Card Statistics
Neal Ball stands ready to hit in this Helmar T3 portrait for Cleveland, knees flexed and bat resting across his shoulder as he looks toward the pitcher with an unusually cheerful expression. The pale uniform and dark blue cap and stockings are set against a broad green field, while the grandstand and substantial buildings beyond the outfield give the card a more urban ballpark setting than many of the simpler field portraits in the series. Ball’s relaxed stance and open expression make the image feel especially informal and immediate.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She constructs the light uniform with restrained cream, gray, lavender, and cool blue washes, reserving the deepest tones for the cap, stockings, belt, and shoes. Warm brown in the bat provides a strong diagonal through the upper figure. The background architecture is treated loosely but with enough detail to suggest the scale of the grounds, while the pale blue and rose-gray sky keeps the overall effect light and atmospheric.
Cornelius “Neal” Ball was a major-league infielder best remembered for accomplishing one of baseball’s rarest defensive feats. On July 19, 1909, while playing shortstop for Cleveland against Boston, Ball executed the first unassisted triple play in major-league history. With runners on first and second in motion, he caught a line drive, stepped on second base, and tagged the runner coming from first—all without assistance from another fielder. Ball played in the majors from 1907 through 1913, primarily with the New York Highlanders and Cleveland, and later appeared with Boston. Though never a major offensive star, that extraordinary 1909 play secured him a permanent place in baseball history.
Numbered #101, the Ball card adds another distinctive Cleveland subject to a T3 grouping already rich in major stars. Unlike cards built around Hall of Fame stature or championship fame, Ball’s appeal rests on a singular historic moment. Alongside subjects such as Cy Young, Addie Joss, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Stan Coveleski, and Earl Averill, his card broadens the Cleveland run by preserving one of the most unusual defensive accomplishments of the Deadball Era.
Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, an appealing early Cleveland portrait, and a player forever associated with baseball’s first recorded major-league unassisted triple play.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Batting
- Team: Cleveland Indians
- Population (# Sold): 13
- First Date Sold: 2021-06-08
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-08-18
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 1
- Highest Auction: $ 46.99
- Average Auction Result: $ 25.97
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Visit these teammates on the Cleveland Indians in the T3-Helmar series
Click the Card # link to go to Card Info, Click the Player Name link to go the the Player Biography
