Exceedingly rare Pittsburgh Pirates season ticket book dating from the 1894 season. All nineteenth-century Major League tickets are scarce and season ticket books are especially elusive. This is the first Pirates example we have seen (for any year) and one of just three nineteenth-century Major League ticket books we have ever handled. Its rarity notwithstanding, what makes this ticket book so intriguing is that it might contain a ticket to Connie Mack's managerial debut, which occurred at home against Washington on September 3rd. We say might, because it is difficult to determine what ticket number would have been accepted for admission to that game. Technically, it was the 56th home game of the year for Pittsburgh, but the club had four home doubleheaders prior to September 3rd (both scheduled doubleheaders and unscheduled doubleheaders as the result of makeups for rainouts). Therefore we cannot state with certainty which ticket number corresponds to the September 3rd game. We did submit the two tickets issued for Game 56 to PSA, but it did not authenticate them as Connie Mack's managerial debut and they were returned to us unencapsulated. The other possible candidates for Mack's debut would be game numbers 52 to 55, but tickets for only Game number 53 and 55 are present in the collection (two tickets for each game).

The ticket book is in Poor condition overall, with both leather covers detached, but present. Thirty-five tickets remain in their bound state, while an additional 40 remain unbound and unused, for a total of 75 tickets. The front cover is stamped "71" in gilt numerals (denoting the ticket-book number), and each ticket bears the same number printed on its reverse. The preprinted lettering on the interior front cover reads in part "Pittsburgh Athletic Company/Exposition Park/1894." The handwritten name of the recipient, "H. H. Buente," is written in black fountain pen, as is the signature of the club secretary, "F. Babbich." The printed text on the interior back cover represents the contract between the club and the ticket holder, and has been signed by "H. H. Buente" in black in black fountain pen. 

The ticket book originally contained two numbered tickets to each home game, with one labeled "Entrance Gate" and the other labeled "Grand Stand." The game number is listed in red along the left border of each ticket. The thirty-five tickets remaining in their bound form range from game number 16 to 58. Of those, 5 are single tickets, while the other 30 remain attached together (two for each game number). The loose tickets range from game number 24 to 60, and included two tickets each for the potential Connie Mack managerial debut games (53 and 55). The loose tickets (approximately 2.75x1.25") are in Excellent condition overall, as are the bound tickets. Each of the detached covers (5x2.75") displays creasing and edge tears. 

The National League consisted of twelve teams in 1894, all of which would have traveled to Pittsburgh at some point during the year. Therefore, a patron with a season ticket book would have been witness to some of the most iconic 19th century legends, including: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett, Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, Amos Rusie, Hugh Duffy, John Ward, Billy Hamilton, Willie Keeler, Ed Delahanty, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, Dan Brouthers, John McGraw, George Davis, Roger Conner, Wilbert Robinson, Fred Clarke, Charles Comiskey, Connie Mack, Kid Nichols, Kid Gleason, Clark Griffith, and Bobby Wallace. Pittsburgh's resident Hall of Famers that season were Connie Mack and Jack Beckley. Pittsburgh finished with a record of 65-65-3 in 1894, which was good for seventh place.