Lot # 120: Beautiful 1919 Cincinnati Reds Team Postcard

Category: Baseball Postcards

Starting Bid: $150.00

Bids: 19 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Fifth Anniversary Auction",
which ran from 7/24/2017 4:00 AM to
8/13/2017 10:26 AM



Clearly the 1919 baseball season is one that altered the trajectory of the game ultimately cleaning up the sport and preparing it for the meteoric rise it would experience during Babe Ruth's 1920s. The "Black Sox Scandal" and all the mystique surrounding it have captured the imagination of collectors across the hobby as some of the most popular and valuable items in our hobby are related to that season. Often lost amidst the legend of the White Sox throwing the series is just how strong their opponents the Cincinnati Reds were. With a record of 96-44 the team was led by Outfielder Ed Roush (.321 batting average) and third baseman Heinie Groh (.310) with a superb pitching staff that included Dutch Ruether Hod Eller Slim Sallee Adolfo Luque and Ray Fisher who contributed to a 2.23 team ERA which was best for second in the league. Sadly the White Sox' transgressions have overshadowed this exceptional team. Presented here is an outstanding and quite rare postcard depicting the World Champion Reds the phrase "Worlds Champions" visible along the bottom of the photo. Postally unused the postcard has been remarkably well-preserved with virtually no surface or edge wear the only condition issues relating to slightly touched corners. The result is an incredible grade of EX-MT 6 by PSA this is the only example ever graded by that company. Pictured in the photo are the following: TOP ROW L-R - Ruether Smith Luque See Roth Groh Roush Schreiber Magee; MIDDLE ROW: Sallee Brissler Fisher Ring Mitchell Garder; BOTTOM ROW: Raridan Allen Wingo Moran (Mgr) Kepf Neale Laubert. The team mascot sits cross-legged in the foreground. An interesting aside with this photo is the hand gestures of the first three players in the front row: all three of the team's catchers Bill Rariden holds up a single finger Nick Allen holds up two and Ivey Wingo holds up three clearly too deliberate to be coincidental but the significance lost to history. A truly scarce and exceptional card.