31. 1889 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #301-9 Tommy McCarthy (HOF) – PSA PR 1(MK) – Interesting Print Anomaly
This N172 shows one of Boston’s “Heavenly Twin” outfielders who starred for Hall of Fame manager Frank Selee. Tommy McCarthy excelled as a baserunner and fielder, setting the record for outfield assists during that era with his ability to trap fly balls and catch runners unaware. He played 1,273 games over 13 seasons, collecting 1,493 hits in his Hall of Fame career. McCarthy appears on nine different cards in the N172 set and this staged fielding pose shows him reaching with “hands outstretched” for a catch. Tight-cut photo edges for “McCarthy” and “Browns” imply that the dimensions for this pose were first cut wider for an Old Judge cabinet card and then trimmed tighter on “McCarthy” and “Browns” for this pack insert. The result is that the “M” in “McCarthy” and the “s” in “Browns” do not appear on the card, an interesting printing anomaly not common to the card or the issue. This single presents far better than most collector grade Old Judge cards, displaying clear text and uniform details, with good centering. Two pin holes, light edge wear, and faint writing on the card back merit this technical score and “marked” qualifier, making this a great balance of accessibility and stature.
MINIMUM BID: $1,500
32. 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets #486-4 Mickey Welch (HOF) – SGC AUTHENTIC
33. 1889 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #201-2 Clark Griffth (HOF) – PSA PR 1
Shown here at age 18, bat in hand and best foot forward, is Hall of Fame baseball pioneer Clark Griffith. He started 68 games for Milwaukee over two teenage seasons and went on to serve almost 70 years as a pitcher, manager, team president, and owner. Cooperstown would induct this multifaceted pioneer in 1946. Clark Griffith ranks as one of the rarer N172 players among inductees. The reference book on the Goodwin & Co. baseball sets calls him its 12th-toughest HOFer, raising the
Gorgeous
Old
Judge
cabinet “Smiling” Mickey Welch. Just the third pitcher in baseball history to amass 300 wins, Welch was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1973, his 307-210 record impossible to deny. His .800 winning percentage in 1885 was the result of a 44-11 record, his 1.66 ERA in 492 innings simply an amazing athletic feat regardless of era. The of
bar for anyone chasing his cards, regardless of condition.
This PSA PR 1 shows balanced handling to its periphery, modest visible photo details, and some flaking of its surface gloss along that left edge. Its nameplate text remains legible and there’s little doubt that his photo shows Clark poised to hit a baseball floating on a studio string. This tough pose is cataloged as #201-2 in the Goodwin book and PSA’s population report shows this as its sole encapsulated example, emphasizing its challenge for collectors.
image quality on this example is tremendous, the front of the caard boasting a VG-EX appearance with light wear at the corners and edges. The card has been mounted in a scrapbook, as were so many 19th Century cards; the resulting paper remnants, glue staining, and surface loss on the reverse reduce the grade to “AUTHENTIC.” In the case of a rare Hall of Famer from a popular cabinet issue, technical grade is less important than image quality; this example is quite strong.
MINIMUM BID: $750
MINIMUM BID: $2,500
SPRING 2026 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES APRIL 11, 2026 29
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