T206 Unique/Fun Fact Cards

[KMayUSA6060]

As I work on The Monster in creative ways to keep me interested and focused, I've hit a bit of a wall with my creative strategy. I have several different subsets on my target list, with one of them being unique or fun fact cards - i.e. Tinker/Evers/Chance, Merkle, Chase w/ Trophy.

What are some other unique or fun fact cards?

[BicycleSpokes]

How about Black Sox (Cicotte, Gandil)?

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[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by BicycleSpokes

How about Black Sox (Cicotte, Gandil)?

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I actually have Cicotte, Gandil, and Burns. I believe those are the only 3 in the T206 set connected to the Black Sox, with Cicotte and Gandil obviously being more heavily involved.

I should mention what else I have target or completed for subsets.

- Cleveland Team Set
- Hal Chase w/ Trophy, Tinker/Evers/Chance (still need Chance), Fred Merkle (need Throwing pose)
- Horizontals
- Cards w/ Building or Ballparks in the background
- Cards showing Catcher's Gear
- Backs

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

I believe those are the only 3 in the T206 set connected to the Black Sox, with Cicotte and Gandil obviously being more heavily involved.

Don't forget about Heinie Zimmermann...


Zimmerman was suspended from the New York Giants in 1919, along with his friend Hal Chase, for allegedly attempting to convince other players to fix games. Based on testimony by Giants manager John McGraw during the Black Sox Scandal hearings, Zimmerman and Chase were both indicted for bribery. Zimmerman denied McGraw's accusations, and neither he nor Chase was ever proven to be directly connected to the Black Sox, but based on a long-term pattern of corruption both were permanently banned from baseball by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Commissioner of Baseball. According to some historians, he had been informally banned after the Giants released him. Baseball statistician Bill James has suggested that the Giants' loss to the Chicago White Sox in the 1917 World Series may have been partial motivation for Zimmerman's suspension. Zimmerman batted .120 in the Series.

However, he is best known for an infamous rundown in the decisive game. In the fourth inning, the game was scoreless when Chicago's Eddie Collins was caught between third base and home plate. Catcher Bill Rariden ran up the line to start a rundown, expecting pitcher Rube Benton or first baseman Walter Holke to cover the plate. However, neither of them budged, and Collins blew past Rariden to score what turned out to be the Series-winning run (the White Sox won 4-2). With no one covering the plate, third baseman Zimmerman was forced to chase Collins, pawing helplessly in the air with the ball in a futile attempt to tag him. As pointed out by researcher Richard A. Smiley in SABR's 2006 edition of The National Pastime, Zimmerman was long blamed for losing the game, although McGraw blamed Benton and Holke for failing to cover the plate—a serious fundamental error in baseball. The play was actually quite close, as action photos show Zimmerman leaping over the sliding Collins. A quote often attributed to Zim, but actually invented by writer Ring Lardner some years later, was that when asked about the incident Zim replied, "Who the hell was I supposed to throw to, Klem (umpire Bill Klem, who was working the plate)?"

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

Don't forget about Heinie Zimmermann...


Zimmerman was suspended from the New York Giants in 1919, along with his friend Hal Chase, for allegedly attempting to convince other players to fix games. Based on testimony by Giants manager John McGraw during the Black Sox Scandal hearings, Zimmerman and Chase were both indicted for bribery. Zimmerman denied McGraw's accusations, and neither he nor Chase was ever proven to be directly connected to the Black Sox, but based on a long-term pattern of corruption both were permanently banned from baseball by Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Commissioner of Baseball. According to some historians, he had been informally banned after the Giants released him. Baseball statistician Bill James has suggested that the Giants' loss to the Chicago White Sox in the 1917 World Series may have been partial motivation for Zimmerman's suspension. Zimmerman batted .120 in the Series.

However, he is best known for an infamous rundown in the decisive game. In the fourth inning, the game was scoreless when Chicago's Eddie Collins was caught between third base and home plate. Catcher Bill Rariden ran up the line to start a rundown, expecting pitcher Rube Benton or first baseman Walter Holke to cover the plate. However, neither of them budged, and Collins blew past Rariden to score what turned out to be the Series-winning run (the White Sox won 4-2). With no one covering the plate, third baseman Zimmerman was forced to chase Collins, pawing helplessly in the air with the ball in a futile attempt to tag him. As pointed out by researcher Richard A. Smiley in SABR's 2006 edition of The National Pastime, Zimmerman was long blamed for losing the game, although McGraw blamed Benton and Holke for failing to cover the plate—a serious fundamental error in baseball. The play was actually quite close, as action photos show Zimmerman leaping over the sliding Collins. A quote often attributed to Zim, but actually invented by writer Ring Lardner some years later, was that when asked about the incident Zim replied, "Who the hell was I supposed to throw to, Klem (umpire Bill Klem, who was working the plate)?"

Fantastic stuff. This is what I'm looking for. I will add the rest of the Chase poses and Zimmerman to my Black Sox list. Thank you!

[Rhotchkiss]

What about color variations on portrait backgrounds, or just portrait backgrounds (all the green, all the red, all the yellow, etc.).

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

Fantastic stuff. This is what I'm looking for. I will add the rest of the Chase poses and Zimmerman to my Black Sox list. Thank you!

Also add Peaches Graham (known as Billy Maharg, Graham spelled backwards) in his role in the scandal:

1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal[edit]
Maharg's third connection with major league baseball came in 1919 as he conspired to fix the 1919 World Series—the infamous Black Sox Scandal. Several White Sox players, including Eddie Cicotte, Chick Gandil, and Swede Risberg, conspired with Sleepy Bill Burns, a former big-league pitcher, to throw the World Series in exchange for $100,000. Billy Maharg worked with Burns to find financing. Maharg and Burns approached New York gambler Arnold Rothstein to raise the money for the players. Other gamblers soon entered the picture, whereupon the players, Maharg and Burns suffered multiple double-crosses. The White Sox did in fact lose the Series.

In September 1920, a disgruntled Maharg gave the full details of the plot to a Philadelphia writer. Eight White Sox players were indicted for throwing the Series. When Maharg was called as a witness in the criminal trial, someone noted, “He flashed enough diamonds on his fingers to buy a flock of autos.” Maharg was asked, “Are you a ballplayer named “Peaches Graham?” The answer was, “No! I have never been anything but Billy Maharg. I know Graham, but I am not he.” (It has long been believed that Maharg's real name was Graham, or Maharg spelled backwards.)

The Chicago jury found the eight players not guilty, and Maharg celebrated with the players afterward. All eight were subsequently banned from baseball for life by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Three of the former players implicated in the Black Sox Scandal were members of the 1912 Detroit Tigers: Sleepy Bill Burns and Jean Dubuc were both pitchers for the 1912 Tigers, and Maharg was one of the 1912 replacement Tigers.

Actor Richard Edson played the part of Maharg in John Sayles' 1988 film Eight Men Out.

[asoriano]

Marquard Portrait, reverse comma is one of my favorites. Shout out to Wonka on that one.

[Chuck9788]

WITHOUT A DOUBT the "CRAZIEST" player card that I own is a T-206 Larry McLean (gold border) below.




Please check out this BIO below :

McLean was the tallest catcher in major league history. Known for his heavy drinking and violent behavior, McLean's career ended after a 1915 brawl with New York Giants manager John McGraw and coach Dick Kinsella. He was fatally shot by a bartender six years after his last major league appearance.

McLean was known to chew large amounts of Brown's Mule tobacco and was a heavy drinker of corn whiskey. When he signed with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League in 1905, he became teammates with a pitcher who also struggled with alcohol use, Ned Garvin. Baseball author Dennis Snelling said that this pitcher-catcher combination formed "one of the most volatile batteries in the history of the game."

In 1906, McLean signed with Portland again for a $1400 annual salary. McLean's wife publicly voiced her objection to the salary, and she said that Portland owner William Wallace McCredie was not paying McLean consistent with his value. She said that the minor-league team in Altoona was willing to sign him for $2400 per year. McLean did play in 88 games for the 1906 Portland Beavers and he hit .355. The team won the Pacific Coast League.

A drinking incident with Cincinnati that year ended with McLean jumping in the fountain at the Buckingham Hotel, and it resulted in McLean being demoted back to the minor leagues by manager Kid Nichols. "I can pitch to Larry real good, but I can't manage him worth a dime," Nichols said.

Before the 1910 season, the Reds suspended McLean after he violated team rules during spring training at Hot Springs, Arkansas. In response to the suspension, McLean wrote a "letter of resignation" from the club. His resignation was accepted, but he was later allowed to rejoin the team with the caveats that he would play for a reduced salary and would sit out the first week of the regular season.

In August 1913, McLean was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the New York Giants. Chief Meyers was the Giants' primary catcher, but he was injured during the 1913 postseason, so McLean played five games in the 1913 World Series.

CAREER ENDING FIGHT

In June 1915, McLean engaged in a brawl with Giants manager John McGraw and scout Dick Kinsella. McLean had recently been suspended for ten days for failing to stay in shape. He was angry at Kinsella because he felt the scout had convinced McGraw to suspend him. McLean and several companions entered the lobby of the team's hotel and attacked Kinsella. The melee escalated and Kinsella broke a chair over McLean's head while several team members worked to subdue McLean. The catcher and his companions fled in a car. McGraw dismissed McLean from the Giants later that day. McLean never played again.


DEATH

McLean was killed on March 14, 1921 in Boston, where he was shot by the manager of a saloon. He had become unruly the night before his death and chased a bartender out of the saloon. When McLean returned on the night of March 14, he became offended when the manager refused to lend him a cigarette. The manager said that McLean was attempting to crawl over the bar, aided by his friend (and recent parolee) Jack McCarthy, when the manager fired 2 gunshots.

McLean was dead when he arrived at the hospital, while McCarthy was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the stomach. The saloon manager, James J. Connor, was arrested on suspicion of murder and given a light sentence.


LEGACY

McLean received one vote in the 1937 Baseball Hall of Fame elections. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. At 6'5", McLean holds the record as being the tallest catcher in major league history.