Historical clipped signature in fountain pen ink, "Yours Sincerely, John G. Kling", taped to another card affecting the beginning and ending letters of his writing, otherwise excellent. (1875-1947) John Gransfield Kling was an American catcher and manager in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs (the Chicago Orphans until 1902), Boston Braves / Rustlers, and Cincinnati Reds.Kling was the Cubs' starting catcher in the final game of the 1908 World Series, the last championship for the team for 108 years. After playing amateur and semi-pro baseball, Kling finally made his major league debut on September 11, 1900, playing for the Chicago Orphans of the National League. He got three hits, and made a positive impression both as a catcher and as a hitter. For what was left of the season, he caught fifteen games and had a batting average of .294 He also acquired the nickname "Noisy John", because he kept up a constant chatter on the field; some baseball historians have noted this was part of his skill in waging "psychological warfare" on his opponents. By all accounts he was an exceptional defensive catcher, praised for his skill in throwing out runners who were caught stealing. He was also a reliable hitter, and a pivotal member of the team that became known as the Chicago Cubs, an integral part of the dynasty which included Hall of Fame infielders Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers and Frank Chance. Between 1906 and 1910, the Cubs won four National League pennants and two World Series titles, and Kling was said to be one of the reasons why. And unlike many ballplayers of his day, he didn't smoke, drink or chew tobacco. Staying in good shape, as a result, was said to contribute to his baseball success.Overall, he played in 1261 major league games, hit .272 with 20 home runs and 514 RBIs in his major league career. He had 1154 hits in 4246 at bats and scored 475 runs. In August 1902, he amassed a Major League Baseball record streak of 12 consecutive hits. Walt Dropo later tied the mark in 1952. He caught 115 shutouts during his career, ranking him 16th all-time among major league catchers.Comes with a full Letter of Authenticity from Todd Mueller Authentics.