1914 Polo Grounds Set (WG4) and Checklist

‘It’s In The Details’
Title | Polo Grounds Game (WG4) |
Year | 1914 |
Size | 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ |
Images | Color |
Type | Game Cards |
Number in Set |
54 |
1914 Polo Grounds Set Overview
The 1914 WG4 Polo Grounds set is a gaming card set featuring 30 different players. The fronts included a black and white player image with specific actions for the game around the borders while the backs included a picture of the iconic Polo Grounds Stadium. While the pictures of players are black and white, the picture of the stadium is printed in green ink.
The set is known today as the Polo Grounds game set. However, that is not its real name. The set is actually called All-Star Card Baseball, as indicated on the box it was distributed in and the instructions sheet. It was distributed by the Card Baseball Company, Inc., located in Norfolk, Virginia. The red box it was packaged in contains gold foil lettering with a generic picture of a batter and a pitcher. A small game board of a playing field was printed inside of the box to simulate actual game play. Small game ‘pegs’ to serve as baserunners was also included in the full game.
Many game cards are less popular as the majority used generic subjects. But this set featuring some of baseball’s biggest names at the time is one of the more sought after game sets.
There are plenty of big names here and like other gaming cards, these are affordable ways to buy stars. The Joe Jackson card is generally the biggest prize here due in part to the small number of times he was featured in sets. But the set has plenty of other big names, including Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, and others. While Cobb’s card rivals that of Jackson’s in terms of popularity, Jackson’s is perhaps a bit more desirable simply because he has so few cards.
Cards measure approximately 2 1/2″ by 3 1/2″ and are ‘standard size’ issues. Like most game cards they have rounded corners, which makes finding them in mid-grade or even high-grade condition, somewhat easily.
The cards are somewhat rare. To date, PSA has not graded even 1,000 of them. Despite that, as game cards, they are less expensive than most tobacco or candy issues. Commons in this set start around $10-$15 in decent shape.
While 30 different players make up the set, the entire actual set consists of a total of 54 cards as several players were featured more than one time.
1914 Polo Grounds Set Checklist
While 54 cards are technically in the set, a 55th card technically exists as a promotional sale/game card.
- Jimmy Archer – Ball
- Home Run Baker – Hit
- Frank Chance – Ball
- Larry Cheney – Strike
- Larry Cheney – Strike
- Ty Cobb – Hit
- Ty Cobb – Hit
- Eddie Collins – Ball
- Eddie Collins – Ball
- Eddie Collins – Strike
- Larry Doyle – Ball
- Larry Doyle – Ball
- Larry Doyle – Foul
- Art Fletcher – Ball
- Art Fletcher – Ball
- Art Fletcher – Strike
- Claude Hendrix – Hit
- Claude Hendrix – Strike
- Joe Jackson – Hit
- Hughie Jennings – Strike
- Nap Lajoie – Hit
- Jimmy Lavender – Hit
- Jimmy Lavender – Strike
- Fritz Maisel – Hit Batsman
- Rabbit Maranville – Ball
- Rube Marquard – Ball
- Rube Marquard – Ball
- Rube Marquard – Ball
- Christy Mathewson – Strike
- Christy Mathewson – Strike
- Christy Mathewson – Strike
- John McGraw – Strike
- Stuffy McInnis – Ball
- Chief Meyers – Ball
- Red Murray – Hit
- Red Murray – Strike
- Eddie Plank – Ball
- Eddie Plank – Ball
- Nap Rucker – Ball
- Reb Russell – Hit
- Reb Russell – Strike
- Wildfire Schulte – Hit
- Wildfire Schulte – Strike
- Jim Scott – Ball
- Tris Speaker – Hit
- Tris Speaker – Hit
- Honus Wagner – Hit
- Honus Wagner – Hit
- Honus Wagner – Hit
- Honus Wagner – Strike
- Ed Walsh – Ball
- Ed Walsh – Ball
- Smoky Joe Wood – Hit
- Smoky Joe Wood – Strike
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