This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/15/2017
Stories abound that Kennedy was illiterate, but all of them cite nearly identical examples of his witlessness that are also attributed to players who preceded him to the majors. Kennedy’s actual education level remains unknown, as does most of his family history. What is known for certain is that his 174 wins during the decade of the 1890s put him fourth, behind only Kid Nichols, Cy Young, and Amos Rusie, all of whom are in the Hall of Fame. That Kennedy never quite achieved enough to join them may be largely attributable to his greatest failing as a pitcher: an utter inability to cover first base. He simply could never master the task and kept vainly trying to persuade his managers that it wasn’t part of a pitcher’s job description. The offered example a terrific overall appeal with just slight chips to the exceptionally fragile black edges most prominently at the upper left portion of the card. The reverse is pure black and is amongst the finest we have ever encountered on a Mayo.