James "Jim" McCormick, Pitcher, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a Goodwin & Company baseball card, dating back to the late 19th century. It features James “Jim” McCormick, a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. He stands with hands clasped in front, cradling the ball—a gesture pregnant with potential. Consider this pose. It echoes the countless depictions of offering and supplication found throughout art history. Think of the votive figures of ancient Sumer, hands clasped in perpetual prayer, or the Christian iconography of Mary presenting the infant Jesus. But instead of a sacred object, McCormick holds a baseball, and the symbolic weight has shifted to the promise of athletic prowess. This transference isn't arbitrary. It illustrates how cultural memory subtly reshapes itself. The subconscious reverence once reserved for deities or holy figures is now partially invested in athletic heroes. This image captures a moment when the collective psyche began to blur the lines between the sacred and the secular, projecting deep-seated emotions onto the burgeoning spectacle of sport.