Exceptionally rare program for the 1909 World Series, 10 x 6.5, featuring a cartoonish tiger on the front cover holding pennants for the American League Champion Detroit Tigers and National League Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. The program is scored in pencil for the third game of the series on October 11, 1909, in which the Pirates beat the Tigers 8–6, led by a three-hit performance from Honus Wagner. In very good condition, with three significant vertical folds, some slight chipping to edges, and pencil marks inside front and back covers.
Despite their prolific careers, this was the only time that Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb met in the Fall Classic. The series went the full seven games, and ultimately Pittsburgh triumphed over Detroit to win their first championship of the modern era. Contributing to the rarity of these programs was Detroit’s defeat—most Tigers fans threw away their programs in an effort to erase the memory of their third consecutive World Series loss. Also notable is that the iconic T206 baseball card set began to be distributed in 1909, which is famously known for its extremely valuable Honus Wagner card. This program represents an important year and match-up in baseball history, and only four examples have been offered at public auction in over two decades.
