The rare Max Stein Postcard series now
known as PC758 features 25 baseball-related cards out of a total of 49
postcards in the set which were issued between 1909 and 1916. This
offering, issued in 1912, features a young George "Buck" Weaver in his
first year with the Chicago White Sox. Some Weaver collectors consider
this a rookie card of the man who would eventually become the Third
Baseman of the Black Sox team who threw the 1919 World Series against
the Cincinnati Reds. While Buck maintained his innocence until his
dying day, he was banned from baseball for life by Commissioner Kenesaw
Mountain Landis for failing to report what he knew about the plot to
throw the Series. Of the "Eight Men Out," Weaver and his friend,
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson, are looked at as the two who were most unfairly
banned from the sport.
The front of this postcard features a trio of images of Buck in the iconic pinstriped White Sox uniform of the day. The main image shows Weaver, sporting his famous smile, shaking the hands of a throng of well-dressed female fans reaching over the railing at the ballpark to get his attention. While Buck became famous as a Third Baseman, the middle image shows the rookie, who was still a Short Stop at the time, following through on a throw across the diamond. The final image depicts Buck smiling with his arms crossed as he poses for the photographer.
The printing is bold with great contrast. A pinhole in the top left of the card and another in the bottom right, neither of which affect the images, are the main reason for the technical grade of FR 1.5 from SGC. Some slight discoloration along the left edge, with soft edges and a faint diamond cut explain the grade further. The reverse is unblemished by writing, and its only flaws are the aforementioned pinholes.