1909-11 T206 Joe Lake (St. Louis - Ball In Hand)
1909–11 T206 Joe Lake
St Louis Browns · American League · 460 Only print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Joe Lake (“St. Louis - Ball In Hand” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Joe Lake, a member of the historic St Louis Browns (American League), and was printed in the 460 Only series, known with 11 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 848 examples have been graded, with only 16 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Joe Lake
Joseph Henry Lake was a right-handed spitball pitcher who broke into pro ball in 1905 with Peekskill of the Class C Hudson River League, then made his name at Jersey City of the Eastern League in 1907, where he led the circuit with 25 wins and 187 strikeouts before the New York Highlanders (today's Yankees) bought his contract. Lake debuted in the majors as a 27-year-old rookie on April 21, 1908, and pitched six big-league seasons (1908-1913) for the Highlanders, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers. His out pitch was the spitball, sharpened under teammate Jack Chesbro. As a 1908 rookie he led the American League in losses at 9-22, then rebounded with a superb 1909 (14-11, 1.88 ERA), and he paced the Browns' staff after moving to St. Louis in 1910. Perpetually stuck on weak clubs, he finished 62-90 with a fine 2.85 ERA and 594 strikeouts over 1,318 innings. Lake is one of the many solid but obscure deadball-era subjects in the T206 set.
Sources: Wikipedia · Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (11)
Chip colour marks each back's rarity tier. See the full T206 back rarity ranking →
Population (PSA · SGC)
| Grader | Total | NM 7+ | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 & Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 524 | 12 | 43 | 73 | 138 | 104 | 92 | 62 |
| SGC | 324 | 4 | 8 | 41 | 66 | 84 | 53 | 68 |
NM 7+ bundles grades 7–10; 1 & Auth bundles grade 1, 1.5 & Authentic. Totals are subject-level (summed across all backs). Population as of 2026-06.
PSA by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Piedmont 1911 | 195 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 80 |
| Sweet Caporal | 53 |
| Polar Bear | 21 |
| Old Mill | 20 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 20 |
| Tolstoi | 13 |
| Lenox | 6 |
| El Principe de Gales | 6 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| American Beauty 1911 | 3 |
| Uzit | 1 |
| Unknown back | 101 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| American Beauty 1911 | 1 |
| Cycle 1911 | 5 |
| El Principe de Gales 1909-11 | 10 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 5 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 18 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 123 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 25 |
| Sovereign 1911 | 17 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 106 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 12 |
| Uzit 1909-11 | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Joe Lake card?
The Joe Lake (St. Louis - Ball In Hand) is one of 524 subjects in the T206 "White Border" tobacco set issued 1909-1911, the hobby's most iconic vintage set (nicknamed "The Monster"). It pictures the St Louis Browns player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 11 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 848 examples of the Joe Lake have been graded, with only 16 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Joe Lake come with?
The Joe Lake is confirmed with 11 tobacco-brand backs: American Beauty, Cycle, El Principe de Gales, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi, Uzit. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Joe Lake valuable?
Value depends heavily on the back brand and the card's grade: common backs in low grade trade modestly, while scarce backs and high grades command strong premiums. Check the current T206 Cards listings and eBay options above for live pricing.
Other poses of Joe Lake
More St Louis Browns cards
Sources: t206resource.com, Baseball-Reference, PSA & SGC population reports, and Inside T206 by Scot Reader. Card data & population compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-07-01.