John Nelson Kerins, Catcher, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Goodwin & Company produced this Old Judge Cigarettes baseball card around 1886, capturing John Nelson Kerins, catcher for the Louisville Colonels. Here we see the archetypal stance of the batter, eternally poised between potential and action. The baseball bat, held aloft, is reminiscent of the club or scepter. A symbol of power and authority since time immemorial. Consider the Greek kouros, eternally striding forward, or even the scepter-bearing figures of ancient royalty. Kerins is shown as if immortalized in bronze. He stands ready to strike. Kerins is not merely a baseball player, but an embodiment of human potentiality. The collective hopes and dreams of a nation are projected onto him. Just as cultures across time have projected their desires onto iconic figures, the baseball player becomes a vessel for our aspirations. This potent symbol of American identity continues to evolve, resurfacing in countless forms, from our sporting heroes to our political leaders.