1911 T205 Gold Border - Hassan - Harry Krause, Philadelphia Athletics - SGC 5
On the Set - T205 Gold Border: In 1911, the American Tobacco Company made a notable update to its highly popular T206 "White Border" baseball insert cards by introducing the T205 "Gold Border" set. Similar to the T206 series, these T205 cards were distributed within cigarette packs. The T205 collection comprised 209 distinct cards, featuring 199 players, each with dimensions of 1-7/16" by 2-5/8". Unlike the T206 cards, the T205 series replaced colorized, photo-based player likenesses with player illustrations. Notably, the depictions of National League and American League players showcased various style elements. Apart from Major League Baseball players, the T205 set also included 12 minor league players, constituting a relatively rare subset.
On the Player - Harry William “Hal” Krause (1888-1940) was an MLB pitcher who played parts of five seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1908–1912) and the Cleveland Naps (1912). Krause made an immediate impact in the Major Leagues, starting the 1909 season with a 10-game winning streak that included six shutouts. He finished the season with an 18–8 record and a league-leading 1.39 ERA, the lowest ERA ever for an American League rookie.
However, Krause experienced arm trouble early in 1910, which affected his performance, and he did not pitch as often or as well in 1910 and 1911. By 1912, he was pitching for the minor league Toledo Mud Hens and never returned to the Major Leagues. Despite this, Krause had a highly successful minor league career, winning a total of 249 games in the Pacific Coast League over 16 seasons, ending his career in 1929. He was inducted into the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame.
In his MLB career, Krause compiled a 36–26 record with a 2.50 ERA and 289 strikeouts. He was a two-time World Series champion with the Athletics in 1910 and 1911, although he did not play in either World Series.
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