T209 First Series Research

[Jersey City Giants]

As some of you know I have become obsessed with the T209 Contentnea First Series set over the last year (still looking to complete it by the way!). What has amazed me is the fact that both major grading companies list it as a 1910 issue. Great research has been done by Michael Peich that points out several players in the 16 card issue did not play for the teams they were depicted on in the set (I urge all interested in this set to check out his fantastic website ( https://t209-contentnea.com/ ). However, I have taken it a step further and uncovered some specifics that I believe help the case for establishing 1909 as the definitive production year (are you listening PSA and SGC????).

Below is list of all the players and their playing history (as per the website https://www.baseball-reference.com/ ). While Baseball Reference (BR) is a great resource it is very “incomplete” from this era of baseball (I have found numerous players in box scores from these leagues that are not listed in BR). Hence I went searching old newspapers from the areas around the teams and uncovered new information. The key to understanding when this set was likely produced lies in Hub Gilmore and Joseph “Red” Walsh. Based on my new information I believe this set went into production mode very early in the season (call it April) in 1909 and was likely distributed shortly thereafter. It is important to note that the Carolina Association started the season before the Eastern Carolina League did in 1909 (as of June 4th they played 17 more games than the ECL).

Charles Armstrong - Played for Wilson in both 1909 and 1910 (team pictured in T209 set).

Red Booles – Split 1909 between Cleveland MLB, Shreveport of the Texas League and Raleigh (team pictured in the T209 set). No record of playing beyond that 1909 year.

Bourquise – completely unknown player, mystery card that has a uniform that reads Fulton on it. I tried to find information on this player or anyone close to this name in box scores but no luck so far.

John H. Cooper – Played for Wilson (team pictured in the T209 set), Spartanburg, and Greenville in 1909. Jumped to Wilmington in 1910.

John W. Crowell – Played for Wilson in 1909 and no record beyond that (actually only played a year prior at Sumter in 1908).

David Crockett – Played for Goldsboro in 1909 and 1910 (was the team he is pictured playing for in the T209 set).

Phifer "Fie" Fullenwider – split the 1909 season between Little Rock and Raleigh (team pictured in the T209 set). Jumped to Columbia in 1910 (played there in 1911 too). Numerous other teams and leagues until retiring in 1923.

Hub Gilmore – Played for Wilson (was pictured as a Winston-Salem player in the T209 set but is not listed as playing for them in Baseball Reference). However, I found Winston Salem box scores listing him as having played (April 19th and 23rd editions of the Twin City Daily Sentinel) as well as a preseason report that he was signed to play with Winston Salem in a March 25th article. Then the Winston Salem Journal reported that he was sold to Wilson in their April 29th edition. He was in Wilmington in 1910, no record beyond that.

H. H. Hoffman – Played for Raleigh in 1909 (team pictured in the T209 set) then jumped to Wilmington in 1910. No record beyond that.

J. J. Lane – played for Wilson in 1909 and 1910 (was the team he is pictured playing for in the T209 set).

P. L. (Legs) Martin – Played for Spartanburg from 1907-1909 (team pictured in the T209 set). Oddly enough he is pictured in a Spartanburg jersey but has a cap with a W on it (never played for a team from a town beginning with a W before or after according to Baseball Reference). Was in Columbia in 1910 then various other teams until 1913.

Daniel McGeehan – Played for Wilson in both 1909 and 1910.

Ashley F. Pope – played for Raleigh in 1909 (team pictured in the T209 set) then jumped to Jacksonville in 1910. Went on to play for numerous leagues and teams until 1926.

Charles Sisson - Played for Greensboro in 1908-1909 (team pictured in the T209 set) befor jumping to Columbus (where he played until 1912). Jumped around with several teams and leagues through 1915.

Charles Stubbe – Went from Macon in 1908 to Goldsboro in 1909 (team pictured in the T209 set) then no record in baseball after that year.

Joseph Walsh – Payed for Greensboro (team pictured in the T209 set) then jumped to Rocky Mount later in same season. I found an article in the Charlotte Evening Chronicle from March 27th that states “ Red Walsh, formerly with Greensboro, has signed with the Davenport, Ia. Club. Walsh offered to play with Spartanburg, but he wanted all the money in the club’s treasury.” I could not find a record of him playing for Davenport (The Prodigals). I then uncovered a Box Score from a June 13th paper for has Walsh playing for Rocky Mount. Late in the season the Courrier-Journal from Louisville has notes all the minor league drafting by Major league teams in their September 2nd edition of 1909 and it lists Joseph Walsh being drafted by New York from Rocky Mount. So it is safe to assume he was with Rocky Mount from the middle of the season to the end. He also played for Rocky Mount in 1910.