T206 Hal Chase Question

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hey Scott,

Chase was realistically one of the most skilled base ballists of his day. Fans almost universally adored him. His problem was that he would throw games for money. He'd miss a throw at first, fail to hold onto a ball that bounced in the dirt, go 3 for 5 on a day he tried, and 1 for 5 with a hit that didn't count for anything on a day he was going down. He was a great hitter and fielder, but he at one time held the AL record for most errors lifetime by a first baseman. I think he ended pro ball when he was banned from the PCL, but I should look that up. He has more different poses than anyone else in T206, due to his popularity of the day. He played with the Highlanders, and I think his trophy was presented to him by his team-mates... he had broken his Highlanders contract, holding out for more money, and played in California under an alias until he was "found", then he was suspended, then rejoined the Highlanders, team-mates were so happy for his return that they gave him a silver cup. I'm sure some of the other guys will fine tune what I've said here. This is from recollection, I should have looked at my Hal Chase book to answer better.

T206 subjects primarily come from players of note from 1905 through 1908. Chase was a star then. Sometimes, if you look at some obscure T206 player and wonder why he's in a 1909 - 1911 bunch of cards, the answer can be found in what the guy did in 1906 or 1908.