Monroe Tobacco Cards: Griffith, Maw, and Pizza
All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.
The hometown boy—born in Eastern Providence, RI—captured the hearts of his friends and neighbors during his time on the mound for the Angels. The 1895 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year (he would finish second in 1896) led Providence to the postseason in each of 1895, 1896, 1898 and 1903. The solid righty dominated the 1890s with great command and a repertoire featuring a sinker and forkball, inducing weak contact while limiting walks. Endlessly adaptable—a must while playing under Judge Cartwright’s ever tightening set of restrictions and prescriptions for his players—and a natural leader, Griffith was as revered in the clubhouse as he was in the community. While never able to recapture the early brilliance that he flashed in his 20s, Griffith nevertheless aged gracefully through his age 32 season. A lifer in Providence, he can still be found frequently around town generously signing autographs for youngsters with professional baseball ambitions—just like him.
A favorite in Richmond, Maw joined the team in its second year in 1896. What has followed is a brilliant career. Maw, a cerebral pitcher who
finishes the games he starts has won two Pitcher of the Year awards (finishing second twice and third once) and one Legacy Cup for the LBL’s only Southern team. He has led the LBL in WAR three times, BB/9 six times, complete games three times, and wins three times. Arguably the best pitcher in the LBL from 1898-1901, Maw has flourished for Monroe’s squad by matching pinpoint control with a five-pitch arsenal that keeps batters guessing. Now in his age 37 season, his cerebral approach to pitching is allowing him to continue to thrive despite diminishing stuff. At present, he ranks second all-time in WAR in the LBL behind current teammate Matthew Holiday.
Blessed with one of the sillier names in the LBL and an above-average ability to swing a bat, Zach Pizza made his debut with the inaugural 1895 St. Louis Beavers’ team. Subsequently, he has won four Golden Bat awards as an outfielder and mainstay in the Beavers’ lineup. Pizza routinely finishes among the best hitters in the game and sports a career .316/.373/.440 slash line. His mighty bat has propelled the Beavers’ to a dominant run atop the Frontier Division in the Western League of late, having won the division each of the last four seasons and winning two Western League pennants. There are no signs of Pizza slowing down in his age 39 season, either. He’s currently batting .295/.351/.405 (good for a 147 wRC+) and leads the LBL in homeruns as he creeps towards age 40.