Early Team Photo...Revisited

[Vintagecatcher]

With many new members on the board, I figured it might be time to post my team photo again. Hopefully, the scan will be large enough so that people might be able to identify the players.


Thanks in advance,


Patrick

[bmarlowe1]

Do you have any additonal info on the photo? was there any info on the back of the photo?

[Vintagecatcher]

Mark,

The photo is unmarked, however, I purchased it off eBay, because I recognized one of the players immediately, since he is one of the 7 major league catchers that I collect.

I believe this is a photo that was shot in Hot Springs, Arkansas during Spring Training. I'm pretty sure I have identified all but 2 of the players.

The M116 Sporting Life cards and the T207 set were quite helpful in the identification process.

Anyone have any guesses?


Patrick

[Kawika]

Howzabout for starters in the front row Josh Devore, Roger Bresnahan, Fred Snodgrass & Red Ames, Marlin, Texas, March 1908?
(No Buzz Arlett or Smead Jolley jabs, please)

[Vintagecatcher]

Sorry David,

And there isn't any Dutch penguins either....Thanks for playing!

Patrick

[Bill Stone]

I would guess Bill Carrigan.

[bmarlowe1]

So - the 7 major league catchers you collect are:

Kleinow, Kling, Gibson, Street, Bresnahan, Ira Thomas, & Chief Meyers - is that right?

[Vintagecatcher]

Mark,

You are correct. Here is the first clue.

The catcher I collect is in the front row to the right with the tear in his pants.

I originally thought it might be from his Minor League experience, until I recognized other MLB players from the Major League team he played with for most of his career.


Patrick

[bmarlowe1]

I'll reserve final judgement pending a post of his face in higher res - but I strongly doubt he is any of those 7 players.

[carrigansghost]

Carrigan is not in this photo.

Rawn

[teetwoohsix]

For some reason,I'm wondering if the tall guy in the back is Christy Mathewson-his catcher from '05-'08 was Bresnahan,but someone guessed that already.The catcher you are referring to could resemble Bresnahan-but could also resemble John Tortes "Chief" Meyers,who was Matty's catcher from 1909-1915,,,,,,,and I'm basing this off of thinking that is Matty in the back row,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so is it the New York Giants?

[Vintagecatcher]

I have looked at this photo for many years. I believe this to be a Spring Training photo of the Pittsburg Pirates. I certainly could be wrong, but I'm encouraged by the fact that I have found cards of George's team mates that bear a striking resemblence to players in the photo.

I originally stopped and viewed the photo on eBay, because I liked the great baseball jackets. I then noticed that the player front row all the way to the right looked like a player I have been collecting for 20 years...George Gibson.

At first I thought it might be a Minor League team that George played for, but then I noticed that several of the players looked like other Pittsburgh Pirates.

After comparing the photo to players portrayed in sets such as M116, S74, T205, T206, I believe 8 of the 10 players look like members of the Pirates. I still am uncertain regarding 2 of the players in the photo.

Back row (left to right) Mike Simon, Babe Adams, T.B.D. John Flynn, Dots Miller, and Paddy O'Connor.

Front Row (left to right) T.B.D., Chief Owen Wilson, Tommy Leach, and George Gibson.

Now that I have thrown my "guesses" out there, I welcome any feedback from the board.


Patrick

[Vintagecatcher]

When I compared players in the photo to cards of the Pirates, I compared things such as ears, nose, mouth, the shape of their face, and even how they creased their baseball caps.

[bmarlowe1]

Patrick,

Yikes - I can only think of one other case of such mass-self delusion (but I suppose there must be others). The St.Louis Cardinals HoF put in me in touch with a poor fellow who had spent about $700 on a headshot composite that he thought was the 1900 Cardinals (with McGraw and Burkett) - but was just an unknown (and much later) minor league team.

Not one of these guys is who you say they are. The Babe Adams & George Gibson ID's are just ludicrous - they have no facial features in common with the players in your photo. Sorry I'm being such a hard-ass, but this is just nuts.

As I said above, if want to post a few of the faces in hi-res, I'll try to explain to you where you went wrong.

BTW - just starting with the uniform caps and socks - the Pirates never wore these. I should add that I don't think they match any Deadball Era MLB uni's.

[Vintagecatcher]

Mark,

I spent $20.00 for this photo. I bought it because I loved the baseball jackets, and I have no intentions on selling it.

As I stated earlier, TO ME, the photo has players that look like members of the Pirates.

[tjb1952tjb]

Wow......look at the hands of the front row left player. They look like they could belong to Honus Wagner.......quite a set of mitts!!!!

[bmarlowe1]

OK - let's be nice. Patrick is not the only one to be confused about Pirates. In the next Legendary auction they are selling this very nice George Gibson (lot 848) as Babe Adams.