. I was speaking to more of him as a person, rather than as a player. I do not think a pre-war collection is complete, without having an Anson in it.

[puckpaul]

Have a few Caps.

[jingram058]

Hal Chase was a dickhead, too. That said, and the thread I started a while back about his t205 card, needless to say I won't buy or trade for any Anson cards.

But, they are good looking cards.

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by G1911

If people object to posting pictures of cards of players who held views that are not in accord with present values (which will soon be out of date and anathema to the popular narratives themselves), then there will be very, very, very little we could possibly post about .

Can we just see some cards? I'm a poor armpit collector so I don't have any Cap's from his career, but I love the art style on his 2011 Goodwin:

Great post and attractive looking card. I'd love an Anson, but would prefer an original photo to a card.

[skelly423]

Originally Posted by Seven

I don't know how to feel about Anson.

He was a fantastic baseball player, he has some beautiful issues as well. He was also clearly a product of his time, and one of the main catalysts for instituting a color barrier in Major League Baseball.

I respect his talent, I do not respect the man. Would probably sum up my feelings the best.

I think that's a fairly universal view of the man. I think his role in establishing the color barrier is so substantial that it (rightly) overshadows his on-field performance. Product of his time or not, he was a vile human, and plenty of collectors make the deliberate choice not to collect his cards.

[fkm_bky]

Originally Posted by skelly423

I think that's a fairly universal view of the man. I think his role in establishing the color barrier is so substantial that it (rightly) overshadows his on-field performance. Product of his time or not, he was a vile human, and plenty of collectors make the deliberate choice not to collect his cards.

+1

I have no issue with those who collect him or share his cards on the board. There are plenty of terrible human beings who have their pictures on little pieces of cardboard. With that said won't ever own one of his cards, but that's my choice.

Bill

[gabrinus]

He had good hair...that covers up a lot of flaws in my book...Jerry

[drcy]

Part of collecting old baseball cards is collecting history, and history isn't full of just saints. In fact, history, baseball and baseball memorabilia wouldn't be interesting if it was full of just saints. Bad and imperfect people are interesting.

What one collects isn't necessarily a morality test. Anyone who collects gangster memorabilia (Al Capone, Lucky Luciano-- and I've had photos of both) is collecting "bad guys."

I suppose there might be baseball memorabilia collectors who collect only members of their party (Republican, Democrat), but I don't think most collectors think that or collect that way.

Thus, whatever your beliefs or position on racism, I don't think there's anything errant with buying a Cap Anson card or that buying an Anson card is a reflection of one's beliefs.

But, of course, to each his own.

[jthorst75]

I'll gladly show my only Cap