1909 Tim Jordan Card Game Set and Checklist

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Tim Jordan Game Cards
Year	1909
Size	2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
Images	Color
Type	Game Cards
Number in Set	72

1909 Tim Jordan Game Cards Overview

10J 3 Base Hit.jpg The 1909 Tim Jordan Game is a unique issue not only because it was an early 1900s baseball game. Interestingly enough, the game was actually created by Jordan, who was a Major League player.

The Tim Jordan game included a total of 72 cards. A few different designs were on the fronts, depicting generic players (as well as a specific ‘action’, which was used to play the game) and the backs had the same baseball-themed design (featuring gloves, a catcher’s mask, and “Tim J. Jordan Card Came” inside of a baseball on top of a baseball diamond). Those backs were printed in blue ink. In addition to the cards, the game was sold with ‘checkers,’ which served as makeshift baserunners.

While the set had 72 cards, it only used four different images. One was a batter, another a pitcher, a third was a catcher, and a fourth, an umpire. The most populous cards in the set were the pitchers and batters, though there generally isn’t much of a premium for the catcher and umpire cards.

This was similar to what former pitcher Walter Mails did in creating his ACC-designated WG7 Game Card set. Unlike Mails’ game, however, Jordan didn’t use actual players in his set of cards. The images of players on the cards are entirely generic.

While the game is commonly advertised as being from 1910 or later, early newspaper advertisements clearly date it to 1909. It was initially sold for a price of fifty cents. The earliest advertisements originated from New York newspapers, which made sense given that Jordan was playing in Brooklyn at the time.

Like many games, it was pitched in part because of its convenience. Jordan himself said that the game’s participants benefited from the fact that they had ‘no car fare, gate money, return check, or ill feeling,’ obviously playing o the fact that it could be played from the comforts of home. As many as six people could play.

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About Tim Jordan

Jordan wasn’t just a player, he was a bit of a star for a few years.

His career spanned from 1901 through 1910 with the Washington Senators, New York Highlanders, and Brooklyn Superbas. Twice, he led the National league in home runs (1906 and 1908). Jordan is also famous for appearing in the popular T206 white border set. Shown here is a picture of his E90-1 American Caramel card dating to the same time period.

The game was produced on the heels of one of Jordan’s best years as a pro. In 1908, the year before the game was released, he hit 12 home runs for the second time in his career, which led the majors. That big year almost certainly helped him with sales of his game.

A real image of Jordan batting was used on the game’s box.