1908 Cubs ??

[bmarlowe1]

Doc Casey far right, Del Howard standing tall back center, I think - though he wasn't on the roster until 1907.

[RUKen]

Getting back to the photo with seven players, I believe that Buttons Briggs is in the middle of the back row. So we have:

Back row: Del Howard, Buttons Briggs, Doc Casey
Front row: Carl Lundgren, Bob Wicker, Jimmy Slagle, Mordecai Brown

Brown and Briggs joined the team for the 1904 season, and Casey and Briggs were traded away in December, 1905. The inclusion of Howard was puzzling, but then I found this, in the February 6, 1904, edition of Sporting Life (page 4, column 2): Selee has signed a kid named Dell (sic) Howard, from a little Illinois town. Bob Wicker recommended him, and says that for a beginner Howard is a wonder. He is an outfielder, and is touted as the goods. According to Jim Hart, the lad will be given a fair chance, and may make the team as a utility outfielder.

Voila! Frank Selee was the manager of the Cubs in 1904. Howard tried out with the team during spring training that year, but ended up playing in Omaha in 1904 and Pittsburg in 1905.

[Webster]

This:

"February 6, 1904, edition of Sporting Life (page 4, column 2): Selee has signed a kid named Dell (sic) Howard, from a little Illinois town. Bob Wicker recommended him, and says that for a beginner Howard is a wonder. He is an outfielder, and is touted as the goods. According to Jim Hart, the lad will be given a fair chance, and may make the team as a utility outfielder."

Is an amazing catch.

On the original photo, I believe Evers is second from right.

Good luck.

[smitti8]

Spectacular! Thank you all SO much for your insights and help here. Truly amazed and humbled by your efforts to help me solve this riddle! I realize that simple photographs are a little off topic for the board but thought it was incredibly neat to see these guys in a different kind of "pinstripe" just having fun goofing off together away from the diamond. My sincere gratitude !

[Jobu]

No need to apologize for posting this! This is definitely not a simple photo and it is finds and research like this that many of us live for, so thank you for posting.

Originally Posted by smitti8

Spectacular! Thank you all SO much for your insights and help here. Truly amazed and humbled by your efforts to help me solve this riddle! I realize that simple photographs are a little off topic for the board but thought it was incredibly neat to see these guys in a different kind of "pinstripe" just having fun goofing off together away from the diamond. My sincere gratitude !

[T206Collector]

Originally Posted by Jobu

No need to apologize for posting this! This is definitely not a simple photo and it is finds and research like this that many of us live for, so thank you for posting.

+1

This may be the first time anyone has ever posted a random photo that actually had a picture of a Major Leaguer in it.