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PaulAs many of you know, I am trying to put together a collection of one card of every Hall of Famer whose name does not begin with "Spaldin". Ever since I picked up my Harry Wright and Ban Johnson, I've been telling everyone that I needed just one more card -- Bid McPhee. But in my heart, I knew it wasn't true. I knew there was another. My secret shame. Hugh Jennings.
Sure, I have a T206 of Jennings. But it shows him as a manager. And, rightly or wrongly, Jennings was elected as a player. As a player, Jennings has just two cards that I know of. The first is his Alpha. There's only one of those known and I don't have it. The second is his 1902 W600 Sporting Life Cabinet, which shows Jennings at the tail end of his playing career, as a first baseman for the Phillies.
With the help of a fellow board member, to whom I will be forever indebted, I have now aquired a W600 Jennings. So now, I really do need only McPhee, assuming I don't expand my collection to include Hall of Famers whose names begin with "Spaldin".
For what it's worth, in my estimation, Jennings has to be the toughest Hall of Fame player out there. Spalding and Selee are tougher, but not players. Day, Smith, Charleston, and Lloyd from the Negro Leagues are all very tough, but I suspect Jennings is tougher. I've seen only one other example of this card. I would be very interested in hearing from others who may have more accurate estimates of the number in existence. Anyhow, here is the card.