Good day everyone!
On the blog today, we spotlight my
card for the greatest catcher of the 19th Century, Buck Ewing, from my
"19th Century Base Ball Stars" custom set released back in 2018:
Just
a really fun set to create and release, using authentic 1890's tobacco
stamps and other elements to make the cigarette pack as "real" as
possible.
I can tell you a ton of work went into this set!
As
for Ewing, this was a man legendary manager Connie mack called the
"greatest catcher of all-time", with Ewing even called the "greatest
all-around player of the 19th century" by Total Baseball in 1989.
His
numerous innovations and "tricks" to the position are incredible, and
for a fuller idea of what the man brought to the sport, see his SABR bio
here:
Over
his 18-year career which began in 1880 with Troy, and ending in 1897
with Cincinnati, he would finish with a .303 batting average, along with
354 stolen bases, and 1129 runs scored over 1315 games.
But again, it was what he brought to the catching position that solidified his status and an all-time great in the game.
A true baseball legend.