Card Statistics
Lou Criger is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with the Boston Americans in an upright batting stance, bat held vertically as he waits on the pitch. The pale uniform, vivid blue stockings, and striped cap stand against a bright green field and a softly layered blue-and-gold sky. The pose is simple and direct, giving the card a period portrait quality that fits Criger’s role as one of the important catchers of baseball’s earliest American League years.
The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She models Criger’s uniform with pale cream, gray, and cool blue washes, reserving stronger blue for the stockings and striped cap. The bat is handled in warm brown tones, while the face and hands are defined with deeper reds and ochres. The broad field and distant grandstand are softened considerably, allowing the figure to stand cleanly against the background.
Lou Criger was one of the leading defensive catchers of the early American League and is especially remembered for his long association with Cy Young. He caught Young for Cleveland in the National League and later followed him to Boston, where the two became one of the best-known pitcher-catcher combinations of the era. Criger was Boston’s regular catcher when the club won the first modern World Series in 1903 and remained an important part of the team through most of the decade. Though never a major offensive threat, his receiving, throwing, and ability to handle pitchers made him highly valued in an era when catching was among the most physically demanding positions on the field.
Numbered #79, the Criger card adds an especially useful supporting figure to the Boston portion of the T3 checklist. For team collectors, his connection to the 1903 champions gives the card importance beyond his individual statistics, while his long partnership with Cy Young makes it a natural companion to Young’s card elsewhere in the series. It also helps broaden the Boston grouping beyond its better-known hitters and pitchers by representing the crucial defensive role behind the plate.
Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, an important early American League catcher, and a direct connection to baseball’s first modern World Series.
Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.
- Description: At bat
- Team: Philadelphia Athletics
- Population (# Sold): 16
- First Date Sold: 2021-02-02
- Latest Date Sold: 2026-07-14
- Card Status: Active
- # Sold in past year: 3
- Highest Auction: $ 46.99
- Average Auction Result: $ 15.13
Popularity Rankings
Visit these teammates on the Philadelphia Athletics 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
- # 7, Frank BAKER (HOF)
- # 8, Eddie COLLINS
- # 19, Jack Barry
- # 20, Eddie PLANK (HOF)
- # 21, Jack Coombs
- # 22, Chief BENDER (HOF)
- # 52, Lefty GROVE
- # 53, Al SIMMONS (HOF)
- # 57, Mickey COCHRANE
- # 58, Joe Bush
- # 108, Harry Davis
- # 109, Bing Miller
- # 178, Fain, Ferris
- # 181, Harry Davis
- # 192, Bob Johnson
- # 218, Jimmie FOXX
