1909 T206 Whitey Alperman

Before the internet, I practically studied the Baseball Encyclopedia. I could tell you just about anything you wanted to know about the players of my childhood.

As a matter of fact, in 1980, my dad bought me a bagfull of Topps baseball cards. I opened each individual pack memorizing each player and the team he played for. I separated them by team with the obligatory rubberband holding them together.

While I am still a huge baseball fan, I'm not so adept to who plays on what team. It usually takes me a few weeks after the season starts to get it all straight. And when it comes to the rookies, I'm lucky to figure them out by the All-Star break.

But I know my older players, even the ones that played over 100 years ago. At least I thought I did.

Along came Whitey Alperman. I had no idea. So I went to my trusted (and mostly accurate) friend Wikipedia.

It seems Alperman was a second baseman for the Brooklyn Superbas from 1906-09. In 1907, he even tied for the NL lead with 16 triples.

Regardless of whether I've heard of him, he was a major leaguer, one of the best of the best.

Thank God for places like Wikipedia for keeping the stats and names of these old players alive.