Collection: Vintage T202 Superbas (Dodgers) - Scanlon, Dahlen, Daubert & Hummel

With winter here, I though it was time to scan and share some more Dodger cards from my collection.

As I was looking through my binders I came across a small grouping of vintage T202 Dodgers cards, and was surprised when I looked that I had yet to share them on this blog.So, here they are.

I love these old vintage tobacco cards.  They have a great look and feel to them.  They harken back to the days when Baseball was played in the afternoon and watching a game from afar meant standing on a street corner as a giant scoreboard displayed the days results.

As Ty Cobb would say, Baseball was a war back then, and the ballplayers were the soldiers. Heck, check out the action B&W photos in center of the two cards above.  Those infielders are covering the bag like they're the catcher.  They are ready to put their shoulder into the runner.

The T202 set was produced in 1912 and are commonly known as Hassan Triple Folders.  The two end cards can fold over the B&W center panel like a little booklet. It measures 5 1/4" wide and 2 1/4" tall.

The top card above features Doc Scanlan and Bill Dahlen on the edges.  While Yankees infielder Roy Hartzell is at the center trying to make a play on the runner - "Hartzell Covering Third".  The bottom card shows Jake Daubert and John Hummel on the edges.  Birdie Cree of the Yankees is in the B&W center photo scoring at home - "Cree Rolls Home".

Below is a look at the reverse of the cards.  As you can see, there are player biographies, as well as, an advertisement for Hassan cork tip cigarettes.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Old Judge: Snapshots from Ebbets Field, 1913

These photos are remarkable.

Available in Lew Lipset's Old Judge.com auction are a group of 8 photographic snapshots from Ebbets Field. I know that doesn't sound like much considering there are thousands of pics out there from its nearly 50 years of existence.

What makes this photos special is that they apparently come from 1913- the year Ebbets Field opened. On top of that, one of them has been dated on reverse as April 7, 1913. This is two days before its officially opening in Brooklyn.

From the auction description:

The photos measure about 4 1/2" x 3". According to the writing on the back, they were taken on April 7 (Daubert), May13 (Cutshaw, Hummel), May 15 (Smith, Stengel), May 16 (Miller). The photos of Wheat and Rucker are undated. It’s interesting to note the pictures have almost all different parts of the ballpark in the background.

The opening bid for these photos is steep- at $1500.00. So, I won't even think about bidding. It's way over my budget. Still, I'd love to have a closer at these beauties.

(Auction Link)

T206 Brooklyn Dodgers: John Hummel

"Silent John" Hummel was known as the "prince of utility players" for the Brooklyn Superbas from 1905 to 1915. He played numerous games at first base, second base, short stop and the outfield in a career that spanned 12 Major League seasons.

Instead of writing an account of his career I will instead direct you to writeup by Tom Simon at the SABR Biography Project. It is excellent. Below is an excerpt:

"My first day on the field with Wilmington, I kicked on a decision and [teammate] Bill Everson, the old pitcher, called me 'Rowdy John,'" Hummel recalled. "The newspapers took it up and I made up my mind right then that I'd never kick again. When the papers and the players saw I was quiet, Everson called me 'Honest John' and then finally 'Silent John,' which has stuck to me ever since." The "Honest John" appellation, according to the Brooklyn Eagle, came because Hummel "was always striving to win, even when the lead of the opposing team was great enough to bury the hopes of the ordinary player." John had yet another nickname, "Colonel Pinch," which he thought came "maybe from the fact that I was lucky enough to come up with a hit in the pinches," but "Silent John" was by far the most popular of his various nicknames.

Here is another great excerpt:

In his later years he disdained the livelier ball. "In the good old days we played heart and soul for one run, whereas now they play for 10 or 12," he said.