Cardboard Masterpieces, Pt. 1

2007 UD Masterpieces #20 Ty Cobb

And so it begins.

The first inductee into the "Cardboard Masterpiece" art gallery. 

Coincidentally, my favorite "masterpiece" comes from a set called Masterpieces, one of the nicest sets ever produced.

Ty Cobb is one of the most interesting players in baseball history, to put it lightly. If someone asked me to describe him, I'd show them this picture. It perfectly presents the type of player he was, constantly going "full throttle" (as it notes on the back of the card), about to bowl over a helpless catcher with a spike to the midsection.

One of the other great things about this card is the fantastic depiction of turn-of-the-century baseball. The old-time catcher's shin guards. The "oven mitt" styled catcher's glove. The brick wall backstop. The suit-and-tied members of the audience.

It's got everything a fan of baseball history would want.

In all the years I've spent collecting baseball cards and poring over old baseball pictures, I've never come across a better photograph than this one.

I don't think I ever will.