The iconic T206 set was a massive 524-card issue spanning 1909-11. Because of its large size, nearly every notable player under the sun, including several minor leaguers, were featured. In addition, several players had more than one card.
Despite being a mostly comprehensive issue, a few more cards would have made this landmark set even better. Here are five of them.
Joe Jackson
Without a doubt, the most disappointing omission in the T206 set today is the lack of a Joe Jackson rookie card. Jackson spent a short time in the majors in 1908 and again in ’09. Many people have theorized that because he wasn’t yet a star, he was left out. But even after a solid 1911 season he didn’t make the ATC’s T207 issue, which was released in 1912. And, of course, there were minor leaguers in the T206 set.
The T206 set is great but it would have been even better with Jackson in it. Jackson’s recognized rookie cards are in the T210 Old Mill and E90-1 American Caramel sets, which were produced at the same time during the T206 release. A third, more common rookie of the star would have been incredible for collectors.
Honus Wagner (Action Pose)
Honus Wagner, of course, is the most recognized card in the T206 set because of its rarity. His card was shortprinted as it is believed he would not grant permission to be included in the issue. Some cards still made their way into the public early in the production of the set and it’s now the most expensive baseball card of all time.
While Wagner’s portrait pose is iconic, it would have been great to see him in a fielding or batting pose as well. Had he given permission to be featured, he almost certainly would have gotten more than one card in the set as most other stars did.
Smoky Joe Wood
Wood was another player just getting his start when the T206 set was released. His major league debut was in 1908 and Wood quickly became an attraction. He posted a 1.69 ERA by 1910 and won 23 games in 1911. Despite that, he didn’t appear in the T206 or T205 sets.
Wood was added to the T201 and T207 issues, but a T206 card is something that would have been desired by collectors. That’s particularly true because his career ended somewhat prematurely due to injury and, as a result, he doesn’t have too many cards.
Buck Weaver
Weaver didn’t reach the major leagues until 1912 (after production on the T206 set had ended) but had been playing in the minors before that. Other minor league players were included so he wouldn’t have been entirely out of place here.
A member of the disgraced 1919 Chicago Black Sox team, Weaver’s cards are in high demand, even though he wasn’t a major star player. With his career ending a little earlier than anticipated due to the gambling scandal of the 1919 World Series, like Wood, he’s not featured on a ton of cards. His T206 card, if one existed, would have been highly sought after.
Connie Mack
As a 19th Century major league player, Connie Mack had a solid but unspectacular career. But he would go on to become a Hall of Famer as a five-time World Series winning manager.
Ironically, Mack’s career really took off right when the T206 cards were produced and he would have been an ideal addition. Winning the 1910 and 1911 World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics, he was gaining a reputation as one of the top managers in the game. Mack did appear in other sets, even though he was not a player manager as other featured managers were. But his card would have still been popular.
To see the current ‘most watched’ T206 cards on eBay right now, click here.
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