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From the largest set of baseball cards ever produced, the New York Giants Hall of Famer John Ward stands as presiding over the Polo Grounds and Major League baseball in this evocative “Hands behind his back” pose from the 1887 Old Judge baseball card set. The “Captain” of the Giants appears in an incredible twenty different poses or variations in this Giant of all baseball sets ever produced.  More than 3,500 separate and distinct cards are presently known to exist in this set, featuring some with first names, some with first initials, depictions of both minor league players and big league stars, numerous misspelled names, team variations and those many, many different poses. The number of available cards from the set issued with packs of cigarettes 127 years ago are not relatively few, as seekers find them both on line and at various show vendors somewhat frequently.  The vast total included in the set and the many variations mentioned above offer a challenge for collectors, but also a “chase” that has some realistic opportunity to add some of these sepia toned, blank backed gems to their collections.

“Captain” Ward’s 1887 card is one such Old Judge treasure currently available for your purchase at Just Collect.  Ward was dismissed from Pennsylvania State University for pushing an upperclassman in what may be the first “anti-bullying” case at a U.S. college. His baseball career led to Hall of Fame election in 1964, and saw Ward play both shortstop, some second base and amazingly pitching, too. He tossed the second perfect game in Major League history, and went on to managing, founding the very first baseball players union (long before Curt Flood, Marvin Miller and Andy Messersmith), and later organized the major baseball league known as the Players League. A New York player, a Hall of Famer and an Old Judge, this SGC 10 example of John Ward can be a great addition to your collection, and is available here at Just Collect.  Just Collect is always buying Old Judge cards and vintage cards from 1879 through 1979.