Quote:
Originally Posted by Bliggity
I suppose it may be cheating to nominate a minor-league player, but the first one that came to mind for me was "Bourquise" from T209-1. I don't think anyone knows who he actually was. His name doesn't appear in any database of minor-league players, and I don't think he's appeared on any known roster, etc. The card lists his team as Rocky Mount, but he's wearing a Fulton jersey. Further, of the two Fulton-based teams from that era, neither were active in 1909 when the set was released.
To summarize from T206-contentnea.com, "The issuers of T209 managed to include - as one of only sixteen - an unknown player from a nonexistent team!"
Doesn't get much more obscure than that.
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The Rocky Mount Railroaders in the Eastern Carolina League fielded a team in 1909 without this fellow on the roster apparently. Fulton is a little more difficult to pin down, but there is currently a team known as the Fulton Railroaders in Fulton County, Kentucky. That team has a long history, partially documented on their current website, and apparently played in the Kitty League from 1903 t0 1955 with a few interruptions for yellow fever, WW 1, the depression and WW 2. I believe the Fulton franchise in the Kitty League was in Kentucky, but the common team name of Railroaders could be more than coincidental. I find no mention of the Kitty League anywhere except for a chronology of league highlights and lowlights, and standings from 1935-1938 on the current Fulton team website. No rosters are found for the Kitty League anywhere.
So is it possible that Bourquise from the Fulton Railroaders was incorrectly identified as a member of the Rocky Mount Railroaders of the Eastern Carolina League in the Contentnea T209 set?
You all know the old adage,
"Once a Railroader, Always a Railroader."
This dude is certainly nondescript and the type of athlete we are looking for.