Fans Speaking Loud and Clear

With the season coming to a close and only 29 games left the Dodgers find themselves 6.5 games back of the wild-card spot. With that, our chances for post season glory appear to diminish at every hour. Expectedly, the fans react by not coming to the stadium. The pic above, found on Twitter, shows how empty the stadium really is this afternoon.

(pic link: tweetphoto: HipHopHead86)

Card of the Week: Triple Womack

I really enjoy Baseball cards with multiple negatives. They are a great way to capture the grace and majesty of the game on a little piece of cardboard. Above is Tony Womack's 1998 Upper Deck card featuring Sammy Sosa sliding into 2nd base as Womack attempts to turn a double play. Just another great addition to this weeks "Card of the Week."

Collection: N28 Caruthers

This is my last N28 Allen & Ginter card in my collection. Go here to check out the other cards in my yet to be completed set.

Bob L. Caruthers, also known as Parisian Bob, was primarily a pitcher and right fielder. He played for the St. Louise Browns and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms from 1884 to 1893, and is considered one of the handful of great players from the 19th Century not already in the Hall of Fame. Parisian Bob excelled as both a starting pitcher (going 218-99 with a ERA of 2.83) and a hitter (batting a career .281, On Base Percentage of .391, and a lifetime .400 slugging percentage). Furthermore, in 1885 and 1889 he won 40 games.

He was named Parisian Bob due to some highly unusual contract negotiations against Browns owner Chrin Von der Ahe from 1885 to 1886. Caruthers did all of his talking through a telegraph wire from Paris. After his playing days he became an umpire for two season in the American League from 1902 to 1903.

Legendary Auctions: Brooklyn Old Judge Cabinets

Legendary Auctions recently completed their most recent auction. It included the below two rare Old Judge cabinet cards featuring 19th Century Brooklyn players.

Both of the large sized (4 1/4" x 6 1/2") cards are from 1888-1889 and are referenced with the ACC number N173. They are photographs affixed onto a cardboard backing. These were produced by Old Judge Cigarettes and were attained by exchanging coupons inserted within packs of smokes.

Below, James "Hardie" Harderson shows off his wind-up. Hardie played 6 years of Major League ball; including two years with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. It sold for a healthy $4,147.50. Photos on black colored backings are much scarcer than the typical yellow backings.

(Auction Link)

This Old Judge features two Bridegrooms; catcher Bob Clark tagging Mickey Hughes. Bob Clark was the backup catcher on the team. In 5 season in Brooklyn he batted .241. Mickey Hughes was an excellent starting pitcher for Brooklyn. He only played 3 Major League season, two of which for Brooklyn. His rookie year he went 25-13 with a ERA of 2.13. He also finished all 40 games he started- pitching a total of 363 innings. It sold for $3,555.00.

(Auction Link)

Hearing From Red Barber

Here is a great letter written by former Brooklyn Dodger broadcaster and mentor to Vin Scully, Red Barber found on eBay. It is to a Richard who must have asked some advice about life. Red's response is one we should all remember.

"The single best advice I ever heard was when my father said, 'Son, I don't know where you are going in the world--what you are going to do--who you are going to be with. I can't know these things. But I know this--every night when you are ready to go to sleep, you are going to have to sleep with yourself.'

What great advice from a man with plenty of experience to share. It is dated from February 17, 1991 which would make Mr. Barber 91 years old.

(eBay Auction Link)