Black Sox Postcard Player Identification

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Posted By: Jason Kaster

I believe that Risberg is in the upper left, Benz in the middle row and McMullin in the lower right. Does anyone recognize the other players?

Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160057157273

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Posted By: Steve M.

According to an authoritative source McMullin appears only on a 1917 White Sox Team card and the 1915 Zeenut. Whether this is the card I don't know but it is definitely the White Sox. Nice pickup. I missed that one

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I watched that postcard all week...that lady had some nice stuff. Can you identify any of the players on the other White Sox postcard she had?



Her scans even when supersized were too small to really tell on this one. Depending on who is pictured here someone got a good deal.

Is that Weaver on the far right???

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Steve, how did you miss it?? It was sold by the same lady you got your T5 Musser from.

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Posted By: Steve M.

Damn!!!!!

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Posted By: fkw

Dont even think its the Chicago White Sox. In searches I cant find the jackets or never seen them before (with large patch on the left sleave). The hats on some players doesnt match, the "X" on uniform is too small compared to photos Im looking at, and the piping around the collar looks different and hat emblem is not on the uniforms of that era (except one home pinstripe uniform). Also the photo seems to be on a sandlot and mix or match people/players. Dont think the Chicago team would pose like that, especially in uniform.

But I could be wrong????? It doesnt look right and stuff doesnt add up.

1910-1925 Uniforms

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Posted By: Steve M.

Frank: Is that the 1917 card?

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Posted By: Jason Kaster

I am nearly 100% certain that Joe Benz (he has a very distinctive face) is in the middle row which led me to look at the other players and come to my conclusion on Risberg and McMullin. I would imagine this is some sort of "team" picture that was taken during a spring training exhibition game or something along those lines. I don't see Jackson, Weaver or Cicotte in the picture, so I am sure it wasn't meant to be a photo of the entire team.

Benz was released early in the 1919 season and Risberg didn't start playing with the Sox until 1917, so I would guess the picture was taken sometime between 1917 and early 1919.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Frank I think almost for sure that this is the Chicago White Sox team....I believe these photos were taken on one of the many "spring training" trips that the White Sox were famous for. These all came from a scrapbook album owned by Paul Musser who played in both the major and minor leagues.

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Posted By: fkw

Steve, its said to be 1919,......but could be 1917, not sure.

I dont own it, its on internet.

I did find a photo with a hat that matched, a non pinstripe with emblem, so that uniform guide page has errors.

If the postcard(s) came from a family of a player, it probably is.

I started researching thinking it might not be them and was trying to prove otherwise.

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Posted By: Rob L

Here is a thread with more id's:

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=5825

Rob L

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Posted By: Jason Kaster

I don't know that I see Felsch or Cicotte in the picture. I could only make out three players with any form of certainty and those are Risberg, McMullin and Benz. I have a feeling that the guy in the upper right might be Byrd Lynn one of their back up catchers, but I am not sure.

After looking at the picture a little more, I think the guy in the middle row to the right of Joe Benz is Theodore Jourdan who played a handful of games for the White Sox in 1916-1918 and then again in 1920.

If any of the other Black Sox end up being pictured, that is great, but mainly I was trying to get something with McMullin on it.

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Posted By: Bob

It's a mystery all right. It could be the White Sox but didn't other teams, minor league and semi-pro, also have the large "S" with an "o" and an "x" in it? If it is the White Sox, I am guessing it is pre-1919, perhaps 1916 or 1917 since the gentleman third from the right in the first row could be manager Pants Rowland who wasn't around when the Sox became the Black Sox under skipper Kid Gleason.

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Posted By: Jason Kaster

I received the postcard today and thought I would see if a better scan might help identify some of the players.

The back of the postcard indicates that it was printed in Mineral Wells, Texas which was the spring training home of the White Sox from at least 1917 to 1919. I only used those years as Swede Risberg started with the White Sox in 1917 and Joe Benz was released in 1919.

So far here are the individuals that I have identified.

Front Row: ?, ?, ?, ?, Nemo Leibold, Fred McMullin, ?
Middle Row: Joe Benz, Ted Jourdan
Back Row: Swede Risberg, ?, ?, ?, ?, Byrd Lynn

Any help that someone might be able to provide with identifying the players would be appreciated.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

That's a great postcard Jason. We can now see that the patch is an American Flag. Probably a patriotic symbol created for WWI. The US entered the war on April 7, 1917 with opening day only a week later I'm not sure they would have put those patches on during spring training. 1918 may be about right for this picture.

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Posted By: Robert S

Looking good...

The cap w/S-O-X was only around in 1917, on one version of the uniform, I believe...

So...if this is a W. Sox card it's from 1917!

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Looking over some photos of the 1917 team this morning in an old Mastro catalog and they had the same flag on the uniform sleeve, but the SOX design on the uniform was completely different. (Had the stars in the letters).

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Posted By: fkw

1917 uniforms (from what the HOF says...only one in the era with an emblem on hat)

The guys seem to be wearing the normal 1917 Home uniforms. Notice the guy to the left of the black guy has the flag on uniform sleave.

Definately 1917 Chicago White Sox.......... Nice Postcard!