Sowders, Pitcher, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card from 1898, produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, captures Sowders, a pitcher for Boston. What strikes me is the gesture - the raised arm about to hurl a ball. It echoes the classical motif of the discus thrower, the "Discobolus". Recall Myron's sculpture, where the athlete is caught mid-motion, poised between action and stillness, potential energy and release. Sowders' gesture, though in a different context, taps into that same sense of anticipation and controlled power. Consider the evolution of this throwing motif, from the idealized athlete of ancient Greece to the professional baseball player of the late 19th century. The emotional impact remains – a fascination with human capability, and perhaps, a subconscious longing for the heroic. This card, then, is not merely a commercial item, but a vessel carrying the enduring symbol of human action and potential.