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Red Dooin Baseball Cards

Five most valuable “Red” Dooin vintage baseball cards

A pioneer of the position, Charles “Red” Dooin was a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during the height of the dead ball era from 1902 until 1914. An average hitter (even for the era), he was mostly known for his defensive work behind the plate.

Though he stood at only five foot nine and weighed barely 160 pounds, he was particularly adept at blocking runners from scoring. He had quick feet, a knack for getting in the path of the plate, and, perhaps most importantly, a brute toughness to withstand a stampede of desperate would-be scorers.

Dubbed “Red” because of the color of his hair, Dooin rose to the status of “player-manager” in 1910, before being fired in 1914 after a 6th place finish in the National League.

For many years, Dooin held the record of most games started at catcher for the Phillies (1,124), until that record was broken in 2006 by Mike Lieberthal. Dooin was rumored to be the first catcher to begin using shin guards while playing, something that was eventually attributed to Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan. The story goes that Bresnahan only started wearing shin guards after he first noticed Dooin wearing them when the Giants came to visit in Philadelphia.

Ultimately, Red Dooin’s bat was not good enough to take him to the Hall of Fame. But his presence in the game was prolonged such that his name and image conjure memories of a defensive stalwart that helped lead the Phillies through their early struggles in the National League.

Given that Dooin’s career spanned not only the height of the dead ball era, but the nascency of the baseball card boom, he has a number of tobacco and candy cards that sell very well in today’s market. Here are five of his most valuable cards.

5. 1911 T205 Gold Borders #52

The T205 Gold Borders set has such striking photography to accompany its bold design, supported most appropriately by the gold framing.

But perhaps no player featured in the set accommodates the design better than Red Dooin.

The red hair peeking out of his baseball cap, along with his flushed face and brown eyes staring confidently forward, make this card among his most popular to collect. Looking at this card, you could not confuse “Red” for any other Phillies player at the time. It’s an iconic look and a perfect example of how tobacco cards of this era helped popularize players.

Dooin’s T205 averages $175 in mid grade condition (PSA 5) and the all-time record sale is a PSA 8 that sold for $1,777.

4. 1912 Hassan Triple Folders “Dooin Gets His Man”

None of Dooin’s baseball cards capture his abilities as a catcher quite like his 1912 Hassan Triple Folders. The title “Dooin Gets His Man” says it all, with the accompanying image showing him tagging out a runner at home.

1912 Hassan Triple Folders #53 “Dooin Gets His Man”

The description of the image on the back calls him “the best amateur catcher from Cincinnati” as well as a humorous anecdote about a manager calling Red Dooin a horse jockey.

1912 Hassan Triple Folders #53 “Dooin Gets His Man” (back)

Dooin’s Triple Folders card comes in three different variations of teammates: John Titus (#55), Hans Lobert (#54), and Mickey Doolan (#53). The average mid grade (PSA 5) sale of the Dooin/Lobert variation is $188 and the all-time record sale is a Dooin/Doolan variation graded a PSA 8 that sold for $2,629.

3. 1909 T206 White Borders #137

The iconic T206 set needs no introduction. Perhaps the most famous tobacco card set of all time, Red Dooin is card #137. His most common backs are Piedmont and Sweet Caporal, though he is also featured on the more rare El Principe De Gales and Sovereign backs.

1909 T206 #137 Red Dooin

Yet again, Dooin’s trademark red hair shines on this portrait. The T206’s yearbook style photo standard hides Dooin’s small frame–he appears much bigger on this card than his others.

Dooin’s common back T206 (Piedmont/Sweet Caporal) averages $510 in mid grade (PSA 5) with the record sale at $3,840 for a PSA 8.

2. 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #38

One of Red Dooin’s most valuable cards has arguably his worst photo.

It’s not clear why Cracker Jack went with this particular photo of Dooin, which shows him either in warmups or in between innings, but either way it does not seem to hurt the value of the card. Perhaps the trademark red background of the set matching with Dooin’s namesake is what enticed collectors the most.

By 1914, Dooin was the Phillies’ player-manager, though he was one year away from getting the boot, so this is one of Dooin’s final cards as a player.

In mid grade condition (PSA 5), this card averages $1,140 and the all-time record sale is a PSA 7 that sold for $5,400.

1. 1911 T3 Turkey Reds #14

The artistic quality on the T3 set is vastly underrated, and there’s no better example of this than Red Dooin #14.

Shown in his catching position (though without his shin guards, it appears), Dooin is poised behind home plate amid the grassy backdrop of the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. His red hair once again peeking out from behind is cap and his eyes focused on the pitch.

1911 T3 Turkey Reds #14 Red Dooin

What an astounding display of color, perspective, and detail from this card. It’s no wonder collectors pay a premium to obtain a copy.

The average mid grade copy (PSA 5) costs $967 and the all-time record sale is a PSA 6 that sold for $10,200.

Want to own a Red Dooin card for yourself? GMC has several raw cards up for auction now, including a T206 with the rare El Principe De Gales back. Check out all of our vintage baseball cards here.

— Sources: SABR.org, vintagecardprices.com, baseball-reference.com —

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