Krock, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a baseball card of Krock, a pitcher for Chicago, made by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1888. The most striking visual symbol is his raised arm, poised to throw. This gesture, seemingly simple, echoes across millennia. Think of the ancient Greek sculptures of athletes, the discus throwers, or even the depictions of gods like Zeus, brandishing thunderbolts. The raised arm is an emblem of power, of action, of potential energy about to be unleashed. It speaks to something deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness. In Krock's pose, we see a transformation: the divine gesture now secularized, democratized, brought into the realm of sport. Yet, the underlying psychological impact remains. The viewer anticipates the throw, the climax of the action. The symbol progresses, evolves, but the primal charge of impending force persists, engaging us on a subconscious level.