Over 100 years have passed since the T206 set was produced. History has a way of simplifying events and legacies, sometimes to our detriment. T206 collectors generally put their cards into one of three categories: Hall of Famer, Southern Leaguer, or common. That last umbrella is far too large. If you haven’t studied the players, teams, and statistics of the deadball era, you would look at an Orval Overall card next to a Newt Randall and put them both in the “common category”. If you know who the Hall of Famers in the set are, you are well on the way to knowing who the best players of the era were. But, as I hope to show, there are a ton of other stars and interesting players whose stories have largely been lost to time. In this series, I’m going to take a look at the standout players from 1909, 1910, and 1911. You’ll know a lot of the names, but hopefully you’ll also learn something about some “common” player cards you own.
1. Christy Mathewson – 9.2 WAR for pitchers
“Matty” had a ridiculous season. His 1.14 ERA led the NL, and his 25 wins were second only to Mordecai Brown. He was first in hits per 9 (6.27) and walks per 9 (1.17). He threw 8 shutouts and finished 26 games. In 1909, ATC released his “Portrait” and “White Cap” cards, and “Dark Cap” followed in 1910.
2. Mordecai Brown – 8.7 WAR for pitchers
In a lot of seasons, he would have been the best pitcher in the NL. He sported a 1.31 ERA to go with a 27-9 record. He threw more innings than anyone, and it wasn’t even close. His 342.2 dwarfed Mattern’s 316.1. Mordecai matched Matty’s 8 shutouts and led the NL in complete games with 32. He even found time to lead the NL in saves with 7! In 1909, his “Portrait” and “Cubs on Shirt” cards were released. “Chicago on Shirt” was produced in 1910.
3. Nap Rucker – 7.8 WAR for pitchers
Rucker turned in an amazing season for the hapless Brooklyn Superbas. His record of 13-19 was underwhelming, but advanced metrics show how dominant he really was. Brooklyn went 55-98 that year, so wins were at a premium. His 201 strikeouts were good for 2nd in the NL, and his 309.1 innings thrown was third most in the league. He finished 28 games (3rd in the NL) and 6 of them were shutouts (4th). In 1909, his “portrait” card was released and “throwing” followed in 1910.
4. Orval Overall – 7.2 WAR for pitchers
Orval went 20-11 with a 1.42 ERA for the Cubs in 1909. He led the league in strikeout (205) and K/9 at 6.48. Rucker was a distant second at 5.85. He also led the NL in shutouts with 9. ATC released his iconic “Portrait” in 1909 and “Hand at Face Level” in 1910. His final T206, “Hands at Waist Level”, was released in 1911.
5. Art Fromme – 5.6 WAR for pitchers
Fromme went 19-13 with a 1.90 ERA for Cincinnati in 1909. He had gone 5-13 in 1907 and 1908, so his stellar performance came as a surprise to fans and the American Tobacco Company alike. He did not grace the front of a T206 in 1909, but after his amazing season, he was given one in 1910. He was a workhorse, starting 34 games (tied for 2nd in the NL) and finishing 22 of them. Fromme’s peripherals are mostly underwhelming compared to the rest of the hurlers in this list. However, his Hits/9 was second only to Mathewson at 6.28.
6. Earl Moore – 5.5 WAR for pitchers
1909 was the start of a sick 3 year run for Earl Moore. He was amazing for each of the years T206s were produced, and yet he was omitted from the set. It’s hard to fathom why. I do have a theory as to the reason, but it is a subject for another article. He had an 18-12 record to go with an ERA of 2.10. His 173 K’s was good for 3rd in the NL. He started 34 games and finished 24 of them.
7. Howie Camnitz – 5.5 WAR for pitchers
Camnitz’s record of 25-6 matched Matty’s output for the 1909 season. His ERA (1.62) was 4th in the NL, and his BB/9 and Hit/9 were both in the Top 10. He started 30 games, 20 of which were completed. Six of those were shutouts. Like the first 4 pitchers on this list, Camnitz appears on three T206 cards. His “Arms Folded” card was released in 1909 and “Arm at Side” and “Hands Above Head” both came out in 1911.
8. Ed Reulbach – 5.4 WAR for pitchers
“Big Ed” turned in a 19-10 record to go with an ERA of 1.78 in 1909. It was his 5th straight stellar season, and he was only 26 years old. Looking at this list, you can imagine how dominant the Cubs staff was. Both his K/9 and BB/9 were top 10 in the NL. He started 32 games. 23 of them were CGs and 6 were shutouts. In 1909, his “Glove Showing” T206 was introduced, and “No Glove Showing” followed in 1910.
9. Vic Willis – 4.5 WAR for pitchers
As a 33 year-old, Vic Willis led the NL in games started with 35 (24 of them were complete games). He won 22 and lost 11 in his penultimate campaign. It was his 4th straight 20-win season for Pittsburgh. Willis’ “Portrait” was released in 1909 and features him with Pittsburgh. His “With Bat” and “Pitching” poses were both produced in 1910 and depict him in a St. Louis uniform.
10. Hooks Wiltse – 4.1 WAR for pitchers
In arguably his finest season, Wiltse went 20-11 with a 2.00 ERA in 1909. It was his 6th straight exceptional campaign. He sneaked into the Top 10 in strikeouts with 119 (10th) and his BB/9 of 1.70 was good for third in the NL. His “Portrait no cap” was released in 1909. “Pitching” came out in 1910, and “Portrait with cap” followed in 1911.