Trivial Mini-Mystery in the Fan Craze Set

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Posted By: Paul

Most Fan Craze cards have a play printed at the top of the card like "strike" or "stolen base." However, the managers and league presidents are blank at the top. Presumably, this was part of an effort to make the game more realistic. Managers and league presidents have no business stealing bases or striking out.

But then you get to Joe Kelley's card, which is blank at the top. In 1906, he was an outfielder for Cincinnati. He was not their manager. Kelley did manage the Reds in 1905 (as a player-manager), so at first you might think that the folks at Fan Craze weren't following baseball very closely and included Kelley in the set as a manager. But that can't be right. The manager of the Reds in 1906 was Ned Hanlon, and he is included in the set as the manager of the Reds. I'm sure the folks at Fan Craze did not intend to include two Reds managers in the set.

So, why is Kelley's card blank at the top?

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Posted By: martin dalziel

Most of the manager cards have the guy in street clothes, but not all. Fred Clarke appears in uniform, does not have the caption at top and was player/manager of the Pirates at the time.

Joe Kelley was player/manager for the Reds in '05 but by '06 Ned Hanlon was the manager.

Not sure when during the year that Fan Craze was introduced but maybe someone had the foresight to predict that Hanlon would manage the Reds to being 51 1/2 games back at seasons end and was wishful in thinking Kelley would get his old job back.

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Posted By: Paul

That's interesting about Fred Clarke. Another Clark -- Clark Griffith -- is the player/manger of the NY Highlanders, is shown in uniform, and he DOES have a caption above his head.