A McCreachery Card Theory

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

Maybe they were poking fun at his age, maybe they thought he looked More like a manager then a player in that pose... Has anyone thought of that yet?

Matt, the trouble is that the wrong dude cracked the code of the McCreachery name... it was supposed to be one of the OJ book authors. God must've forgotten his footnotes.

I wasn't supposed to be making landmark discoveries in the hobby until my postcount cracked a hundred at least.

[RCMcKenzie]

Cy,

This thread is starting to remind me of the scene in "Back to School" where Rodney Dangerfield hires Kurt Vonnegut to write his paper for him on a book by Vonnegut. Vonnegut writes the paper and Dangerfield gets a C and the teacher tells Dangerfield that he doesn't know anything about Vonnegut.

I studied English Lit at Tulane in the 80's and have rarely used what I learned there, until this thread. However, I do not think the makers of the tobacco inserts were trying to write "Ode on a Grecian Urn". I think they just messed up. I will say that I have never seen anyone reference Jane Austin on here before, but I have been away for awhile and Runscott may have done it.

[cyseymour]

RCMcKenzie,

If you choose to think that it's an error card, you're more than welcome to. You didn't think that when the thread started and were proposing the name was a reference to his drinking, but clearly you've changed your mind.

Is it impossible to believe that someone who has a passion for etymology and 19th Century literature might be able to realize certain meanings of a card that had previously been unrealized? Or that perhaps I was able to use my unique lens to integrate the ideas of different board members?

Per the Grecian Urn comment, perhaps you underestimate the intelligence of people from that time period. Unless you feel that they are truly lacking the wisdom you gained from watching Rodney Dangerfield.

[Matthew H]

I'm not saying I think "The McCreachery Code" is impossible, it's just IMO reaching a bit. It's incredible that in the 1880s they were able to create such a comprehensive set that covered major and minor baseball from coast to coast in such a short period of time. They misspelled some names, used the wrong photo sometimes, poked fun at a few players, and you're suggesting they inserted a riddle card. I personally need more evidence than what's presented. Everything else above is fact.

[Matthew H]

Nm

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by Matthew H

I'm not saying I think "The McCreachery Code" is impossible, it's just IMO reaching a bit. It's incredible that in the 1880s they were able to create such a comprehensive set that covered major and minor baseball from coast to coast in such a short period of time. They misspelled some names, used the wrong photo sometimes, poked fun at a few players, and you're suggesting they inserted a riddle card. I personally need more evidence than what's presented. Everything else above is fact.

Here's the links:

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Chery
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Mccrea

What more evidence do you need? A handwritten statement from the producers of the card that it was an inside joke? An X'd out photo found in Deacon White's tomb, held by a mummified version of Deacon, with his face glaring angrily at the card?

It's etymology. The definitions of the words are sitting right there for you. It tells you what it means. The work is already done, my friend.

[barrysloate]

I'm enjoying this thread immensely as it is one of the more scholarly ones we've had on this board. Wish I had a theory about the card, but unfortunately I don't. However, it would surprise if the people in charge of getting these cards manufactured and out to market were literate enough to provide hidden riddles and biblical references, or be acquainted with Old English and Latin phrases. I'm guessing there is a simpler answer than that. These were blue collar guys who probably didn't have Ivy League diplomas.

[Joe_G.]

Fascinating thread, I thank all contributors (you included cyseymour). I was not trying to disprove McCreachery as a riddle in my last post, but instead the other half of your theory. I'll explain tonight when time permits, I need to report to work. Keep it coming!

[cyseymour]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

I'm enjoying this thread immensely as it is one of the more scholarly ones we've had on this board. Wish I had a theory about the card, but unfortunately I don't. However, it would surprise if the people in charge of getting these cards manufactured and out to market were literate enough to provide hidden riddles and biblical references, or be acquainted with Old English and Latin phrases. I'm guessing there is a simpler answer than that. These were blue collar guys who probably didn't have Ivy League diplomas.

Barry,

Considered yourself potentially surprised, then. People back then were pretty smart. There were no stupid movies to watch, no ESPN - you learned french and latin in school and the teachers were strict! As a society, we have definitely gotten stupider and our attention span has decreased dramatically.

When I do things like study french or 19th century lit, heck, I am just trying to catch up to those people... but they were still way ahead of me! And without the internet as a source, as well as other minds, we would never have gotten it.

As I wrote earlier, the playing of word games and riddles, while left to a few nerds like myself in 2012, was a popular pastime in the 19th Century. Pick up a 19th Century novel, and you'll see the language was a lot more complex. They make us look like a bunch of dolts, quite frankly.