Photos of the end of a player's career

[bn2cardz]

Baseball has a lot of historical moments. We focus a lot of the beginning of a player's career and there can be several photos documenting the new rookie. Now we live in a time where we celebrate the retirement of a player with a final season tour, but sometimes a player's career comes to a more sudden end and there is no way to know it is about to happen.

Do you have a photo documenting the end of a player's career?

Here is Mickey Cochrane on May 25th, 1937, the moment he fell to the ground as he was struck by a pitch to the head. This ended the playing career of this HOF Catcher.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4308/35971410425_3b37d73276_c.jpg

[Mark70Z]

A picture from September 18, 1977, of "Thanks Brooks Day".

[Scott Garner]

In July I stumbled on to an original photo of Johnny Vander Meer of double no-hit fame walking off the mound for the very last time in 1951 as a member of the Cleveland Indians.
This was Johnny's only appearance with the Tribe and he got crushed. He was released shortly after this game by Indians GM and HOF'er Hank Greenberg.

[MrSeven]

Been looking for a good autographed copy of this photo. Mantle hanging his jersey up on the day of his retirement.

https://cdn1.nyt.com/images/2016/04/11/sports/11MANTLE5/11MANTLE2-1460328266810-articleLarge.jpg

[yankeesjetsfan]

That's a great shot of Mantle. The one of Vander Meer is a bit heartbreaking. It's almost like he knew it was the end of the line.

Mike

[Scott Garner]

That's a great shot of Mantle. The one of Vander Meer is a bit heartbreaking. It's almost like he knew it was the end of the line.

Mike

Mike,
I believe that Vandy did know that this was likely the end of the line for him. I had the same reaction when I first saw this photo.
The Indians & especially Greenberg had not used him until May & it was obvious that he did not factor into their plans.
Ironically, Vander Meer did play in the minor leagues in 1952 and actually tossed another no-hitter for Tulsa before hanging up his spikes.

[kid4hof03]

Really interesting topic and some great photos so far. I've got a few hundred Gary Carter original and wire photos, this is one of my favorites, his last at bat was an RBI double against the Cubs.

[mcgwirecom]

A few years ago I bought a couple of negatives from Hunts Auction. They were from a sports photographer and they were just marked as Mantle 9/28/68. A little investigating said that they were from his very last game which was in Boston. The Mick popped out to short according to the boxscore and then walked back to the dugout for the last time.

[GKreindler]

AWESOME, Randall. Did you ever get the negatives scanned? Those Brearley ones are really wonderful, and there were plenty in the auction that went for soooooo little.

[mcgwirecom]

Thanks Graig, I actually sold the two in a different auction with the proper title (last at bat photos) I kept two prints I had made from the negatives.

Someday I hope to buy one of your paintings!

[MrSeven]

One plate appearance that day at Fenway in the first before being replaced. Didn't even play in the final game on Sunday. Such a melancholic piece but yet quite the auction find!

[mikejanesphotography]

Not vintage, but remember after this last pitch turning to the guy next to me saying he's retiring, he blew me off for that comment but Alomar walked into the dugout and left the game for good. It was an ugly at bat, next day (maybe two) he announced his retirement.

[mikejanesphotography]

AWESOME, Randall. Did you ever get the negatives scanned? Those Brearley ones are really wonderful, and there were plenty in the auction that went for soooooo little.

I found out about that auction late, bought a ton of stragglers at the end, but looked at some of the prices for earlier amazing images and was amazed how little some of them went for. If only had known about it sooner...still kicking myself for not buying the JFK portion of the archive, found out the next day the entire presidential archive was in the basement of the WTC.

[GKreindler]

Randall, good stuff! Brearley used to sell photos of both of them in their catalogs, and like some of their other offerings, cropped them a bit differently than what was on the whole negatives. It's a shame too, as some of them uncropped were SO much better. And, I'm always around fi you want to talk about paintings!

Mike, what were some of the ones you ended up picking up? I'd love to hear.

[mikejanesphotography]

Mike, what were some of the ones you ended up picking up? I'd love to hear.

Lot of random stuff, pretty much could classify it as the leftovers. Sox, Celtics, Patriots of course, newer baseball but a ton is B&W which isn't what I needed from that era. Also got some politics, got some Bob Gibson as well.

Also purchased some glass plate negatives, but found out on this board that they're from the Detroit News and not the Brearley Collection. Spent a good amount getting them digitally restored, also had all the others scanned as well.

I've purchased around 200,000 slides/negatives/etc. with copyrights and hoping to hire here soon to help catch up with that and my recent stuff as well. Get it all visible online.

[MrSeven]

I've purchased around 200,000 slides/negatives/etc. with copyrights and hoping to hire here soon to help catch up with that and my recent stuff as well. Get it all visible online.

That's awesome!

[ooo-ribay]

Willie McCovey's last at bat (and a ticket from that game).

Stretch came on as a PH in the eighth and hit a go-ahaed sac fly against the hated D**gers. They re-tied the game in the bottom of the frame but the Giants won in 10 :p. Willie retired after the game 7/6/80.