The first series of cards in the T206 set were issued beginning in 1909 in cigarette and loose tobacco packs through 16 different brands owned by the American Tobacco Company. It is a landmark set in the history of baseball card collecting due to its size and rarity, with cards of over 500 major and minor-league players issued in the set through 1911. It is known informally as the "White Border" set due to the distinctive white borders surrounding the quality color lithographs on each card.

John McGraw holds one finger in the air, presumably signaling to his team how many outs have been recorded thus far in the inning, in this offering. A blue sky and green grass background add some color to the image which is otherwise dominated by the white pants, uniform, and cap worn by McGraw. Some snow on the canvas and light creasing in the top right quadrant keep this card from grading higher than it has. The Sweet Cap back presents nicely, despite centering to the west. Still plenty of eye appeal on this one.