Card Statistics
Helmar’s T3 series continues with George Mullin, one of the pitching mainstays of the Detroit Tigers during their first great pennant-winning era. The card captures Mullin at the end of his delivery, his body turning across the mound as he looks back toward the plate. The cream-colored Detroit uniform, blue stockings, and blue-trimmed cap are set against a vivid orange-brown infield, green outfield, and a broad, turbulent sky. The sweeping pose and expansive background give the composition a particularly strong sense of movement while retaining the formal, full-figure character associated with the grand tobacco issues that inspire Helmar’s T3 series.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. Her treatment of Mullin’s uniform uses transparent cream, gray, and warm brown washes to describe the twisting folds of the pitcher’s body without weighing down the figure. Strong blue accents in the cap and stockings anchor the composition, while the saturated infield and layered cloud formations create a more dramatic setting than many of the quieter field backgrounds elsewhere in the series. The result retains the luminous quality of watercolor while giving the card considerable depth and atmosphere.
George Mullin spent twelve seasons with Detroit and became one of the most durable pitchers of the Deadball Era. He won 20 games five times in six seasons, led the American League with 29 victories in 1909, and helped the Tigers capture three consecutive pennants from 1907 through 1909. Mullin won 209 games in a Detroit uniform and remains one of the franchise’s all-time pitching leaders. On July 4, 1912—his thirty-second birthday—he pitched the first no-hitter in Tigers history, defeating the St. Louis Browns 7–0. He finished his major-league career with 228 victories and a 2.82 earned-run average. (Society for American Baseball Research)
Numbered #11, the Mullin card follows Claude Rossman in expanding the Detroit portion of the T3 checklist. For Tigers collectors, the two cards begin to recreate the supporting cast of the famous 1907–09 pennant clubs rather than limiting the team representation to stars such as Ty Cobb. Mullin’s importance as both a longtime Detroit ace and the pitcher of the franchise’s first no-hitter gives this card particular weight within a Detroit team set.
Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, an important figure from Detroit’s first championship era, and a deliberately vintage presentation inspired by the grand-format baseball cards of the tobacco era.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: Pitching Follow Through
- Team: Detroit Tigers
- Population (# Sold): 15
- First Date Sold: 2019-11-12
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-07-28
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 4
- Highest Auction: $ 55.00
- Average Auction Result: $ 21.17
Popularity Rankings
Visit these teammates on the Detroit Tigers 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
- # 10, Claude Rossman
- # 28, Sam CRAWFORD (HOF)
- # 32, Hughie JENNINGS (HOF)
- # 39, Ty COBB (HOF)
- # 49, Goose GOSLIN (HOF)
- # 60, Harry HEILMANN (HOF)
- # 75, Tommy Bridges
- # 85, Bill Donovan
- # 88, Hank GREENBERG (HOF)
- # 107, Donie Bush
- # 126, George Moriarty
- # 131, "General" Al Crowder
- # 132, Jim Delahanty
- # 139, Lynwood "Schoolboy" Rowe
- # 146, Charlie GEHRINGER
- # 161, Hal NEWHOUSER (HOF)
- # 225, Marv Owen
- # 226, Billy Rogell
- # 228, Gee Walker
- # 232, Rudy York
