Captain John Montgomery Ward won 164 games in just 7 years as a pitcher, pitching a perfect game for Providence in 1880. After that, he became primarily a shortstop, then finished his career as a second baseman. He collected more than 2,100 hits, scored more than 1,400 runs, and stole 540 bases in his Hall of Fame career. He Ward acted as player/manager in eight different seasons, and was an integral part of the New York Giants winning back-to-back World Series in 1888 and 1889, collecting 26 hits, stealing 16 bases, and scoring 14 runs in the two series combined.

With nine different poses in the N172 issue, this one is a handsome portrait of New York's shortstop and captain, looking left while dressed to the nines.  Centering is slightly south and west on the canvas, with some minor diamond cutting present. Soft, rounded corners and soft edges are expected with the grade, but the image itself looks great. Ward looks dapper, and the printing is wonderful. The clarity of the photo clearly shows individual strands of Ward's hair, his mustache, and the texture of his suit jacket. Some creases are visible, especially when looking at the back of the card, which is otherwise clean. Visible staining and some minor surface abrasions on the card's front help explain the technical grade.