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Rare Circa 1915 John Pop Lloyd Mounted Photo
Babe Ruth was once asked by famous radio broadcaster Graham McNamee to name the greatest baseball player of all time. Ruth asked, "Do you mean in the Major Leagues?" McNamee replied, "No, anywhere." "In that case," said Ruth, "I'd have to say John Henry Lloyd". Presented is an extremely rare 1915 mounted photo of Lloyd, known as "Pop", a Hall of Famer who played 27 years in the Negro Leagues. Primarily a shortstop, Lloyd played for 12 different teams, some more than once, over his career, with the Cuban X-Giants, Lincoln Giants, Atlantic City Bacharachs, and Hilldale Daisies just a few of his teams. He hit over .343 lifetime, several times over .400. He played ball year-round, as he barnstormed after the regular season, many times playing against Major Leaguers, and then played winter ball, often in Cuba. He batted left-handed and was a line drive hitter, a speedster on the bases and an outstanding fielder. When informed that Lloyd had been compared to him and called the Black Wagner, inaugural Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner said, "I am honored to have John Henry Lloyd called the Black Wagner. It's an honor to have been compared to him." Lloyd was also a top manager in the Negro Leagues, and he managed the Hilldale Club to the 1923 Eastern Colored League pennant. After his player career, he retired to Atlantic City where he was a custodian in the post office and for the school system. He was so popular with the students that they often gathered around him to hear tales of his days in the Negro Leagues, and he kept extra baseball gloves that he often gave to the students. The black and white photo measures 4" x 5" and the mount measures 6 x 7". The photo does have some toning, both some darkening and lightening in spots, some creasing and a few tiny pencil marks, and some minor staining. Despite these imperfections, not unusual in a photo over a century old, the photo remains valuable. It depicts Lloyd as a member of the Chicago American Giants, the team he played with between the years 1914 and 1917. In 1949, Lloyd was asked if he felt he was born too early, and he replied, "I felt it was the right time.... For I had the opportunity to help prove the ability of our race in this sport...." It's a rare photo of a rare man, an early Negro Leagues immortal.
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