John E. "Scrappy" Carroll, Right Field, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This sepia-toned card, produced by Goodwin & Company in 1889, features John E. "Scrappy" Carroll, a right fielder for the St. Paul Apostles. At its core, the image presents a figure ready for action, his baseball bat held high. Consider the bat itself: a modern club, ready to strike. We can trace its lineage back to ancient clubs and staffs, symbols of power and authority, wielded by gods and heroes. Here, it represents modern prowess, a secular tool elevated through sport. The gaze, turned to the side, evokes the classical contrapposto, and calls on that same feeling of potential energy we find in sculptures of Doryphoros, Polykleitos. This card is not just a portrait; it’s an invocation of athletic readiness, a memory carried through generations. The power of baseball lies in its connection to subconscious desires, the thrill of the game taps into our primal instincts. The image becomes a stage for our own aspirations and fantasies, blurring the line between reality and our innermost selves. It embodies action, potential, and competition, all repackaged and resold as a collectible.