Thomas P. "Oyster" Burns played for Brooklyn from 1888 through 1895, serving primarily as an outfielder, but spending some time at Shortstop and at Third Base, as well. In 1890, he led the National League with 13 home runs and 128 RBI for the Bridegrooms, playing in 119 games. Burns has five different cards in the N172 set.

One of 27 two-player cards where the second player is not identified on the card, this issue depicts the Third Baseman tagging a teammate out as he tries to slide into the bag. Burns is tagging the player out with his left hand, while pointing with his right hand to his teammate who must have made a great throw, reminiscent of Javy Baez at his peak, celebrating before the tag was even applied.

The printing on the card has faded slightly over the 135 years since its issuance, but the image is still very visible. The painted studio background gives the appearance that the action being photographed is actually taking place on a field inside a stadium, which wasn't very common for the time, or for this set in particular. The corners are sharp for the grade, and the edges are crisp, too. Centering is nice, with only some slight diamond cutting. The card's technical grade can be explained by some staining on the back which does not affect the tremendous eye appeal of the front, however, the scarcity of this example far outweighs any aesthetic issues of this highly sought-after issue.

SGC has only ever graded 12 total examples of this 1887 N172 Old Judge, with only five receiving a higher grade than the Fair 1.5 offered here.