Significant studio cabinet featuring John Patrick "Patsy" Cahill of the San Francisco Waverlys. Cahill, who played outfield in the majors from 1884 to 1887, was just 18 years old in 1883, when a team sponsored by Haverly's  California Theater entered the league. While Cahill does not appear in any published boxscores of the 1883 Haverly's club that we can find, he was a regular in the league, even coming back to California in the fall to suit up with a variety of California League teams, including the Haverlys in years late in his career. Comparing the image in this photo with those of other team photos and Old Judge cards of Cahill later in his career, we do feel confident that he is correctly identified in handwriting on the front of the card.

It is widely believed that Cahill is the inspiration behind Ernest Thayer's poem "Casey at the Bat," as speculation is that Thayer saw Cahill play in Stockton, Califonia after his major league career had ended. Cahill continued to pop up on minor league rosters as late as 1896, and did play in Stockton in 1890.

The image of Cahill here is crisp and well-defined, though the mount has been subject to some abuse over the years. Identified in pencil writing as a pitcher and shortstop on the reverse, Cahill also played outfield, which is how he is identified on his N172 cards. A rare and important cabinet photo from the very early days of the California League.