1909–11 T206 Rube Waddell
St Louis Browns · American League · 150-350 print series
The 1909–1911 T206 Rube Waddell (“Portrait” pose) is part of the legendary “White Border” tobacco set — The Monster. This card depicts Rube Waddell, a member of the historic St Louis Browns (American League), and was printed in the 150-350 series, known with 5 tobacco-brand backs. Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1317 examples have been graded, with only 24 in NM 7 or better — a reminder of how tough this issue is in high grade.
About Rube Waddell
George Edward "Rube" Waddell (1876-1914) was one of the deadball era's most electrifying and eccentric figures, a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher who reached the majors with no minor-league seasoning, debuting for the Louisville Colonels in September 1897 after failing to stick with Pittsburgh. He pitched for Louisville (1897-1900), Pittsburgh (1900-01), the Chicago Orphans (1901), the Philadelphia Athletics (1902-07), and the St. Louis Browns (1908-09) - the club shown on this card. Waddell led the American League in strikeouts four straight years (1902-05), fanning 349 batters in 1904, a modern single-season record that stood until Sandy Koufax's 382 in 1965. In 1905 he won the pitching Triple Crown with 27 wins, a 1.48 ERA, and 287 strikeouts, powering Connie Mack's Athletics to the pennant, though a shoulder injury kept him out of most of that World Series. He finished roughly 193-143 with a 2.16 ERA and 2,316 career strikeouts. Nicknamed "Rube" for his rustic country manner, he was famous for chasing fire engines, fishing during games, and wrestling alligators. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1946, and his portrait is one of the marquee cards of the T206 set.
Sources: Baseball-Reference · SABR
Confirmed backs (5)
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 | 689 | 21 | 33 | 65 | 136 | 125 | 145 | 164 |
| SGC | 628 | 3 | 13 | 40 | 77 | 127 | 136 | 232 |
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 1909 | 138 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 92 |
| Sweet Caporal | 89 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 66 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 42 |
| Sovereign | 19 |
| Old Mill | 15 |
| Hindu | 15 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 15 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 6 |
| Unknown back | 192 |
SGC by back
| Back | Graded |
|---|---|
| Hindu 1909-11 | 13 |
| Old Mill 1909-11 | 9 |
| Piedmont 1909 | 237 |
| Piedmont 1910 | 94 |
| Sovereign 1909 | 20 |
| Sovereign 1910 | 31 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909 | 151 |
| Sweet Caporal 1909-11 | 2 |
| Sweet Caporal 1910 | 71 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell card?
The Rube Waddell (Portrait) 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 5 different tobacco-brand backs.
How rare is this T206 card?
Across PSA and SGC, roughly 1317 examples of the Rube Waddell have been graded, with only 24 grading NM 7 or higher, so mid-grade copies are obtainable while high-grade examples are genuinely scarce.
Which backs does the T206 Rube Waddell come with?
The Rube Waddell is confirmed with 5 tobacco-brand backs: Hindu, Old Mill, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal. The back brand is a major driver of both scarcity and value.
Is the T206 Rube Waddell 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 Rube Waddell
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 2026-08-28.