Willard Eben Mains, Pitcher, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a sepia-toned baseball card lithograph of Willard Eben Mains, a pitcher for the St. Paul Apostles, printed by Goodwin & Company in 1889 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Here, Mains is captured in the moment before the pitch, his arm cocked back, hand open with the ball held aloft. In this stance, we find a gesture deeply embedded in the human psyche. Think of ancient depictions of rulers or deities, their hands raised in a display of power or benediction. From the pharaohs of Egypt to Christian iconography, this gesture signifies control, authority, and the projection of energy. The baseball in Mains’ hand becomes a concentrated point of force, like Zeus wielding his thunderbolt, he prepares to unleash it toward the batter, the image taps into our collective memory of figures who command natural forces. It reflects our continuous striving for control and the projection of inner power onto the external world.