The National Baseball League was baseball for the game€s first quarter-century of professional life. By 1900 the eight clubs that would carry the National League through its next 62 years were established, and though the Giants, Dodgers, and Braves would relocate, they and others (Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies) carefully preserved their traditions and memories.
Their greatest memories were of course the players, men whose character and statistics made national heroes out of National Leaguers. Here are the greatest, preserved, as America preserves its heroes, painted not on canvas but cardboard: 78 different players on 83 authentic classic baseball cards.
The facsimiles, reproduced front and back with the original advertising, span 60 years, 1909-69, from Frederick Merkle and Johnny Evers to Lou Brock. Other National League leaders include:
John J. McGraw
Heinie Zimmerman
Babe Adams
Larry Doyle
Dizzy Dean
Carl Hubbell
Adolfo Luque
Lloyd Waner
Kiki Cuyler
Ducky Medwick
Robin Roberts
Andy Pafko
and many more.
These cards (none of them duplicated in other Dover baseball card collections) come from many manufacturers: Cracker Jack Ballplayers, Goudey €œBig League€ Gum, Hassan Cigarettes, American Tobacco Trust, Bowman Gum and Topps among others. Vivid verso commentary notes that Adolfo Luque (New York Giants, 1933) is €œthe only Cuban now playing in the National League,€ while Charles €œChick€ Hafey (Cincinnati Reds, 1934) is €œone of the best players in the National League, despite the fact that he is forced to wear glasses.
The League has changed; the tobacco and gum aromas have long worn off these cards€ rare originals (worth thousands to collectors) €" but these facsimiles, reproduced on baseball card stock, retain the flavor that made card collecting a co-equal national pastime. Remember when the national pastime was the National League? Add these classic cards to old memories or new collections.
