The most intriguing detail on this 1908 Cleveland scorecard is a pencil note: “No hit. 27 to bat game.” The lettering brought it to our attention. The handwriting made us stay.
A scorecard is a modest thing to survive more than a century. This one holds a baseball mystery, a little advertising, and the beginning of a collection.
The Artifact: A 1908 Masterpiece
The Official Score Card carries an advertisement for The Bankers Identification Co. alongside its baseball material. It is the sort of printed object made to be useful for an afternoon, with no obligation to impress someone a century later. The design has held up remarkably well.
On the right, The Cleveland Press’s “Pink Sporting Edition” branding shares space with bold Cleveland lettering. Those letterforms became the Cleveland Score Card Cap. Below the banner, an advertisement for Euclid Beach Park opens another local story, one that also appears on the Euclid Beach Park Heavyweight Tee.
Then your eye reaches the pencil inscription. “No hit. 27 to bat game.” A short note, with a very good reason to suspect its author had seen something worth remembering.
It suggests a connection to Addie Joss’s perfect game against the Chicago White Sox on October 2, 1908. Cleveland won 1–0; no Chicago batter reached base. The note alone cannot prove the card was in the stands that day or establish when the words were added. The game is certain. The card’s exact journey remains an open question.
From the Archives to the Streets
For the collection, we returned to the part we could work directly from: the lettering. Moving it from paper onto embroidery and apparel gives it a different setting while keeping the Cleveland baseball reference in view.
The collection offers a few ways to wear that reference:
Premium Headwear: Choose the 1908 Denim Cap, 1908 Dad Cap, 1908 Snapback Cap, or our 1908 USA Trucker Cap.
Heavyweight Staples: For an embroidered version, try the 1908 Heavyweight Embroidered Tee or the 1908 Embroidered Long Sleeve Tee.
Fleece & Outerwear: For cooler days, there is the 1908 Garment-Dyed Crewneck Sweatshirt and the 1908 Oversized Hoodie.
Raglan Styles: Choose from the 1908 Women’s Micro Rib Raglan Baby Tee and the color-blocked 1908 Raglan Baseball Tee.
Wear Your History
The pencil note makes you wonder who held the card. The advertisements show what competed for their attention. The lettering still works without anyone having to explain the score. That is quite a lot for one afternoon’s piece of paper.
Shop the full 1908 Cleveland Baseball Club Collection.
Looking for a different Cleveland story? Browse all Cleveland T-shirts and tops, from baseball lettering to local landmarks.
For the tiniest baseball fan, shop the 1908 Cleveland Baseball Club baby bodysuit.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Check the October 2, 1908 game results, and read the Baseball Hall of Fame’s history of the perfect game. The advertisement below the lettering opens a different afternoon out: the history of Euclid Beach Park.
