Baseball cards have a long history in Washington D.C., dating back to the late 19th century when the hobby first started gaining popularity across America. Some of the earliest baseball cards featured players from D.C.-based teams in the National Association and later the American Association. While those leagues and teams no longer exist, baseball cards have remained an integral part of the culture and fandom around the game in our nation’s capital.
One of the first D.C. teams to have players featured on cards was the Washington Nationals franchise that existed from 1886 to 1889 as part of the short-lived National Association. Players like Dave Orr, Tom Brown and Jack Glasscock appeared on early tobacco cards from companies like Old Judge and Goodwin & Company during the team’s run. While the quality was still quite basic in those early days, it started to introduce local D.C. baseball heroes to fans through the novel new card format.
In 1891, the American Association was founded as a rival major league to the National League. This led to the creation of another Washington Nationals franchise that played from 1891 to 1899. Dozens of players from this iteration of the Nats squad, including future Hall of Famers Kid Nichols and Jesse Burkett, had their likenesses distributed on tobacco cards from prominent manufacturers of the time like Allen & Ginter and Mayo Cut Plug. Collecting and trading these early Washington cards became a popular pastime for both kids and adults in the capital city during this period.
When the American Association folded after the 1899 season, it led to a period without a major league team in D.C. for over 50 years. Baseball card collecting persisted as a hobby amongst Washingtonians who followed the remaining NL franchises like the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies from afar. Regional tobacco brands also continued to issue cards featuring the biggest stars from this era on into the early 20th century.
In 1905, the American League was founded to compete with the NL and help stabilize the business of professional baseball. This led to the birth of the modern Washington Senators franchise, who played in D.C. from 1901 to 1960. Naturally, Senators players quickly became some of the most sought after stars on baseball cards during the first half of the 1900s. Brands like T206, E90 and various candy companies immortalized D.C. heroes like Walter Johnson, Sam Rice, Goose Goslin and Joe Judge.
As baseball cards grew into a mass-produced hobby product thanks to the advent of bubble gum in the late 1930s, the Senators continued to be prominently featured in the new formats. Sets from Goudey, Play Ball and Bowman in the 1930s-50s gave young D.C. collectors iconic images of Senators aces like Early Wynn, Mickey Vernon and Harvey Haddix to cherish. The cards helped keep the hometown team’s legacy alive for generations of fans in Washington.
In 1961, the original Senators franchise relocated to become the Minnesota Twins, leaving D.C. without the national pastime for another 33 years. During that time, Washingtonians had to turn to cards from other teams to get their baseball fix. Regional issues from Leaf and Fleer in the 1960s sometimes included past Senators, but D.C. was mainly represented through the huge stars featured in Topps, Donruss and other national releases.
In 2005, the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington to become the Washington Nationals. Baseball had returned to D.C. and a new generation of future Hall of Famers like Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg and Juan Soto have since graced thousands of modern baseball cards from manufacturers like Topps, Panini and Bowman. Nats cards have now taken their place alongside the vintage issues from D.C.’s previous baseball eras as prized possessions of collectors in the capital region for decades to come.
Through its ups and downs, baseball cards have remained a constant thread connecting Washington D.C. with the national pastime. From the earliest tobacco issues to modern digital platforms, cards have allowed generations of D.C. fans to collect and remember the players who represented the city on the diamond. Even when the major league teams left, cards helped keep that baseball spirit alive. Today, both vintage and new Nationals cards continue cultivating fandom and bringing joy to collectors in our nation’s capital.
