1909-11 T206 Red Kleinow (Boston - Catching)
1909–11 T206 Red Kleinow
Boston Red Sox · American League · 350-460 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Red Kleinow (“Boston - Catching” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Red Kleinow, a member of the historic Boston Red Sox (American League), and was printed in the 350-460 series, known with 9 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 762 examples have been graded, with only 19 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Red Kleinow
John Peter "Red" Kleinow, nicknamed for his brick-red hair, was a light-hitting but respected catcher of the Deadball Era. He came up through the Milwaukee City League, signed with Fort Wayne in 1900, and worked his way through the minors (Saginaw, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Oakland, Toledo) before being claimed by the New York Highlanders. He debuted on May 3, 1904, and served as New York's regular backstop from 1904 to 1909, later catching for the Boston Red Sox (1910-1911) and briefly the Philadelphia Phillies (1911). Kleinow was Jack Chesbro's catcher during Chesbro's record 41-win 1904 season, and he was behind the plate on October 10, 1904, when Chesbro's ninth-inning spitball sailed over his head, letting the pennant-deciding run score for Boston. A career .213 hitter across roughly 568 games, he peaked at .264 in 1907 and was valued for his throwing arm and steady defense rather than his bat. He died in New York on October 9, 1929. Kleinow is one of the T206 set's common, non-star subjects and is not in the Hall of Fame.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (9)
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 | 458 | 16 | 35 | 35 | 111 | 77 | 88 | 96 |
| SGC | 304 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 47 | 66 | 64 | 94 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Polar Bear | 116 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 64 |
| Sweet Caporal | 55 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 45 |
| Old Mill | 26 |
| Piedmont | 23 |
| Cycle 1911 | 10 |
| Tolstoi | 7 |
| Hindu | 3 |
| Lenox | 2 |
| Broad Leaf 1911 | 1 |
| Unknown back | 106 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Cycle 1909-11 | 1 |
| Cycle 1911 | 8 |
| Hindu 1909-11 | 3 |
| Lenox 1909-11 | 1 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 27 |
| Piedmont 1911 | 62 |
| Polar Bear 1909-11 | 106 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 1 |
| Sweet Caporal 1911 | 85 |
| Tolstoi 1909-11 | 10 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Red Kleinow card?
The Red Kleinow (Boston - Catching) 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 Boston Red Sox player and was inserted in cigarette packs across 9 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 762 examples of the Red Kleinow have been graded, with only 19 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Red Kleinow come with?
The Red Kleinow is confirmed with 9 tobacco-brand backs: Broad Leaf, Cycle, Hindu, Lenox, Old Mill, Piedmont, Polar Bear (Scrap), Sweet Caporal, Tolstoi. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Red Kleinow 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 Red Kleinow
More Boston Red Sox 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.