Hake's Auction

[Kenny Cole]

Well, at the very least I commend them for removing the not "Buck Leonard" postcard from their auction until they can determine who the postcard actually depicts. That was obviously the right thing to do.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by Kenny Cole

Well, at the very least I commend them for removing the not "Buck Leonard" postcard from their auction until they can determine who the postcard actually depicts. That was obviously the right thing to do.

Agreed. This stuff happens all the time, and the good thing is that there is no malicious intent. Hake's did due diligence, found what looked like reputable information, and used it in their lot description. It all seems reasonable to me.

I need to add one more thing: According to what looks like a reputable source to me (I have the book and it's loaded with footnotes, but I don't have time to verify them), the Chicago Union Giants formed "the following season" after 1900 (so, 1901). I know from my own research (viewing actual Chicago newspapers) that they were around as late as 1913.

Without considering other factors, such as the make of the automobiles in the postcard (there's one in the back that you auto experts might be able to date), and characteristics of the back of the card (not my area of expertise), the team in question existed from 1901 until at least 1913, so this card could certainly be from 1904.

[Hake's Auctions]

Thanks to Scott for all of his help and knowledge in this matter. While we may never know an exact year of the postcard, we now have a definitive time frame in which to work with. Nice to see a positive outcome.

[Runscott]

Here's another perfect example of how seemingly legitimate information on well-crafted websites, can cause further confusion. If you google "Chicago Union Giants", you will find the following website. Very interesting reading, but has many facts that are just plain wrong: http://www.evansvillehistory.net/Baseball.htm

For instance, it states: "The Chicago Unions, sometimes called the Chicago Union Giants, or the Leland Giants was a team composed entirely of Black players from Chicago." And later in the essay, the author takes this self-proclaimed liberty when describing an 1898 game, referring to the 'Chicago Unions' as the 'Union Giants', when in fact there was not yet such a team.

The internet is great, but it's loaded with crap.