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Why 1909-11 T206 Eddie Plank card up for bid at PWCC is so rare
Baseball’s “Deadball Era” was dominated by some of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game — Hall of Fame hurlers like Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander.
But one of the best pitchers of the early 20th century is often overlooked — Eddie Plank.
The Gettysburg, Pa. native — “Gettysburg Eddie” — was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game, winning 326 games from 1901-1917. His career 2.35 ERA in 623 games (4,495.2 IP) included a sterling 1.79 mark in his final season.
And like the greatest pitcher of the day, he was at his best in the World Series, posting a 1.32 ERA in 54 2/3 World Series innings to help lead the Philadelphia Athletics to three championships — a mark that rivals such greats as Mathewson, Sandy Koufax and Mariano Rivera.
The unheralded Plank was so good that Babe Ruth — a dominant pitcher himself during the era before becoming the game’s greatest slugger — felt compelled to write a letter about Plank that was published in newspapers nationwide in 1926.
“A lot of the present-day players didn’t know Eddie. They never had a chance to play against him. And they don’t know what a great pitcher he was, or what a great part he played in baseball,” Ruth wrote. “Some of us who are older in the league did know him, however, and will never forget him.
“Personally, I think Eddie Plank was one of the best pitchers who ever stepped into the box. … Eddie Plank was the real ‘daddy’ of the brainy players. I’ve seen him strike out heavy hitters with pitched balls that didn’t have a thing on ’em.”
While Plank, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946, struggled to gain the notoriety he deserved, vintage baseball card collectors have long known about the unassuming left-hander.
That’s because Plank has one of the most rare trading cards in the hobby. Plank’s 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal card is widely considered the second-rarest tobacco card behind the iconic T206 Honus Wagner card.
PWCC Marketplace has a copy of the rare Plank card in its December Premier Auction, which opened Dec. 7 and closes Dec. 21. The card, graded SCG 1 PR, has a current bid of $32,000.
Part of the mystique surrounding Plank and his iconic card stems from speculation about why the card is so rare. The theories include: his disdain for cigarettes (a theory also used to explain the scarcity of the Honus Wager card); a broken printing plate; and a simple error.
The Plank card is so rare it has only shown up at public auction 11 times in recent years, including just three times this year.
The PWCC example is one of only 39 graded by SGC. PSA has graded just 21. For more on Plank, check out this definitive guide put together by PWCC.
Another rare tobacco card in the auction is a 1909-11 T206 Sherry Magie (Magee) PIEDMONT 150 error card.
The card is rare because the American Tobacco Company misspelled Magee’s name on the card, and then fixed the mistake and printed a correct “Magee” version. The card is graded PSA 2 with a PWCC-A Eye Appeal Rating (top 30 percent).
Other highlights of the PWCC auction include:
• 1997 Metal Universe Championship Precious Metal Gems Michael Jordan /50 (BGS 9) card. One of just 50 examples in existence, it is grade BGS 9, with only one graded higher.
• 1982 NCAA Finals Ticket Stub Michael Jordan (AUTO DNA 10 PSA AUTH). From the 1982 championship game in which Jordan hit the game-winning shot to lead his North Carolina Tar Heels over Georgetown, only 11 examples of the Blue Variation have been graded by PSA, with only this one signed by Jordan.
• 2015 Fleer Showcase Metal Universe Blue Connor McDavid ROOKIE /50 #MU-1 (PSA 10). The only example graded PSA 10.
• 1998 Ultra Masterpieces Tim Duncan 1/1 #55P (PSA 7 NRMT). Duncan’s second-year card from a set that defined a new era for 1/1 cards.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
