1914-15 Cracker Jack

Card #2 - Frank Baker

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In 1914 and 1915, a third major league competed with the American and National Leagues. Founded mainly out of frustration over the reserve clause that often bound a player to his team -- the same problem that led to the formation of the players' union 50 years later -- the Federal League played in many of the same cities and enticed several stars of the other leagues to jump ship. After its second season, the league folded and the players returned to the established leagues. These years also saw the release of two sets from Cracker Jack featuring cards of players from all three leagues. There were other sets of 1914-'15 with Federal Leaguers (such as the T214 Victory and T216 Kotton) but Cracker Jack cards are the ones best known to hobbyists.

While the 1914 and 1915 issues are two distinct sets, both feature the same front and back design. Card fronts feature a color drawing of a player against a solid red background. Above the player are the words "Cracker Jack" and "Ball Players" in black ink. The player's name, team city and league appear within the lower right border of the card. One interesting thing about the artwork is how the natural white coloring of the paper used for the card so the picture "bleeds" into the border. Card backs feature a card number and a write-up of the player pictured. A solid line separates that information from an advertisement found at the bottom. On cards from the 1914 set, the ad mentions 144 cards in the set; in 1915, the number is changed to 176. Another difference between the backs in the two sets is their orientation: 1914 cards can be flipped over from the side; 1915 cards were printed "upside down" in order to be read when mounted in an album specifically made for the cards.

After issuing a 144-card set in 1914, Cracker Jack issued a 176-card set the next year with most of the same players. Those players that had moved to new teams (or leagues) were shown with those teams. A few players were shown with different poses, and five players who were no longer playing were replaced. The 1915 set was available in its entirety by a send-in offer, along with the album mentioned above. The cards measure 2 1/4" by 3", making them larger than most of the tobacco and candy cards that era.

The Cracker Jack sets of 1914 and 1915 are historically significant but can be quite a burden to those who try to put them together. Some collectors have been frustrated by the similarity of many of the sets' cards, since they essentially must obtain two variation cards of most players. Condition is also a factor; since Cracker Jack cards are made of heavy paper (instead of cardboard) and were often left with stains from the candy it came with, top-quality cards are hard to find.

1. Otto Knabe
2. Frank Baker
3. Joe Tinker
4. Larry Doyle
5. Ward Miller
6. Eddie Plank
7. Eddie Collins
8. Rube Oldring
9. Artie Hoffman
10. John McInnis
11. George Stovall
12. Connie Mack
13. Art Wilson
14. Sam Crawford
15. Reb Russell
16. Howie Camnitz
17. Roger Bresnahan
18. Johnny Evers
19. Chief Bender
20. Cy Falkenberg
21. Heinie Zimmerman
22. Joe Wood
23. Charles Comiskey
24. George Mullen
25. Michael Simon
26. James Scott
27. Bill Carrigan
28. Jack Barry
29. Vean Gregg
30. Ty Cobb
31. Heinie Wagner
32. Mordecai Brown
33. Amos Strunk
34. Ira Thomas
35. Harry Hooper
36. Ed Walsh
37. Grover C. Alexander
38. Red Dooin
39. Chick Gandil
40. Jimmy Austin
41. Tommy Leach
42. Al Bridwell
43. Rube Marquard
44. Charles Tesreau
45. Fred Luderus
46. Bob Groom
47. Josh Devore
48. Harry Lord
49. John Miller
50. John Hummell
51. Nap Rucker
52. Zach Wheat
53. Otto Miller
54. Marty O'Toole
55. Dick Hoblitzel
56. Clyde Milan
57. Walter Johnson
58. Wally Schang
59. Harry Gessler
60. Rollie Zeider
61. Ray Schalk
62. Jay Cashion
63. Babe Adams
64. Jimmy Archer
65. Tris Speaker
66. Napoleon Lajoie
67. Otis Crandall
68. Honus Wagner
69. John McGraw
70. Fred Clarke
71. Chief Meyers
72. John Boehling
73. Max Carey
74. Frank Owens
75. Miller Huggins
76. Claude Hendrix
77. Hughie Jennings
78. Fred Merkle
79. Ping Bodie
80. Ed Ruelbach
81. Jim C. Delehanty
82. Gavvy Cravath
83. Russ Ford
84. Elmer E. Knetzer
85. Buck Herzog
86. Burt Shotton
87. Forrest Cady
88. Christy Mathewson
89. Lawrence Cheney
90. Frank Smith
91. Roger Peckinpaugh
92. Al Demaree
93. Del Pratt
94. Eddie Cicotte
95. Ray Keating
96. Beals Becker
97. John(Rube) Benton
98. Frank LaPorte
99. Frank Chance
100. Thomas Seaton
101. Frank Schulte
102. Ray Fisher
103. Joe Jackson
104. Vic Saier
105. James Lavender
106. Joe Birmingham
107. Tom Downey
108. Sherry Magee
109. Fred Blanding
110. Bob Bescher
111. Jim Callahan
112. Ed Sweeney
113. George Suggs
114. Geo.J. Moriarty
115. Addison Brennan
116. Rollie Zeider
117. Ted Easterly
118. Ed Konetchy
119. George Perring
120. Mike Doolan
121. Hub Perdue
122. Owen Bush
123. Slim Sallee
124. Earl Moore
125. Bert Niehoff
126. Walter Blair
127. Butch Schmidt
128. Steve Evans
129. Ray Caldwell
130. Ivy Wingo
131. George Baumgardner
132. Les Nunamaker
133. Branch Rickey
134. Armando Marsans
135. Bill Killefer
136. Rabbit Maranville
137. William Rariden
138. Hank Gowdy
139. Rebel Oakes
140. Danny Murphy
141. Cy Barger
142. Eugene Packard
143. Jake Daubert
144. James C. Walsh

1. Otto Knabe
2. Frank Baker
3. Joe Tinker
4. Larry Doyle
5. Ward Miller
6. Eddie Plank
7. Eddie Collins
8. Rube Oldring
9. Artie Hoffman
10. John McInnis
11. George Stovall
12. Connie Mack
13. Art Wilson
14. Sam Crawford
15. Reb Russell
16. Howie Camnitz
17. Roger Bresnahan
18. Johnny Evers
19. Chief Bender
20. Cy Falkenberg
21. Heinie Zimmerman
22. Joe Wood
23. Charles Comiskey
24. George Mullen
25. Michael Simon
26. James Scott
27. Bill Carrigan
28. Jack Barry
29. Vean Gregg
30. Ty Cobb
31. Heinie Wagner
32. Mordecai Brown
33. Amos Strunk
34. Ira Thomas
35. Harry Hooper
36. Ed Walsh
37. Grover C. Alexander
38. Red Dooin
39. Chick Gandil
40. Jimmy Austin
41. Tommy Leach
42. Al Bridwell
43. Rube Marquard
44. Charles(Jeff) Tesreau
45. Fred Luderus
46. Bob Groom
47. Josh Devore
48. Steve O'Neill
49. John Miller
50. John Hummell
51. Nap Rucker
52. Zach Wheat
53. Otto Miller
54. Marty O'Toole
55. Dick Hoblitzel
56. Clyde Milan
57. Walter Johnson
58. Wally Schang
59. Harry Gessler
60. Oscar Dugey
61. Ray Schalk
62. Willie Mitchell
63. Babe Adams
64. Jimmy Archer
65. Tris Speaker
66. Napoleon Lajoie
67. Otis Crandall
68. Honus Wagner
69. John McGraw
70. Fred Clarke
71. Chief Meyers
72. John Boehling
73. Max Carey
74. Frank Owens
75. Miller Huggins
76. Claude Hendrix
77. Hughie Jennings
78. Fred Merkle
79. Ping Bodie
80. Ed Ruelbach
81. Jim C. Delehanty
82. Gavvy Cravath
83. Russ Ford
84. Elmer E. Knetzer
85. Buck Herzog
86. Burt Shotton
87. Forrest Cady
88. Christy Mathewson
89. Lawrence Cheney
90. Frank Smith
91. Roger Peckinpaugh
92. Al Demaree
93. Del Pratt
94. Eddie Cicotte
95. Ray Keating
96. Beals Becker
97. John(Rube) Benton
98. Frank LaPorte
99. Hal Chase
100. Thomas Seaton
101. Frank Schulte
102. Ray Fisher
103. Joe Jackson
104. Vic Saier
105. James Lavender
106. Joe Birmingham
107. Thomas Downey
108. Sherry Magee
109. Fred Blanding
110. Bob Bescher
111. Herbie Moran
112. Ed Sweeney
113. George Suggs
114. Geo.J. Moriarty
115. Addison Brennan
116. Rollie Zeider
117. Ted Easterly
118. Ed Konetchy
119. George Perring
120. Mike Doolan
121. Hub Perdue
122. Owen Bush
123. Slim Sallee
124. Earl Moore
125. Bert Niehoff
126. Walter Blair
127. Butch Schmidt
128. Steve Evans
129. Ray Caldwell
130. Ivy Wingo
131. Geo. Baumgardner
132. Les Nunamaker
133. Branch Rickey
134. Armando Marsans
135. William Killefer
136. Rabbit Maranville
137. William Rariden
138. Hank Gowdy
139. Rebel Oakes
140. Danny Murphy
141. Cy Barger
142. Eugene Packard
143. Jake Daubert
144. James C. Walsh
145. Ted Cather
146. George Tyler
147. Lee Magee
148. Owen Wilson
149. Hal Janvrin
150. Doc Johnston
151. George Whitted
152. George McQuillen
153. Bill James
154. Dick Rudolph
155. Joe Connolly
156. Jean Dubuc
157. George Kaiserling
158. Fritz Maisel
159. Heinie Groh
160. Benny Kauff
161. Edd Roush
162. George Stallings
163. Bert Whaling
164. Bob Shawkey
165. Eddie Murphy
166. Joe Bush
167. Clark Griffith
168. Vin Campbell
169. Raymond Collins
170. Hans Lobert
171. Earl Hamilton
172. Erskine Mayer
173. Tilly Walker
174. Robert Veach
175. Joseph Benz
176. Hippo Vaughn

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