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1880s Dave Orr New York Metropolitans Cabinet Card by J. Wood Used for His N172 Old Judge and N338-2 S.F. Hess Cards
Cabinet card picturing Dave Orr, star first baseman of the New York Metropolitans during the mid-1880s. The studio image, taken by well-known New York baseball photographer Joseph Wood, captures Orr in formal attire as he gazes to the right of the camera. The photographer's credit, reading "J. Wood, Photo - 208 Bowery, N.Y.," is printed along the base of the mount. Advanced card collectors will immediately recognize this image because it was used for both Orr's 1887 N172 Old Judge card (like many of the era's top players, Orr had several different card images in the set) and his 1888 N338-2 S.F. Hess card (the 1888 N338-2 S.F. Hess set consisted almost primarily of New York players). Although Orr's cards in each set might be familiar to collectors, the same cannot be said of this cabinet card. This is the first example we have ever offered, and we cannot recall having seen another. Orr's exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame is based exclusively on his short eight-year career, not his talent. As a hitter, Orr had few peers during his days with the New York Metropolitans of the American Association. In his first full season with the club (1884), Orr led the league in batting (.354) hits (162), and RBI (112). In fact, Orr never hit below .300 in any of his seven full seasons (1884-1890), and he finished his career with a .342 lifetime average. Unfortunately, fate put a halt to any future achievements on the diamond. After the close of the 1890 season, Orr, who was just 30 years old, suffered a severe stroke which ended his playing career, making his story one of the great baseball tragedies of the 19th century. The cabinet card (4.25x6.5") displays a few light surface blemishes to the photo and edge wear to the mount. Orr's name is written in pencil at the base of the mount An additional handwritten pencil notation on the reverse reads "Dave Orr Our famous first baseman." Moderate soiling affects the reverse. Very Good condition overall.
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