This handsome card from the Helmar R319 series honors nineteenth-century star
John Montgomery Ward, one of baseball’s earliest icons. Artist Sanjay Verma
portrays Ward in his classic red-and-white striped uniform, arms crossed and gaze
steady, exuding both intellect and quiet determination. The distinctive palette and
muted golden background recall the look of vintage tobacco lithographs, yet the
precision of the brushwork gives the portrait a fine-art clarity all its own.

Ward was among the most remarkable figures in early baseball—an elite pitcher who
later became a star shortstop, manager, and founder of the Players’ League in 1890,
championing athletes’ rights long before free agency existed. A Columbia-educated
lawyer and fierce competitor, he helped define the professionalism and integrity that
would shape the modern game. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964, Ward
remains a symbol of both athletic excellence and leadership off the field.

Original gouache painting by Sanjay Verma.