I'm almost POSITIVE this card features Shoeless Joe...

[nolemmings]

Ryan, these are the arguments:

1. The T202 shows Lord of Chicago tagging a Cleveland player at a game played in Cleveland. Harry Lord did not play for the ChiSox in Cleveland until 1911. Thus the t202 card shows game action from 1911.

2. The photo is from a 1911 game at Cleveland against the White Sox in which Harry Lord was the third baseman for Chicago, and Jackson was tagged out at third. The accompanying story confirms that Joe Jackson was the only Clevelander to be retired at 3b that day.

3. The photo and the card image were taken at the same stadium, and the angle of the two photos was very similar--not unusual given where photogs were allowed to position themselves in foul territory.

4. There are remarkable similarities in at least the fielder's uniform and the characteristics of the base to suggest that these photos were taken moments apart.

5. JoeJax was one of only a few Indians (apparently) to wear that white half-sock in 1911.


To be more certain, we could analyze the other ten games played between these two teams in Cleveland that year, to see if other Indians were retired in a tag play at third with Harry Lord manning the base. The play does not appear to be a caught stealing, given the position of Lord's feet to the runner and base, so we are left with a throw from an infielder or outfielder to 3b. That is not a common play, but not freakishly rare either. Then, if such other tag plays occurred, there might be the matter of the sock too, although I suppose any player could have been wearing that type of sock on that particular day for whatever reason. Still, from what's been provided so far, it seems more likely than not that the t202 shows Joe.