Description: Rare -- 1916-20 W-UNC "Big Head" baseball strip card - Wally Schang - SGC Authentic On the Set - One hundred years ago, retailers such as grocery or candy stores had baseball sports cards available in strips for customers to buy, or to give away with purchases to loyal customers. As these “strip” cards often came in a long strip where merchants could cut or rip off a certain amount for customers, rough or uneven edges, and inconsistent card sizes were the norm. They are classified in the American Card Catalog as W-Cards. The W-UNC “Big Head” strip card set was produced from around 1916 to 1920. The set is comprised of 20 cards sized at 1-3/8” by 2-1/2”. Each card features a caricature-like portrayal of the player, characterized by an exaggeratedly large head—hence the nickname—accompanied by the player's name within the image. Rendered in color against an ivory paper stock, the illustrations are bordered by black outlines. Notably, these "Big Head" strip cards were not included in the American Card Catalog upon publication, hence the absence of a numeric "W" designation. On the card – The "Big Head" baseball strip cards are among the more rare baseball cards from the era. SGC has graded only 5 Schang "Big Head" W-UNC cards, with 4 of the 5 graded Authentic. On the Player - Walter Henry "Wally" Schang (1889-1965) showcased his prowess as a catcher across several teams in Major League Baseball, taking the field for the Philadelphia Athletics (1913–1917), Boston Red Sox (1918–1920), New York Yankees (1921–1925), St. Louis Browns (1926–1929), Philadelphia Athletics (1930), and Detroit Tigers (1931). Schang played a pivotal role as the starting catcher for six American League pennant-winning teams, including the Philadelphia Athletics (1913–1914), Boston Red Sox (1918), and New York Yankees (1921–1923), clinching four World Series titles in the process. Renowned for his exceptional performance both at bat and behind the plate, Schang earned acclaim as one of the premier catchers of his era. As a switch-hitter, he achieved a batting average above .300 on six occasions during his career and boasted a career on-base percentage of .393, second only to Mickey Cochrane among major league catchers. Schang etched his name in baseball history in 1916 by becoming the first player to hit a home run from both sides of the plate in a single game. Over his impressive nineteen-year career, he appeared in 1,842 games, delivering a slash line of .284/.393/.401, accumulating 48 wins above replacement (WAR).
Price: 139 USD
Location: Jonesboro, Arkansas
End Time: 2024-09-24T13:43:18.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Sport: Baseball
Type: Sports Trading Card
League: Major League (MLB)
Autographed: No
Set: 1916-20 W-unc
Player/Athlete: Wally Schang
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
Vintage: Yes