Lot # 3081: 1887 Detroit Wolverines Team Photograph

Vintage team photo of the 1887 Detroit Wolverines. This is a photo of the cover of the 1887 Pennant Winners Triumphal March sheet music featuring portrait images of fourteen team members, including manager Bill Watkins, Ned Hanlon, Sam Thompson, Dan Brouthers, and Deacon White. The Detroit Wolverines were one of the National League's top clubs during the late 1880s. In 1887, the team captured its only pennant in franchise history and then went on to defeat the American Association champion St. Louis Browns ten games to five in what is still the longest World Series ever played: a best-of-fifteen series played in ten different cities. Detroit actually clinched the series 8-3 after Game 11; however, the teams played out the remaining four games for the fans (and the gate receipts, no doubt). Today, the Wolverines are officially credited with a 10-5 World Series victory. As strong as the club was in 1887, Detroit was not a strong market at the time, and the franchise, which began in 1881, folded after the 1888 season. The photo (7.5 x 9 inches), which is affixed to a thick backing (11.5 x 14 inches) via mounting tape, exhibits scattered creasing and a small tear along the bottom edge. Good condition overall.