| SERIES: Gold Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards SUBJECTS: Cap Anson, Christy Mathewson, Fred Clarke, Charles Comiskey, Sam Crawford, Elmer Flick, Pud Galvin, Gabby Hartnett, Rogers Hornsby, Ban Johnson, Connie Mack, Heinie Manush, Eppa Rixey, Casey Stengel, Zack Wheat, George Wright, Harry Wright, Cy Young APPROXIMATE SIZE: 3-1/2"x5-1/2" ISSUER: Topps ORIGINAL or REPRODUCTION: Original vintage item produced in the time period shown NUMBER OF ITEMS: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: Lot of (18) Gold Hall of Fame Plaque Postcards cards in generally very nice, ''pack-fresh'' condition with sharp corners as shown. See scans of actual cards offered for condition and further details. BIO: Adrian Constantine Anson (Pop, Uncle, or Captain) was born in 1852 in Marshalltown, IA and died in 1922 in Chicago, IL. He went to college at the University of Notre Dame. He played major league baseball from 1871 to 1897 as infielder for the Rockford Forest Citys, Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Stockings, and the Chicago Colts, appeared in the 1885 and 1886 World Series, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. Anson played a record 27 consecutive seasons, and was regarded as one of the greatest players of his era and one of the first superstars of the game. He spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs franchise (then known as the "White Stockings" and later the "Colts"), serving as the club's manager, first baseman and, later in his tenure, minority owner. He led the team to five National League pennants in the 1880s. Anson was one of baseball's first great hitters, and was the first to tally over 3,000 career hits. His contemporary influence and prestige are regarded by historians as playing a major role in establishing the racial segregation in professional baseball that persisted until the late 1940s. On several occasions, Anson refused to take the field when the opposing roster included black players. After retiring as a player and leaving the Colts, Anson briefly managed the New York Giants. He ran several enterprises in Chicago, including opening a billiards and bowling hall and running a semi-professional baseball team he dubbed "Anson's Colts". Anson also toured extensively on the vaudeville circuit, performing monologues and songs. Many of his business ventures failed, resulting in Anson losing his ownership stake in the Colts (by then called the Cubs) and filing for bankruptcy. Christopher Mathewson (Big Six, Matty, or The Christian Gentleman) was born in Factoryville, PA and died in 1925 in Saranac Lake, NY. He went to college at Bucknell University. He played major league baseball from 1900 to 1916 as pitcher for the New York Giants and a single game for the Cincinnati Reds, appeared in the 1905, 1911, 1912 and 1913 World Series, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He played in what is known as the dead ball era and in 1936 was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its inaugural members. On July 20, 1916, Mathewson's career came full circle when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds along with Edd Roush. He won one game with the Reds and served as their manager for the next three seasons. In 1918, Mathewson enlisted in the United States Army for World War I. He served overseas as a Captain in the newly formed Chemical Service along with Ty Cobb. While in France, during a training exercise he was accidentally gassed and consequently developed tuberculosis. Although he returned to serve as a coach for the Giants from 1919–1920, he spent a good portion of that time in Saranac Lake fighting the illness, initially at the Trudeau Sanitorium, and later in a house that he had built. In 1923, Mathewson got back into professional baseball when he served as part-time president of the Boston Braves. Two years later, he died in Saranac Lake, New York. He is buried at Lewisburg Cemetery in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Members of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Senators wore black armbands during the 1925 World Series. Mathewson had died on the day the Series began. Christy Mathewson Day is celebrated as a holiday in his hometown of Factoryville, Pennsylvania, on the Saturday closest to his birthday. Mathewson is mentioned in the poem "Lineup for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash: M is for Matty, Who carried a charm In the form of an extra brain in his arm. In 1936, Christy Mathewson was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the famous "First Five" inductees into the HOF, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Honus Wagner. In 1999, he ranked number 7 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranking National League pitcher. ESPN selected his pitching performance in the 1905 World Series as the greatest playoff performance of all time. During WW II, a 422 foot Liberty Ship named in his honor, SS Christy Mathewson, was built in Richmond, CA in 1943. William Henry Wright was born in 1835 in Sheffield, England and died in 1895 in Atlantic City, NJ. He played major league baseball from 1871 to 1877 as centerfielder and pitcher for the Boston Red Stockings / Reds, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. Harry Wright was one of baseball's great pioneers. In addition to playing and managing in the National Association and in the National League, he organized the first truly professional baseball team - the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. Wright managed the club, played center field and, according to The Relief Pitcher, also served as the team's "change pitcher" or relief pitcher. He also served as an umpire for a few games in both the National Association (1 game in 1875) and the National League (3 games between 1876 and 1885). Denton True Young was born in 1867 in Gilmore, OH and died in 1955 in Newcomerstown, OH. He played major league baseball from 1890 to 1911 as pitcher for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Americans, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Naps and the Boston Rustlers, appeared in the 1892 and 1903 World Series, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. His nickname Cy is short for "cyclone," a reference to the speed of his fastball in his younger days: he was initially referred to as "Cyclone Young." As he aged, Young relied more on his curveball and other breaking pitches, in addition to his outstanding control. In honor of Young's contributions to Major League Baseball, the Cy Young Award, an annual award given to the pitcher voted the most effective in each of the two leagues, was created in 1956. SKU: CL02407
Item: CL02407
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