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T3-Helmar, #85
Bill Donovan

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 85, Bill Donovan, Throwing follow through, Detroit TigersPicture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 85, Bill Donovan, Throwing follow through, Detroit Tigers
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Customer Submitted Images


Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 85, Bill Donovan, Throwing follow through, Detroit Tigers

Treasure box of T-3!
T. Hallman

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 85, Bill Donovan, Throwing follow through, Detroit Tigers

Collected one-by-one
Gary Stone

Picture, Helmar Brewing, T3-Helmar Card # 85, Bill Donovan, Throwing follow through, Detroit Tigers

Getting close to the full set
Gary Stone

Card Statistics

Wild Bill Donovan is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with Detroit at the end of his pitching motion, his body turned sharply across the mound with the throwing arm extended and the rear leg lifted behind him. The white uniform, dark blue cap, and deep blue stockings stand crisply against the green field, while a low city skyline and glowing yellow-orange sky give the card a strong sense of place and atmosphere. The long follow-through produces one of the more dynamic pitching compositions in this part of the series.

The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She models Donovan’s uniform with pale cream, gray, and cool blue washes, using the darker cap and stockings to anchor the figure. The extended throwing arm creates a strong horizontal movement across the upper half of the composition, balanced by the lifted leg below. In the distance, buildings are reduced to muted silhouettes beneath broad washes of gold, blue, and rose, keeping the emphasis on Donovan while giving the scene considerable depth.

William Edward “Wild Bill” Donovan was one of Detroit’s leading pitchers during the club’s first great pennant-winning era. A hard-throwing right-hander with a reputation for both speed and occasional wildness, Donovan reached his peak after joining the Tigers in 1903. In 1907 he went 25–4 and helped Detroit capture the first American League pennant in franchise history. He remained an important member of the clubs that won three consecutive pennants from 1907 through 1909, pitching alongside a team built around Ty Cobb and managed by Hughie Jennings. Donovan later became a major-league manager, including a tenure with the New York Yankees.

Numbered #85, the Donovan card is an important companion to the other Detroit subjects in the T3 checklist. Ty Cobb, Hughie Jennings, George Mullin, and Donovan together represent the core of the Tigers’ 1907–09 pennant run, while later cards such as Tommy Bridges and Mickey Cochrane carry the franchise story into the championship clubs of the 1930s. For Detroit collectors, Donovan therefore fills a particularly useful place in assembling the club’s early history.

Produced in Helmar’s distinctive handcrafted tradition, the card combines original watercolor artwork, one of Detroit’s most important early pitchers, and an especially strong full-motion composition within the grand T3 format.

Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.

 

  • Description: Throwing follow through
  • Team: Detroit Tigers
  • Population (# Sold): 19
  • First Date Sold: 2021-02-02
  • Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-01
  • Card Status: Active
  • # Sold in past year: 5
  • Highest Auction: $ 74.00
  • Average Auction Result: $ 21.44

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Visit these teammates on the Detroit Tigers in the T3-Helmar series

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