Harper’s Weekly Woodcuts of 1884 Champion Baseball Players and Charles Comiskey.
Lot 114. Harper’s Weekly Woodcuts of 1884 Champion Baseball Players and Charles Comiskey. An 11” x 15.75” page (May 16, 1885) has portraits of 12 stars. According to an accompanying article, nine of these players “are universally acknowledged as the most expert players in their respective positions in the field.” They are accompanied by “the champion batsmen of the National League and the American Association respectively, and the most noted baserunner.” The article then provides a brief profile of each player: Old Hoss Radbourn, Providence, pitcher; Buck Ewing, New York, catcher; John Morrill, Boston, first base; John Burdock, Boston, second base; Edward Williamson, Chicago, third base; Arthur Irwin, Providence, shortstop; Joseph Hornung, Boston, left field; George (Piano Legs) Gore, Chicago, center field; Mike Kelly, Chicago, right field; John Ward, New York, the best base runner; Jim O’Rourke, Chicago, champion National League batsman, and Thomas Easterbrook, New York, champion America Association batsman. The page is vg with some edge chips and stains along the bottom. Comiskey and W. A. (Artie) Latham are in woodcuts on a half-page (11.5” x 9.5”) from the Oct. 27, 1888 issue of Harper’s Weekly. Comiskey was the St. Louis Browns’ manager and first baseman, and Latham was the team’s shortstop. Later, Comiskey owned the Chicago White Sox. The half-page is vg with a light stain between the two players and in the lower right corner. These two vintage collectibles feature five members of the Hall of Fame – Comiskey, Radbourn, Ewing, Ward and O’Rourke. Winning Bid $30.
