1913 GOLDSMITH'S ALL-NATIONS BASEBALL CLUB POST CARD W/HOF JOSE MENDEZ & NEGRO LEAGUE STAR JOHN DONALDSON.
Item Description
Fresh to the hobby, 3.5x5.5" original postcard depicting the earliest known International barnstorming team to travel the United States, taking on all comers in the Upper Midwest and beyond. The All-Nations Baseball Club was founded in the state of Iowa during the summer of 1912 by future Negro League HOF'er, J. L. Wilkinson and his business partner J.E. Gaul. What made this team so unique for their time was the fact that this multi-racial group was comprised of ball players from not only the continental U.S. but also Hawaii, Japan, Cuba, the Philippines, China & India. At the end of the team's inaugural season of 1912, they had posted a record of 92 wins against only 22 losses and their rookie superstar, John Donaldson, was quickly establishing himself as one of the top young pitchers in all of baseball.
The following year, 1913, saw the addition of another key pitcher, Jose Mendez, a native of Cuba. With Donaldson now having another top quality pitcher to team up with, the All-Nations Club steamrolled almost everybody they played during the 1913 season, finishing with a record of 124-17-4. During this season, Donaldson was credited with a 29 strikeout game in a contest that lasted 16 innings in St. Paul, MN. Not only was this a great baseball club but they also began implementing a number of innovative ideas which would become future staples for the sport through the later-1910s and into the 1920s. First and foremost, this traveling ball club was one of the first, if not the first, to implement an early lighting system for nighttime baseball.
At the conclusion of the 1913 season, co-founder, J.E. Gaul was to take over in a management role for the All-Nations club as they prepared for the upcoming 1914 schedule. One of the key focuses for Gaul was to not only present a quality baseball club but to make it a profitable venture, and thus would use any available opportunity for promoting his ball club. In this manner, the 1913 All-Nations team postcard presented here takes on an even more important meaning. While it is significant enough that this only-known surviving example depicts both Jose Mendez and John Donaldson at a very early point in their careers, Gaul took advantage of the opportunity to get more recognition for his team by using this postcard as a season pass allowing entry to his All-Nations Ball Club games for one lucky Reporter. Evidence of this practice appears on the back of the postcard where "Admit One To Ball Game" has been ink stamped and "Reporter" has been written in ink and Gaul's signature (believed to be in his hand) authorizing such appears on the postcard back as well. Also of note, the Goldsmith's name that appears on the players' jerseys on the front of the postcard represents the team's annual sponsor for the 1913 season, Goldsmith's Hardware.
Due in large part to the extensive research performed by The Donaldson Network group, we are able to provide a nearly complete listing of identifications for all players pictured on this postcard. From left to right: Art Dunbar, Frank Blattner, John Donaldson, McBride, George Walla, Castanier, Jose Mendez (HOF), Pedros, Cabinas, Chief Seymour & Naito.
This wonderful relic remains in very good condition for being 100+ years old with minimal wear to the corners and a bold image which is beautifully centered. No creasing is present. Sportscard Guaranty Company, the industry leader in vintage baseball postcard grading, has assigned the postcard a grade of SGC 20 (Fair), which has been downgraded significantly due to the print and signature on the back of the postcard. The eye appeal of the card is far greater than the assigned grade. As mentioned earlier, the significance of the documentation on the back of the postcard strongly outweighs the sacrifice of the technical grade assigned.
Extensive research indicates that there has never been another example of this postcard to be sold publicly. Don't pass up this opportunity to own one of the truly historical pieces in early-Negro Baseball history.
