1st African American Baseball card?

[michael3322]

Hi everyone. Happy holidays / new year.

Is this very rare Between the Acts 1880-92 tobacco card (N344) of Frank Hart considered the first card depicting a black baseball player? Are there any records of him playing baseball?

It was just auctioned off in Nov for $931.

Please post information if you have it. Thanks.

[egbeachley]

The bottom of the card refers to him as a "Pedestrian". At that time the 6-day races were very popular. this is where you raced for 6-days while resting as much or as little as you felt was necessary. Frank Hart was world champion when he covered 565 miles in the 6-days.

They also did the 6-day races for bicycling. At the time they were the most popular sport in America and the reason they were 6-days long and not 7 was to prevent the event from occurring on a Sunday.

Would be very interesting to see how modern training would translate to these event now.

[Exhibitman]

Don't know on baseball but there are a lot of boxers going back as far as the 1880s.

[Leon]

That is a Pedestrian (Between the Acts) card worth around $100-$150. The guy might have played baseball but that is not a baseball card.

[packs]

According to "The Early Image of Black Base Ball" by James Brunson, Frank Hart played briefly with the Bridgewater Black Stockings. I would not however consider that card to be a baseball card.

http://books.google.com/books?id=hGD...raphed&f=false

[D. Bergin]

I think the question was "Is this the first card depicting a black baseball player", not "Is this a baseball card".

It's certainly a tobacco card. While I have no idea the answer, I think it's a pretty valid question if he indeed did have a history of playing baseball.

[tlwise12]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but what about george treadway? I used to have "the book" but have sold it...

Travis

[Fred]

Travis,

You'll have to buy "The Book"again to get the details!

The following is part of the bio:

Treadway was driven out of baseball by opposing players and fans that bombarded him with taunts and slurs about his alleged or real Negro blood. Everywhere he played, they screamed "N-word!" at him until he couldn't stand it any longer and he quit. After two games with the Louisville Colonels in 1896 he was gone from the majors.

This is part of the bio in "The Book". Arguably one of the best damn baseball card books to be published. It's dedicated to the N172 Old Judge cards. To get a copy of "The Book" email Richard Masson:

Richard@ponymass.com

This book is packed with so much great information on the Old Judge cards and the players that are depicted on the cards.