T206 Wagner & Plank....anti-tobacco dudes....printed together on a sheet

[tedzan]

The exciting 1908 baseball season which culminated with the Cubs edging out the Giants and Detroit edging out Cleveland....and, the Cubs winning the World Series
generated a nationwide fervor for BB. This intensity continued into the 1909 season, as was evident by the huge record breaking attendance at Opening Day of the
brand new Philadelphia A's stadium, Shibe Park.

Early in 1909 the American Tobacco Co. (ATC) realizing a big opportunity here embarked on producing the T206 series of BB cards. ATC with their close affiliate, the
American Lithographic Co. (ALC), started as early as Spring Training of 1909 acquiring player's permission to include them in their BB card set.


First BB game at Shibe Park....April 12, 1909 **

............ "Doc" Powers ......................v




So far we have not found complete (or partial) sheets of T206 cards. But, we have examples of 150 series, 350 series and 460 series formats that suggest to us how
certain sheets were printed. One such example is the group of 34 subjects printed with SWEET CAPORAL 150 Factory 30 backs (and other 150 series T-brand backs).
Many of you know of my long time theory that ALC printed all their sheets of T206 (and T205) cards in "columns of 12". And, there are many examples of this factor
in play in the various other T-sets produced by ALC that support this theory of mine.

I will begin with this group which comprises of 34 subjects, since there is a high probability that these cards were printed in a very early press run (which followed the
initial 12 subjects that are referred to as the 150-only subjects). An analysis of the players in this group of 34 indicates that 60% of them are Pitchers & Catchers.
I will venture to claim that two subjects are missing from the designed format of this group, because 34 is not evenly divisible by 12. Therefore, I contend there were
originally 36 guys arranged in this format.

Eddie Plank is my candidate for one of these missing guys. Thus, if Plank is the guy, then Honus Wagner must be the 2nd missing guy. Since we have evidence that
Plank and Wagner were printed on the same sheet in the PIEDMONT 150 and SWEET CAPORAL 150 press runs.





Plank's inclusion makes a lot of sense to me. He was one of the major pitching stars of that era. Plus, his 9-year battery mate, "Doc" Powers, is also included in this format.
Given that ALC printed Wagner & Plank with this group; only their cards with SWEET CAPORAL Factory #30 and Factory #25 backs were shipped to NYC and Richmond (VA)
Cigarette factory's, respectively. We all know the Wagner story. ALC stopped shipping Wagner's card fairly early in the game.

Plank was anti-tobacco in any form *** (but, mellow Eddie wasn't as vocal about it as Wagner). It's unknown when Plank informed ALC to cease & desist issuing his T206
card. We do know that ALC continued printing & shipping a number of Plank's T206 cards when they subsequently printed their SWEET CAPORAL 350 Factory #30 press run.

In any event, less than 100 - T206 cards (each) of Wagner and Plank are in circulation.


** Note
The A's fans were ecstatic, as Eddie Plank beat Boston. But, the day ended in a sad note when Plank's long-time battery mate, Doc Powers, was rushed to the hospital.
Two weeks later, Powers died from intestinal complications.




*** Note
"Connie Mack, and the early years of Baseball", by Norman Macht


OK....others will disagree with my "columns of 12" theory, and that's fine. This thread is intended to evoke some thought-provoking, meaningful discussion on this subject.


350 series format of T206 cards to follow............


TED Z