Any interest in a Black Sox set?
gotti36
Posts: 13
I just finished reading "Eight Men Out" by Eliot Asinof, and as my interest in the Set Registry seems to grow every day, I couldn't help but wonder how great a Black Sox set would be. While I have little knowldge of requesting a set for the registry (let alone weighing it), I thought I do a little research into just how tough (and expensive) a set like this would be to complete.
While of course I'd like the 8 Sox players in the set, I'd also like it to some of the other major players in the scandal as well. I did a little research (1919blacksox.com) and this is what I came up with.
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The Eight Men Out
Eddie Cicotte: Appears on 61 cards/variations between 1909-1921
Happy Felsch: Appears on 29 cards/variations between 1914-1919
Chick Gandil: Appears on 38 cards/variations between 1909-1919
Joe Jackson: Apears on 54 cards/variations between 1909-1940
Fred McMullin: Appears on only 2 cards 1915 and 1917 respectively
Swede Risberg: Appears on only 5 cards between 1915-1919
Buck Weaver: Appears on 40 cards/variations between 1909-1919
Lefty Williams: Appears on 17 cards/variations between 1915-1921
Other Major Players (I didn't look into the number of cards available)
"SLEEPY" BILL BURNS: Former major leaguer would be a key figure during the fixing of the 1919 World Series as he was the middle-man between the players and Arnold Rothstein. Burns was also the star witness for the prosecution during the 1921 Black Sox trial.
HAL CHASE: Chase was indicted on September 28,1920 on conspiacy charges relating to the fixing of the Series. Chase was contacted by Bill Burns and reassured Burns that the fix would work. Chase instructed Burns to speak to Rothstein personally about funding the fix. Hal Chase would be "unofficially" banned from baseball after the 1919 season.
CHARLES COMISKEY: White Sox owner
JEAN DUBUC: New York Giants pitcher who presented the telegram to Sleepy Bill Burns informing Burns that the 1919 World Series was going to be fixed. Dubuc testified before the Grand Jury, but fled to Canada before the 1921 trial began. Dubuc was never disciplined over his involvement and in 1935, as scout for the Detriot Tigers signed Hank Greenberg to a major league contract.
JOE GEDEON: Second baseman for the St. Louis Browns and close friend of Swede Risberg. Gedeon received a telegram from Risberg tipping him off to the fix and would be present during one of the meetings held between the players and gamblers. Gedeon testified in the trial that he had placed $700 on the Reds after learning of the fix. He was expelled from professional baseball for having "guilty knowledge" of the fix.
WILLIAM "KID" GLEASON: "Kid" was a former major league ballplayer from 1888-1908, and managed the Chicago White Sox from 1919-1923. Gleasen testified on the defendants behalf during the 1921 trial.
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For most of the cards, I'm not sure how rare they actually are or if PSA even grades them. Anyone think there would be any interested in a set like this? As I was typing, I became more and more in awe of how much time, effort, and money it would take to put a set like this together. Maybe I just wasted my time, but I enjoyed the book and the research I did anyway!
Brian
While of course I'd like the 8 Sox players in the set, I'd also like it to some of the other major players in the scandal as well. I did a little research (1919blacksox.com) and this is what I came up with.
___________________________________________________________________________________
The Eight Men Out
Eddie Cicotte: Appears on 61 cards/variations between 1909-1921
Happy Felsch: Appears on 29 cards/variations between 1914-1919
Chick Gandil: Appears on 38 cards/variations between 1909-1919
Joe Jackson: Apears on 54 cards/variations between 1909-1940
Fred McMullin: Appears on only 2 cards 1915 and 1917 respectively
Swede Risberg: Appears on only 5 cards between 1915-1919
Buck Weaver: Appears on 40 cards/variations between 1909-1919
Lefty Williams: Appears on 17 cards/variations between 1915-1921
Other Major Players (I didn't look into the number of cards available)
"SLEEPY" BILL BURNS: Former major leaguer would be a key figure during the fixing of the 1919 World Series as he was the middle-man between the players and Arnold Rothstein. Burns was also the star witness for the prosecution during the 1921 Black Sox trial.
HAL CHASE: Chase was indicted on September 28,1920 on conspiacy charges relating to the fixing of the Series. Chase was contacted by Bill Burns and reassured Burns that the fix would work. Chase instructed Burns to speak to Rothstein personally about funding the fix. Hal Chase would be "unofficially" banned from baseball after the 1919 season.
CHARLES COMISKEY: White Sox owner
JEAN DUBUC: New York Giants pitcher who presented the telegram to Sleepy Bill Burns informing Burns that the 1919 World Series was going to be fixed. Dubuc testified before the Grand Jury, but fled to Canada before the 1921 trial began. Dubuc was never disciplined over his involvement and in 1935, as scout for the Detriot Tigers signed Hank Greenberg to a major league contract.
JOE GEDEON: Second baseman for the St. Louis Browns and close friend of Swede Risberg. Gedeon received a telegram from Risberg tipping him off to the fix and would be present during one of the meetings held between the players and gamblers. Gedeon testified in the trial that he had placed $700 on the Reds after learning of the fix. He was expelled from professional baseball for having "guilty knowledge" of the fix.
WILLIAM "KID" GLEASON: "Kid" was a former major league ballplayer from 1888-1908, and managed the Chicago White Sox from 1919-1923. Gleasen testified on the defendants behalf during the 1921 trial.
___________________________________________________________________________________
For most of the cards, I'm not sure how rare they actually are or if PSA even grades them. Anyone think there would be any interested in a set like this? As I was typing, I became more and more in awe of how much time, effort, and money it would take to put a set like this together. Maybe I just wasted my time, but I enjoyed the book and the research I did anyway!
Brian
0
Comments
According to 1919blacksox.com, here is the list of Lefty Williams cards:
1915 (E137) Zeenut Pacific Coast League
1916 (H801-8) Boston Store #190 (Black Stockings)
1916 (H801-8) Boston Store #190 (White Stockings)
1916 (H801-8) Boston Store #76 (Hugh High with White Stockings)
1916 (E135) Collins-McCarthy #190 (Black Stockings)
1916 (E135) Collins-McCarthy #190 (White Stockings)
1916 (E135) Collins-McCarthy #76 (Hugh High with White Stockings)
1916 (E135) Standard Biscuit #190 (Black Stockings)
1916 (E135) Standard Biscuit #190 (White Stockings)
1916 (E135) Standard Biscuit #76 (Hugh High with White Stockings)
1916 (D328) Weil Baking Co. #190 (Black Stockings)
1916 (D328) Weil Baking Co. #190 (White Stockings)
1916 (D328) Weil Baking Co. #76 (Hugh High with White Stockings)
1917 Davis Printing White Sox
1919 (W514) Mother's Bread #35
1919 (W514) W514 #35
1921 (D327) Holsum Bread
I love the idea. Vintage Beckett recently ran an article on the Black Sox scandal and the cards of the players involved. I got real excited and starting searching for some of the cards. Ugh! Impossible to find. While I think it would be a very valuable piece of history to own a set like that, I think the reality of actually accomplishing it is less than zero.
Best of luck if you decide to chase it. Share your finds on the message boards!
Jeremy
Currently working on:
*1941 Double Play
*500 Home Run Rookie Cards
Always Upgrading
*1954 Dan Dee
*1959 Fleer Three Stooges