I need to modify my earlier comments about how KC got onto Schaefer’s t213-2 card. It seems that the Kansas City Federal League team from 1914 was actually sold to buyers who planned on moving it to Newark. Kansas City fought the move in court, and the team ended up staying put. Instead, the Indianapolis team was sold and moved to Newark, apparently out of concern that upcoming legislation in Indiana was going to prohibit Sunday baseball.
According to the Sporting Life, March 6 edition, Schaefer was signed by LEAGUE President Gilmore as a coach of the Newark team–but the Newark team referenced was the Kansas City team about to be moved, which ended up never happening. Nonetheless, when the Indianapolis team moved to Newark, Schaefer was part of that team, having never actually played for the KC team. I do not know how the League President signing Schaefer affected his rights, but it seems the card manufacturer may have thought that Schaefer was staying in KC once the move had been blocked in the courts. So, while we know the printing of 1915 Coupon could not have occurred before March 6, it may have been very close to that time. Then again, maybe that trade rumor at the end of April is why Coupon chose to caption Schaefer with KC. Got it ?
Just as strange is that the following two reports were on the very same page of the TSL on March 6, and two pages later was the Shanks story in my last post– all from beat writers in different cities. As confusing as it is now, how must it have been to those trying to figure out what was going on back then. Maybe the Fed League historians of this forum will chime in on what looks like a chaotic situation.
