T205 Bender

 EDIT: As was pointed out in the comments the T205 set was issued circa 1911, not 1905. Not the first time I've screwed up something obvious by 'distracted posting'.


When I was a 12-year old I hung out at the corner store, drank RCs, talked about girls and bought baseball cards. In 1905 1911 12-year-olds hung out at the corner store, drank RCs (new that year), talked about girls and begged the grown-ups for the baseball cards that came in their cigarette packs.

One of those cards was this beauty...a T205 of Charles Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics. He was just coming into his prime in 1905. He was a full blown star in 1911 and helped his team win the second of three championships they accrued between 1910 to 1913. He had emerged as a rookie in 1903 and was on his way to a Hall of Fame career as well as a life in baseball that lasted for decades. His SABR bio is well worth the read.

My collection of Bender cards is growing slowly but steadily. This is the latest. As cool as the iconic  T206 set is, I'm just as big a fan of the T205s. The colors, gold accents, secondary illustrations and the portraits themselves are terrific.

I hope I'm never so jaded that I lose the thrill I feel to hold a card that made some 12-year-old happy 113 107 years ago.

T205 Gold Border Eddie Grant. Memorial Day Salute

NOTE: Again on Memorial Day I thought I would reprint the post I made in each of the previous couple of years showing Eddie Grant, the first major league player to die in combat in the service of the United States.

The first major league player to die in the service of his country was Eddie Grant. With a law degree from Harvard he was quite unlike most of his contemporaries. It was said that instead of the usual "I got it!" called out when a player has a bead on a pop-up, Grant would shout "I have it!"

A native of Franklin, Massachusetts, he played 9 seasons of baseball with four different clubs, most notably the Phillies for whom he held down the regular third base job for most of four seasons, 1907 through 1910. Although only a .249 career hitter Grant nonetheless was able to lead the NL in singles in 1909 and 1910 and in hits overall in '09. A better fielder than hitter he finished near the top of several defensive categories when he was a regular.

Grant appeared in the 1913 World Series with the New York Giants as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. He left the game after the 1915 season to open a law practice in Boston.

He enlisted when his country called as we entered World War I in 1917. Wikipedia summarizes his Army service and the details of his death on the battlefield in France in 1918:

Grant was one of the first men to enlist when the United States entered World War I in April 1917, and he served as a Captain in the 77th Infantry Division. During the fierce battle of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, all of Grant's superior officers were killed or wounded, and he took command of his troops on a four-day search for the "Lost Battalion." During the search, an exploding shell killed Grant on October 5, 1918. He was the first Major League Baseball player killed in action in World War I. He was buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in Lorraine, France.

This New York Times article (opens as a .pdf file) from October 22, 1918 relates the story in full.

I have the Eddie Grant T205 Gold Border (shown above) as well as his T206. The Gold Border cards are just a wonderful set and Grant's is a great portrait I think. Here are a few more pics and details from the life of Captain Eddie Grant found around the 'Net:

Here is the plaque that was installed in the Polo Grounds by the New York Giants to honor him.

It's position in the stadium is visible in this famous shot of Willie Mays' catch in the 1954 World Series. It's on the left under the 483 distance marker.

And finally, Eddie Grant's grave marker in Lorraine, France. R.I.P. and Thanks for making the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, Capt. Grant.

Cheap Tobacco T205 Art Fletcher

                                                  

Here is my latest eBay pickup. These 1911 'Gold Borders' are a favorite of mine. There are some obvious flaws but only one encroaches on the card past the border. I'm far from being 'condition conscious'  so I'll pick these up all day long and twice on Sunday. At $16 shipped I couldn't pass it up.

Art Fletcher was just establishing himself with the NY Giants when this card was issued. He went on to be the Giants' starting shortstop for a decade, finished with the Phils and then became their manager.


Here is Baseball Library's write-up of Art Fletcher.

Fletcher was John McGraw's shortstop for over a decade, providing the Giants with brilliant fielding, dependable hitting, and on-field leadership. A caustic, belligerent copy of McGraw during the game, off the field he was a non-profane, churchgoing family man. As the frustrated manager of four second-division Phillies teams, Fletcher's final gesture was the drawing of a caricature of umpire Bill Klem as a catfish, a comparison the jowly, heavy-lidded Klem loathed. Fletcher became Miller Huggins's assistant in 1927, and remained a Yankee coach until 1945. When Huggins died in 1929, Fletcher took over as interim manager, but refused all other offers to manage again.

Here are a couple more Fletcher images from around the web:


1921 D350-3 Standard Biscuit

An image from 1911 at the Polo Grounds

                

and finally Art Fletcher shares a spot on on a 1912 Hassan Triple Folder T202 Baseball Card with Christy Mathewson. The front and back of the Fletcher portion is identical except for the border.