Card Statistics
Patsy Flaherty is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with the Chicago White Sox in an unusually relaxed batting pose, turned slightly toward the viewer with the bat resting across his shoulder. The deep blue uniform, broad white belt, striped stockings, and pale cap give the figure a bold, almost monochromatic appearance. Behind him, the outfield wall is lined with painted advertising panels and a large industrial building rises beyond the park, giving the card a stronger sense of urban setting than many of the more generalized T3 backgrounds.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She builds the dark blue uniform from layered cobalt and navy washes, allowing the folds of the shirt and trousers to create most of the modeling. The pale belt and striped stockings interrupt the large blue masses, while the warm brown bat forms a strong diagonal behind Flaherty’s head and shoulders. The architecture and advertisements in the distance are handled more loosely, creating a convincing ballpark atmosphere without competing with the figure.
Patrick Joseph “Patsy” Flaherty was a left-handed pitcher whose major-league career began in 1899 and included service with Louisville, Pittsburgh, the Chicago White Sox, Boston, and Philadelphia. He joined Chicago in 1903 and worked an extraordinary 293⅔ innings that season, starting 34 games and completing 29 of them. Although his 11–25 record reflected the struggles of the club, Flaherty was used as a genuine workhorse in an era when starting pitchers were expected to finish what they began.
Flaherty remained briefly with Chicago in 1904 before returning to Pittsburgh, where he enjoyed the finest season of his career. He went 19–9 for the Pirates that year and established himself as an effective spitball pitcher. Flaherty was also a better hitter than many pitchers of his period and occasionally appeared in other roles; in 1907 he became the first National League pitcher credited with hitting a grand slam.
Numbered #124, the Flaherty card adds another early American League figure to the Chicago grouping in the T3 checklist. His brief but heavily worked tenure with the White Sox, followed by his successful return to Pittsburgh, makes him a useful representative of the highly mobile pitching careers common during the first decade of the twentieth century.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Blue uniform, batting stance
- Team: Chicago White Sox
- Population (# Sold): 16
- First Date Sold: 2021-08-17
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-06-16
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 1
- Highest Auction: $ 46.99
- Average Auction Result: $ 20.66
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Visit these teammates on the Chicago White Sox in the T3-Helmar series
Click the Card # link to go to Card Info, Click the Player Name link to go the the Player Biography
