As a way to make the 1/2 century more memorable than it already was, with a week in Portland, week with my Parents here in CA-and all the time I get to spend with my wife-I thought I would buy a few vintage cards instead of my usual buying a box of cards and busting them. Here is the oldest one in our collection, a T-206 White Border Sweet Caparol Back Jap Barbeau. Who the heck was William Joseph "Jap" Barbeau? Well he was an average player at best that was born in NYC in 1882 and died in Wisconsin in 1969. He played four seasons with the Majors-Cleveland Naps (1905-1906), Pirates (1909), and Cardinals (1909-1910). He would also spend much of his career in the American Association, Pacific Coast League, and Western League. In total he played 17 years between the minors and the majors. May 10, 1910 he played his last Major League Game-with the Redbirds. The image below is from Clipping on the Borchert Field Website. "Jap" is watching a foul ball in the bottom left.
Interesting nickname. He doesn't look Japanese though. I'm pretty sure my one lone T206 is the oldest card in my collection as well.
ReplyDeletehopefully it is a weird form of Joseph-this may be the only one I pick up since I am cursed by condition concerns-
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