Rare 19th Century Cabinet Card of Emerson “Pink” Hawley with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lot 44. Rare 19th Century Cabinet Card of Emerson “Pink” Hawley with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This cabinet card is the only known example of Hawley as a pitcher in his mid-twenties with Pittsburgh. Playing for the Pirates from 1895-97, he posted a 71-61 record, including 31 wins in 1895. In 1895, he pitched more innings than any other National Leaguer. His major league career began in St. Louis and, after Pittsburgh, included stops in Cincinnati, New York and Milwaukee (1901 A.L. Brewers). Throughout his career, Hawley struggled with control. In nine seasons in the N.L., he struck 195 batters, including the first three he faced in an 1894. Quiet and polite, he sometimes asked players he met off the field to forgive him for hitting them. The 4.25” x 6.5” cabinet card is by the Monongahela River Photo Co. of Monessen, Pa. The studio was owned by H. N. Odbert, a Monessen businessman and town treasurer. Hawley’s name is written on the blank back of the cabinet card in ballpoint pen, and so are “St. Louis” and the dates of his major league career (1892-1901). From the front, the lower right corner is chipped, and there is a small stain just below the photo. Otherwise, the photo shows excellent contrast with minor, light foxing. Ex-m photo. This cabinet card surfaced approximately 20 years ago, and since then, we have not seen another. Current Bid $242.
