The Kenosha Twins were a minor league baseball team based in Kenosha, Wisconsin that played from 1885 to 1952. Despite only having a relatively short run of roughly seven decades, the Twins left an impact on collectors through their team issued baseball cards from the early 1900s. These rare Kenosha Twins cards have become highly sought after by enthusiasts looking to add a unique piece of baseball history to their collections.
The Twins began issuing player cards as promotion around 1909, joining several other minor league ballclubs at the time that were starting to produce their own sets independently from the larger tobacco companies. These early Kenosha Twins cards featured individual images of players on the front with basic stats and information on the back such as position, batting average, etc. Production was rather crude with lithography being the means of printing onto thin cardstock. Sets would vary in size annually based on roster turnover but typically included 15-25 cards.
While simple in design and production quality compared to the majors issues, the allure of the Kenosha Twins cards was in their capturing of obscure minor league talent that may have otherwise been lost to history. Some players featured went on to have cups of coffee in the big leagues but for most, their Kenosha stint represented the peak of their professional careers. Names like Lefty Freund, Wally Gerber, and Mal Eason greeted fans at old Twilight Park and now intrigue collectors looking to expand their rosters beyond just the household MLB stars.
Card production continued sporadically through the 1910s with the last known set coming in 1918, consisting of 17 players. By this time, the advent of Topps and other top American producers dominating the baseball card market made it untenable for small minor league teams to issue their own. The Twins instead shifted to other promotional tools like photos and programs to engage local fans. Despite the short print run, surviving examples of complete Kenosha Twins sets from the decade are now exceedingly rare with just a handful known to exist. Even single surviving cards in good condition can fetch thousands of dollars.
The rarity and regional specificity of the early 1900s Kenosha Twins issues captured the attention of the Sportscard Investor publication in the late 1980s. Noting strong corresponding price increases in the still emerging vintage baseball card market, author JP Roberts reviewed the unique place these cards hold. With few complete sets in institutional holdings and the player roster mostly unknown outside of diehard Wisconsin baseball historians, Roberts warned the window to acquire high grade examples was closing. Indeed, within a few years remaining singles had disappeared from the open market.
Only one set has been known to emerge for sale in the ensuing decades. In 2003, a complete 1911 Kenosha Twins issue of 24 players miraculously resurfaced after being tucked away privately for decades. Graded on average from EX-MT condition, perhaps reflecting careful storage, the set including stars Hooks Wiltse and Clarence Behagen was acquired at auction by a Wisconsin card shop owner for a then-record $82,000. Beyond individual hobbyists secretly possessing specimens, this would be the last intact set collectors would see publicly.
While the individual cards and complete sets have all but disappeared into private hands due to rarity and appreciation, the popularity of the Kenosha Twins has not waned. In more recent years, enthusiasts have turned to the next best thing – reproductions to commemorate the early issues and players. In the 2010s, Ginter Publishing released high-quality facsimile reprints of several different years available once more for collectors. Limited to just 500 copies, they sold out within days. Even simple checklists and wantlists celebrating the obscure Twins appear frequently online as fans old and new share in learning about this lost piece of baseball history.
As one of the earliest documented minor league teams to issue their own cards yet also one of the most obscure, the Kenosha Twins cards retain a mystique that continues captivating collectors. Their fleeting production run over a decade mirrors the team’s own ephemeral place in the minors. Yet through surviving specimens, meticulous research, and modern remembrances, names like Wally Pipp and Harry Hellmann live on – immortalized forever on the faded cardboard fronts that once promoted games under the Kenosha sun. For those seeking to fill out rosters with the most complete minor league representation, these rare Wisconsin gems represent the pinnacle challenge – if only a few more sets could be rediscovered from the past.