Big Sam Thompson was one of the game’s first great sluggers, finishing his career with a whopping 126 home runs. His 166 RBI in 1887 was a record that stood until it was broken by Babe Ruth in 1921, and at the time of his retirement he was second on the career home runs list. Additionally, Thompson was part of the only all-.400 hitting outfield of all time, along with Tuck Turner (.416), Ed Delahanty (.407) and Billy Hamilton (.404) with the 1894 Phillies. One of the tougher poses of Thompson, this 1889 card pictures him with Philadelphia, who purchased his contract in the fall of 1888. The addition of his new team across his breast is the most visible component of this example, though the image is still clean with exceptional contrast and some very light fading. The grade of GOOD 2 assessed by PSA is primarily a result of very light glue staining on the reverse, a telltale sign of long ago scrapbook mounting. That same scrapbook, however, protected the card for many years, the result being a clean surface with very slight corner and edge wear. 36. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #456-4 Sam Thompson (HOF) - PSA GOOD 2 MINIMUM BID: $1,500
37. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #301-3 Tommy McCarthy (HOF) - PSA VG 3
38. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #486-1 “Smiling” Mickey Welch (HOF) - PSA EX 5
One of 26 known cards in the massive N172 issue picturing the subject along with a second, unidentified player, card #301-3 pictures Hall of Famer Tommy McCarthy, posed as if tagging out a diving baserunner. Though this example was issued in 1888, the image also appeared on his 1887 issue. That season, McCarthy spent more time as an infielder (the likely reason for the unusual pose), but by 1888 he was primarily used in the outfield. McCarthy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1946, a fan favorite with an exceptional ability to get on base and, as an aggressive baserunner, score runs. The card itself is a stunner, the image boasting strong contrast, well- centered on the canvas. Corner wear is light but visible, with some foxing at the upper right as well as on the reverse. A tougher pose of McCarthy, one of just 11 graded by PSA.
Absolutely stunning card of Hall of Fame pitcher “Smiling” Mickey Welch (his last name misspelled “Welsh” on this example). 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. An 1888 example, the card boasts outstanding clarity and
contrast, the image well-centered against a clean border. According to PSA’s population reports, this is the toughest of the four poses of Welch in the N172 set, with this example being the highest-graded of the five assessed by PSA.
MINIMUM BID: $2,500
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024 35
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