A key architect of "inside" baseball, "Foxy Ned" Hanlon is probably best known as the manager for the innovative Baltimore Orioles teams of the mid 1890s. Under Hanlon's direction, that ballclub emphasized what we know today as "small ball," utilizing bunts, hit-and-runs, double steals, squeeze plays, and of course, the "Baltimore chop" as ways of manufacturing runs. Though Hanlon did have a 13-year career as an outfielder, it is his baseball mind that got him into the Hall of Fame, and his strategies continue to find success in the game today.
Graded VG 3 by PSA, this example is catalogued was pose #212-2, with extremely strong image contrast, the outfielder holding his bat in front of the familiar studio backdrop seen on so many N172 cards of Detroit players. Hanlon was a key member of the great Detroit Wolverines teams, winning the championship in 1887 against the St. Louis Browns. His Detroit uniform is clear and visible on this outstanding card, which has received its grade due to general wear and no single underlying technical flaw.