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HAWKEYE BASEBALL CARDS BURLINGTON PHOTOS

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Some of the rarest and most sought-after baseball cards feature players from the University of Iowa Hawkeyes baseball teams of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this era before the professional game had truly taken hold across America, many elite amateur and college teams produced their own baseball cards as a means of promotion. Few such college baseball card sets have survived to the present day, making examples from the University of Iowa’s sports history enormously valuable to collectors.

One of the earliest known sets of Hawkeye baseball cards was produced around 1886-1887 and pictures the Iowa squad that won the inaugural Missouri Valley Conference championship in 1887. Only an estimated 20-30 examples from this seminal set are believed to still exist today, scattered among private collections. The cards measure approximately 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches and feature individual black and white photolithograph portraits of each player posed statically in their striped Iowa uniforms. On the reverse of each card is a brief listing of the player’s name, position, hometown and stats from the 1887 season.

Among the rarest cards from this pioneering Iowa set are those depicting team captain Andrew “Fuzzy” Thompson and future Major Leaguer Frank “Kid” Elberfeld. Thompson led the 1887 Hawkeyes to their Missouri Valley title with a team-best .348 batting average from his shortstop position. His card is among the most coveted finds for collectors of early Iowa athletics memorabilia. Elberfeld went on to play 13 seasons in the National League as an infielder, spending his career with the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and New York Highlanders between 1899-1912. His rookie card depicting him as a talented freshman on the 1887 Iowa squad is one of the earliest college cards for a future big leaguer.

Another legendary set of Hawkeye baseball cards was printed in Burlington, Iowa in 1895-1896 and pictures the teams from those two seasons, known as some of the finest in Iowa history. Produced by the Burlington based Smith Bros. Lithograph Co., these early tobacco era cards stands as among the earliest statewide college sports issues. Measuring a standard size of 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches, the 125 known cards from the Smith Bros. issues showcase individual portraits on the front with player names and no stats. The backgrounds vary between red, blue and grey.

Of particular note from the Smith Bros. issues are the rarer cards showing future Major Leaguers Jack Balliett and Harry Steinfeldt in their Hawkeye uniforms. Balliett had a stellar career as an outfielder and first baseman, playing over a decade in the bigs between 1898-1909 with star turns for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Beaneaters and Chicago White Stockings. His Iowa rookie card has a blue background. Steinfeldt enjoyed a reliable 11-year career in the National League primarily as a third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs between 1903-1914. His distinctive Hawkeye card stands out with a rare red backdrop.

The rarest individual piece from the entire 1895-1896 Smith Bros. set is generally agreed to be the solo gray card of Hawkeye shortstop and cleanup hitter Monte Cross. In his two seasons at Iowa, Cross blasted an astounding .464 batting average and set numerous power records that stood for decades. After leaving Iowa, Cross was unable to continue his amateur baseball career due to family commitments. As such, his solitary Iowa baseball card stands as the sole surviving documentation of his all-time great college career. Less than a dozen graded examples are known to exist today, making an high-grade Cross among the most valuable collectibles from the state’s sporting history.

Two other seminal early sets featuring Iowa baseballers were printed around the turn of the 20th century. The first comes from an unconfirmed Des Moines publisher around 1900-1901 and pictures that season’s Hawkeye squad, which included future Major Leaguer Eddie Grant. Far fewer than 50 cards are accounted for from this sparse set. The other dates to 1903 and is one of the earliest examples of a full individual team issue, picturing all 15 members of that year’s Iowa baseball team in crisp chromolithographic style. What sets this 1903 Hawkeye set apart is the rarity of finding them in high grades, with intact surfaces a near-impossibility due to the fragile early printing techniques.

Throughout the rest of the 1900s decade, multiple semipro baseball teams based in towns like Burlington, Des Moines and Davenport began producing their own locally-distributed baseball cards as well. Discovered examples frequently picture future Major Leaguers who spent time in the Iowa amateur ranks before breaking into the pros. Notable among these finds are cards from the 1903 Beavers of Burlington issue showing a teenaged Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander in his earliest known portrait. Alexander would go on to become one of the game’s all-time great pitchers, winning 373 career games primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies between 1911-1930.

The surviving early hand-produced college and semipro baseball cards originating from Iowa during the sport’s formative amateur era stand among the most rare and desirable collectibles for historians and vintage card aficionados today. Picturing legendary figures who were just starting their playing careers in the Hawkeye State, these fragile cardboard relics provide a captivating glimpse into the roots of baseball in the Midwest before the rise of professional scouting and minor league development systems. With so few surviving in high grades, examples from sets featuring the University of Iowa, Burlington Beavers and other local teams continue to excite collectors whenever they emerge from old attics, basements or family collections after over a century.

HAWKEYE BASEBALL CARDS BURLINGTON IA

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Baseball cards are some of the most iconic collectibles from decades past. In the small town of Burlington, Iowa sits one of the largest collections of vintage baseball cards in the country. The origins of this massive trove date back to the early 1960s and a young boy named Tommy Johnson who grew up with a passion for the game.

Tommy was born in 1952 in Burlington and from a very young age loved everything about baseball. In the late 1950s and early 60s, packs of baseball cards could frequently be found in grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience markets. Tommy would save up his allowance and spend it on packs of Topps, Leaf, or Bowman baseball cards, hoping to land his favorite players. He began carefully storing and organizing his growing collection in alphabetized binders.

Throughout his youth, baseball was Tommy’s number one hobby and pastime. He would spend hours poring over his cards, learning stats and biographies of the greats. He attended every home game he could for the local semi-pro Burlington Bees team. While other kids his age were moving on to interests like cars, music, and girls, Tommy’s passion for the national pastime only grew stronger.

He continued diligently adding to his collection through his teen years in the 1960s. As the decades rolled on, Tommy’s love of baseball never wavered even as fads and trends came and went. He held onto his childhood cards with the intent to one day pass them down to his own children. Unfortunately, Tommy never married nor had kids of his own. Baseball remained his one true joy and hobby into adulthood.

By the 1990s, the vintage sports card market was booming. Retro memorabilia from the 1960s was becoming highly sought after by a new generation of collectors. Tommy’s brothers encouraged him to start sorting and cataloging his massive collection to properly assess its value. What they discovered shocked even the most knowledgeable vintage card authorities: Tommy’s lifetime accumulation numbered in the hundreds of thousands and spanned from the 1950s all the way up to the modern era.

It was undoubtedly one of the largest single-owner baseball card collections ever amassed. Ranging from common playings cards to rare vintage gems, the entire lot was valued at well over $10 million. With no heirs of his own, Tommy made the decision to keep his beloved collection intact and donate the entirety of it to his hometown. In 1997, he partnered with the Burlington Public Library to establish the Hawkeye Baseball Card Archives – a permanent collection housed in a climate controlled display room at the library.

Open free to the public, the Hawkeye Collection became an instant tourist attraction and source of civic pride. Local sports memorabilia companies helped the library further catalogue and preserve the archive. Experts were brought in to appraise particularly rare finds like mint condition rookie cards of Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Special showcases were curated highlighting the evolution of card designs decade by decade.

Today, over 25 years since its inception, the Hawkeye Baseball Card Archives remain one of the top sports history attractions in Iowa. Children and adults alike flock to pore over Tommy Johnson’s lifelong dedication. Often called “the Smithsonian of baseball cards,” it serves as a true time capsule bringing the rich history of America’s favorite pastime to life. Researchers and journalists continue utilizing the collection for both recreational and academic study.

While Tommy passed away in 2007 at the age of 55, his passion lives on through this one-of-a-kind public collection. It is a remarkable legacy left by a small town boy who never outgrew his childhood love of the game. For baseball and sports memorabilia fans across the country, a trip to Burlington provides a unique opportunity to step back in time and experience the hobby through decades of meticulously curated cards. The Hawkeye Baseball Card Archives is a shining example of one man’s lifelong fandom immortalized for the enjoyment and education of generations to come.

HAWKEYE BASEBALL CARDS

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The University of Iowa Hawkeyes have a rich history of baseball that stretches back over a century, leading to the production of numerous vintage baseball cards featuring Hawkeye players from decades past. Although not quite as extensively collected as major league cards, Iowa baseball cards hold nostalgia and significance for longtime Hawkeye fans. Let’s take an in-depth look at the history behind these cards and some of the most noteworthy players to appear on them over the years.

Some of the earliest known Hawkeye baseball cards date back to the 1930s and 1940s, during the early days of the sport’s golden age. Two prominent pre-World War II issues that featured Iowa players were the 1936-37 Diamond Products and 1939-40 Play Ball sets. Dick Storm, an Iowa pitcher from the late 1930s squad, appears in the Diamond Products set amongst other Big Ten standouts of that era. Over in the Play Ball issue, shortstop Harry Barnicle represented the Hawkeyes amongst a roster of college stars. Both Storm and Barnicle went on to professional careers after starring for Iowa.

Jumping ahead several decades, the 1950s saw a boom in baseball card production as the modern card collecting hobby began to take shape. Two sets from this period, 1954 Bowman and 1959 Topps, contained cards of Hawkeye players. 1954 Bowman included lefty hurler Bill Zban, who posted a stellar 2.18 ERA during his time in an Iowa uniform. Meanwhile, the 1959 Topps issue spotlighted slugging outfielder Bob MacVicar, who slugged 12 home runs for the Hawkeyes that year.

The 1960s gave way to even more Iowa representation in the heyday of tobacco baseball cards. Notable Hawkeye players featured during this decade included Chuck Hartenstein (1964 Topps), Ron Gustafson (1966 Topps), and Dean Borges (1968 Topps). Hartenstein was a talented two-way player who played both catcher and third base for Iowa. Gustafson racked up wins on the mound, capturing All-Big Ten accolades. And Borges, who played multiple infield positions, went on to coach the Hawkeyes later in his career.

Iowa continued producing pros throughout the 1970s as well. National card issues from that era like 1972 Topps, 1973 Topps, and 1977 Topps all highlighted future Hawkeye standouts. Probably the most renowned Iowa alumnus from this period was pitcher Jim Sundberg, best known for his long MLB career primarily with the Texas Rangers. Sundberg’s athleticism made him a fan favorite, as evidenced by his featured 1970s rookie cards. Other notable 70s Hawkeyes to receive cards included pitchers Mike Forman (1973 Topps) and Dan Gladden (1977 Topps).

The 1980s transitioned the sport into the modern era and card collecting along with it. Rookies who starred for Iowa and later found MLB success, such as Barry Bonnell and Ron Oester, appeared on prominent sets from the latter half of the decade like 1986 Topps and 1989 Upper Deck. Bonnell enjoyed a 12-year career in the bigs primarily as an outfielder and designated hitter. Meanwhile, Oester made a strong MLB starting pitching debut with the St. Louis Cardinals after leaving Iowa. Both made successful transitions from the college ranks.

The last three decades have continued to produce veteran Hawkeye players who received later baseball cards documenting their professional accomplishments. Jamie Carey, a catcher and outfielder from the early 1990s Iowa squad who played six MLB seasons, has 1991 Upper Deck and 1993 Fleer Ultra cards among others. More recent standouts to graduate to MLB stardom include pitcher Tyler Pill (2014 Topps Chrome), starter Sean Manaea (2015 Topps), and All-Star reliever Jared Watson (2017 Topps Chrome Update). All three southpaws found big league success after first showing promise on the mound at Iowa.

While their production may have slowed in recent years compared to eras past, dedicated Hawkeye baseball card collectors can still track down remnants of Iowa’s proud hardball history. Veterans showcased in heritage sets revisiting pre-1980s designs, as well as modern parallels highlighting past pros, help preserve the legacy of these notable alums. With the program’s rich 126-year history, there are countless other former Iowa standouts who still await the potential for future cards as well. The tradition forged by these past players helps push the current Hawkeyes to carry on strong play for years to come.

In wrapping up, Iowa baseball cards serve as a reminder of the link between the program’s storied past and bright future. From Dick Storm’s earlier efforts in the 1930s right up to recent draftees just beginning their pro journeys, these cardboard collectibles tell the ongoing story of Hawkeye players who performed at the highest collegiate level before moving on to the pros. Armed with strong student-athletes and a fervent fanbase, the future remains bright for both Iowa baseball on the field and the hobby surrounding it off the diamond.