Walter Johnson declared that no pitcher threw harder. Ty Cobb called him one of the best pitchers he ever faced. Despite that recognition, some collectors today have never even heard of pitcher Smoky Joe Wood.
At the height of his career, it is easy to see why Wood drew the praise of baseball legends. His legendary 1912 season (34-5 with ten shutouts and a 1.91 ERA) remains one of the best of all time. Wood also won 23 games in 1911 and his career 2.03 ERA remains fifth-best in major league history.
While injuries helped derail his pitching career with the Red Sox, Wood reinvented himself as an outfielder with the Indians. Wood, who was a decent hitter in Boston, became even with the Indians. He hit .296 in his first full season in Cleveland in 1918 and, a few years later, batted .366 in games in 1921. He ended his career at the age of 32, even though he seemed to have plenty left in the tank. That year, in 142 games, he recorded the second best batting average of his career at .297. While Wood did not have the same type of power wielded by other two-way players, such as Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani, his career .283 batting average proved that he was a more-than-capable offensive player.
Despite Wood’s popularity in the pre-war era, you won’t find him in a large amount of sets. Part of Wood’s career occurred during World War I when few sets were issued. Wood also finished his career before the majority of strip, exhibit, and gum cards were issued. The lack of overall cards has certainly added to the demand by collectors.
While PSA’s checklist of Wood is not be 100% complete, they cite only 20 different cards on which he appears. And interestingly, the majority of his cards are at least somewhat rare. Here’s a look at some of Wood’s earliest issues.
1910 E91C American Caramel
Wood’s rookie card hails from the 1910 E91C American Caramel set. While the E91C cards are the final and most common cards in the E91 series, they exist in relatively low populations.
Wood’s card is one of the many keys to the E91C release. Despite only 33 cards, it is somewhat star-heavy with the likes of Honus Wagner, Walter Jonson, and Tris Speaker.
Collectors of E91 cards know that the images for the players were reused. The first E91 set, known as E91A, was issued in 1908 and contained 33 cards. The E91B set also included 33 players, but reused the same images found in E91A. Same with E91C in 1910. Thus, the image found on Wood’s card is found in the E91A and E91B sets. Wood’s image, specifically, was shared with Joe McGinnity in E91A and Rube Marquard in E91B.
To date, PSA has graded only 24 of these cards. Even in respectable low-grade condition, the card typically starts around $300-$500.
1910-11 M116 Sporting Life
The M116 Sporting Life card of Wood is occasionally called a rookie. However, the set was issued over at least two years and was even advertised as late as a third in 1912. PSA grades this card as a 1911 issue, seemingly declaring it as one of the later cards printed.
Today, it is known as another tough, early card of the superstar. To date, PSA has graded only 19 examples.
While the card may not be considered a rookie issue, it remains highly sought after. And while cards issued by publications have typically lagged behind tobacco and candy issues, the Sporting Life set is one that has become increasingly popular in the last few years.
While prices on the card can fluctuate heavily due to rarity, the last recorded sale of a PSA-graded Wood (A graded 2 MK) was at $1,200 in December 2022.
1912 T207
Wood’s appearance in the 1912 T207 set is not too much of a surprise. As I’ve written before, the set seemed to prioritize younger talent and, today, the biggest names found in it, including Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Tris Speaker, and Zack Wheat, were all younger players. While the set did not include the likes of established stars, such as Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and others, the addition of Wood as a younger start fit with the semi-theme of the set.
And because Wood is not found in the other American Tobacco Company sets T205 and T206, his appearance here is a welcome one.
Keeping with the theme of the article, the T207 card of Wood is another toughie. The card is certainly a little easier to find than the aforementioned E91C and M116 cards. But with 45 examples graded by PSA, it’s not a card you see everyday, either.
Decent low-grade cards start around $300-$500.
1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders
The T202 Hassan Triple Folders card of Wood might be my pick for ‘most interesting.’
T202 cards featured three distinct parts. Two ‘end panels’ included individual cards of player artwork depictions and the middle panel featured a black and white image using real pictures. The end panels generally were the same pictures found in the 1911 T205 set. As a result, almost every player with an end panel on the T202 cards was one that appeared in T205.
Wood, however, is one of two players (with Walter Blair) that appears in the T202 set as an end panel card that was not issued in T205. His card was given the same style of design as the other T202 end panels that mimicked T205s, so it is not out of place. But his appearance in the set has led to many questions about why he was added as one of the non-T205 subjects. While that isn’t immediately clear, he could have been added based on the strength of his 23-win campaign in 1911 (or even his 34-5 season in 1912 if the cards were printed late enough in 1912).
Whatever the reason, it remains a fantastic card of Wood. Wood is found on two cards in the set, both alongside Speaker. Unfortunately, the appearance with Speaker, a Hall of Famer, doesn’t help its affordability.
1913 National Game and Barker Game
Wood is also found in the near-parallel 1913 National Game and Barker Game sets. These featured black and white images of players as part of a deck of game cards. His card in each set features the same picture. Only the backs of the cards are different — one has the Barker Game name and the other, National Game.
Prices for this style of card have increased in recent years, with collectors looking for more inexpensive alternatives for big name players. they are still, generally, much more affordable than tobacco or candy issues.
Because these cards have rounded corners, they are often found in very nice shape. Finding low-grade examples of cards from these sets, in fact, may actually be harder than to find ones in mid-grade condition. But even high-grade cards still sell at reasonable prices. Decent mid-grade cards of Wood from this set typically start around $100-$200.
While collectors should always be aware of forgeries and reprints, that is particularly the case with these. These sets were reprinted and include the word ‘Reprint’ in small print on the back. Some sellers have scratched this word out with ink or even removed it leaving a small spot of paper loss. And because the original cards have a bit of a semi-gloss and feel smoother than many early cards, it can be more difficult to distinguish later reprints from them.
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