Jayson S. "Jay" Faatz, Captain, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is "Jayson S. "Jay" Faatz, Captain, Cleveland," a baseball card produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1888. These cards emerged during a time of growing commercialism and rising interest in baseball. The card depicts Faatz, the captain of the Cleveland team, in his uniform. The image captures a posed moment, yet speaks volumes about the construction of fame and celebrity during this era. Produced during a time of increased industrialization and urbanization, baseball offered a form of entertainment for the working class. These cards, distributed with cigarettes, acted as promotional material, creating a link between the sport and the consumption of tobacco. This connection highlights the way consumer culture and leisure activities became intertwined in shaping American identity. The players were elevated to celebrity status, their images circulated widely, contributing to the mythology of baseball and American masculinity. The image, mass-produced and widely disseminated, blurs the line between personal identity and public persona.