Let's see some postcards

[2dueces]

Really neat over sized advertisement postcard.whitesox2.jpg

[2dueces]

ybt.JPG

[BeanTown]

The Otsego Baseball Team, owned by a millionaire Tom Stephens, went on to win the state championship in Ypsilanti. A member of that squad was Ty Cobb, the "Georgia Peach," and the most feared professional player who ever played Major League baseball for the Detroit Tigers.

Rumors have it that Cobb only played in one ball game for the Otsegos but he was paid a hefty sum of $1,000 for the game. At that time Cobb drew a salary of only $2,250 with the Tigers, so his trip to Gaylord was worth it.

Other major league players who played once in awhile for their team was Killian (kneeling next to manager), Donlin (first row on left), and Goulait (7th player back row). Mullin, Killian, and Bowerman have been known to play with the team at times to as the millionaire lumberman didn't like losing.

These games occurred between 1912-1914. Lapeer was one of the opposing teams they faced, in many rivalry series. Rumorville has it that Walter Johnson was offered 1500.00 to pitch in the final game, but he did not play.

It was common for pro players to be paid money to play in small hometown games. If not for hometown newspaper articles or photos, many of these stories would be lost in time. This is a RPPC which I recently acquired from a longtime board member who decided to pass the torch after 37 years of owning it which I'm thankful for.

Would love to find a Lapeer RPPC to go along with this one.

[h2oya311]

JC - very, VERY cool Cobb PC!!! Thanks for the write-up to help give context as to why he’d be pictured with an amateur team.

[Rucc_31]

awesome piece JC, love that cobb playing amateur ball was not undocumented by a beautiful post card.

[BeanTown]

Thanks guys as I think these RPPCs don't get the love they deserve. Here is another one. I used the great write up that Brockleman Auctions did on it.

The featured item in this lot is RPPC of a composite photograph of the 1916 Colonial Baseball Club of New Haven, Connecticut. Featured at the top center of the composite is Ty Cobb, who joined the team in August of 1916. Later in the season, this semi-pro team would play both of the League Champions, defeating Brooklyn 4 to 1 on Sept 10, 1916 and tying the Boston Red Sox 3 to 3 on October 15, 1916(a game in which Babe Ruth pitched). At this time in his career Cobb was playing first base and had eight assist's in the game versus the Red Sox! During the course of the 1916 season, the Colonials, made up mostly of college stars player several of the American and National League teams.

Now that we have given a brief history of Cobb and the Colonials, it's time to take a look at the rarity of the piece. Longtime collector and auctioneer Lew Lipset has only seen and offered two of these in his long time in the hobby. An internet search revealed no others of this composite being offered for sale or displayed online. Perhaps there are others, but at this time, only two can be confirmed! The one offered here is from his 2008 Auction, where it was sold with the companion postcard of the game played Sept 10, 1916 against the Brooklyn club.

[Angyale]

and family.

[orly57]

Those are incredible JC. I love that Oswego card. Got any more Cobb RPPC's you care to share???