Almost the definition of "journeyman," John Irwin spent time with multiple clubs and leagues across two decades of pro ball and is pictured here in uniform with his longest allegiance to any team, three years with the 1887-89 Washington Nationals. His athletic crouch anticipates a ball in play to his most familiar positions at third or shortstop, ready to pop long throws to first.

The SGC AUTHENTIC grade notes its evidence of trimming, difficult to determine with an issue that was hand-cut at the factory, but they have their reasons. The overall image remains high quality, with visible details in his face, uniform, and studio backdrop. Surfaces look clean on both sides, and some flecks of surface wear do little to detract from his expectant look toward the cardholder. Combined population reports show five total encapsulated cards, making this a tough pose to find.

This card appears as #243-1's reference image on page 278 of the Old Judge photography book by Miller, Gonsowski, and Masson. Love of the Game is proud to offer several cards seen in their outstanding work of research and presentation as part of our 100+ N172 listings in this auction.