Photo Album: 16 Totally Awkward Historical Baseball Cards

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By Stephanie Pappas
published

Yer Out!

1800s Baseball

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

In the late 1880s, Philadelphia's baseball players posed for a series of photographs. Without the advantages of high-speed cameras to take action shots, the results were a little... awkward. Here, Philadelphia Athletics third baseman Denny Lyons mimes tagging out Philadelphia Quakers player Charlie Bastian.

Stop! In the Name of Love...

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Philadelphia Quakers catcher Jack Clements seems to be levitating the ball. (A close look reveals that it's dangling from a wire.)

How Long Do I Have to Hold This Pose?

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Could Philadelphia Quaker play Arthur Irwin look any more bored?

Strike a Pose

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Go for it, Jim Fogarty of the Philly Quakers.

Throwing the Ball

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Athletics player Bill Gleason gets style points for the jaunty cap.

Waiting for the Ball

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Quakers player Sid Farrar gives us the opportunity to contemplate the photography studio's carpets.

Floating Baseball

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Arthur Irwin still doesn't seem that into this.

Mr. President

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Robert Ferguson was a player who became president of the league. And he had some really fabulous footwear.

Dropped Your hat

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Tim Murnane, looking dapper.

Eye on the Ball

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

Don't blink first, Joe Mulvey.

Wary Mulvey

Baseball History

(Image credit: courtesy New York Public Library)

If a levitating baseball was floating toward you, you'd be scared too.

Stephanie Pappas
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.