Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Goodwin & Company produced this small Old Judge Cigarettes trading card, featuring Thomas H. “Pat” Deasley, catcher for New York, around 1887. During this time, baseball cards were used as marketing tools, tucked into cigarette packs to appeal to consumers, primarily white men. These cards depicted idealized versions of athletes, reinforcing societal norms and promoting a narrow vision of masculinity and success. Deasley, like other players, became a figurehead in the spectacle of commercialized sport. He was a worker, performing labor for a new kind of mass audience. The card's existence speaks to the growing commercialization of sports and the intertwining of leisure with industry. Consider how the packaging of masculinity and athleticism intersects with the promotion of harmful products like cigarettes, reflecting the complex values of the era.