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T3-Helmar, #36
Fred Tenney

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 36, Fred Tenney, Fielding position, New York GiantsPicture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 36, Fred Tenney, Fielding position, New York Giants
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Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 36, Fred Tenney, Fielding position, New York Giants

Treasure box of T-3!
T. Hallman

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 36, Fred Tenney, Fielding position, New York Giants

Collected one-by-one
Gary Stone

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 36, Fred Tenney, Fielding position, New York Giants

Getting close to the full set
Gary Stone

Card Statistics

Fred Tenney is presented in Helmar’s T3 series in the uniform of the New York Nationals, shown in the low, alert stance of a first baseman guarding the bag. He leans forward with glove hanging ready at his side, his weight pitched toward the developing play. The pale uniform and dark stockings stand against a broad green field and distant crowd, while the base at his feet quietly identifies the position that made him famous. The restrained pose gives the card a distinctly observational quality, as though Tenney has been caught between pitches rather than arranged for a formal portrait.

The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. Soft cream and lavender-gray washes give shape to Tenney’s uniform, while darker browns in the glove, stockings, shoes, and sleeve emblem provide contrast. The figure is carefully modeled, but the distant spectators and ballpark are reduced to loose bands and small touches of color, creating convincing depth without distracting from the player. The clear blue sky and open field keep the composition light and spacious, qualities that work particularly well with the large T3 format.

Fred Tenney was one of the most innovative first basemen of the early game. A Brown University graduate who began his major-league career as a catcher, he became a fixture at first base for Boston and helped the club win National League pennants in 1897 and 1898. Tenney was celebrated for his fielding, particularly his ability to stretch for throws and his pioneering use of the 3-6-3 double play. He also developed the practice of playing farther from the bag, helping establish methods that later became standard for first basemen. A skilled contact hitter and bunter, he batted .294 over seventeen major-league seasons and topped .300 seven times. (Society for American Baseball Research)

Numbered #36, the Tenney card adds another layer to the substantial New York Giants grouping in the T3 checklist. His presence is especially interesting beside Fred Merkle: Tenney was the Giants’ regular first baseman in 1908, and it was an injury to Tenney that placed Merkle at first base in the famous September 23 game that became one of baseball’s enduring stories. That connection gives the two cards a natural historical relationship within a New York team set. (Helmar Brewing Co.)

Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, an important early innovator at first base, and a deliberately vintage presentation inspired by the grand-format baseball cards of the tobacco era.

Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.

 

  • Description: Fielding position
  • Team: New York Giants
  • Population (# Sold): 24
  • First Date Sold: 2020-03-10
  • Latest Date Sold: 2026-04-14
  • Card Status: Retired
  • # Sold in past year: 2
  • Highest Auction: $ 204.00
  • Average Auction Result: $ 108.20

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Visit these teammates on the New York Giants in the T3-Helmar series

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