Original Background photos-1956 Topps and others
 

Off another thread (or 2) I have posted, I see some great action photos that became the background of 1956 Topps. We have Mantle, Aaron, and Clemente. Any more out there? Let's see them.

1956 Topps Images
 

I started a similar thread several years ago and posted photos from 1952 to 1965 but I'll post some 1956 photos ( I have about 25 or more) and let board members guess whose card they're from.

Number 1
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...0Adcock1-1.jpg

Number 2
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...5Labine1-1.jpg

Number 3
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...bSkinner-1.jpg

Number 4
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...nyGroth1-1.jpg

Number 5
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...obLemon1-1.jpg

Number 6
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...94Irvin1-1.jpg

Number 7
http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...72Torre1-1.jpg

Here's the Mantle photo in case anyone missed it (sorry, I cannot give credit to whoever originally found/posted this picture -- I just saved it a year ago)

5 is Lemon and I think one of them is Monte Irvin

I think #1 is Joe Adcock and # 7 is Joe Torre.

I'm too lazy to research all the cards, but can ID some players:

#1 - Del Crandall (1), Joe Adcock (crossing plate) Rube Walker (catcher), Ben Wade (46)

#2 - Clem Labine (from 1956 Topps)

#3 - Bob Skinner (sliding) Might be Pirates catcher Jack Shepard
kneeling while wearing shin guards (was he on-deck?).

#4 - Johnny Groth sliding? (looks like a Tigers uni)

#5 - Bob Lemon with Ray Narleski in background

#6 - Monte Irvin and Al Dark

#7 - Frank Torre stretching from first base to left field

The more I look at photo number 3, the more it boggles what is left of my mind. It almost appears that the player in the foreground has been somehow superimposed on the shot, but I can't imagine that is the case. How can he be that close to the action at the plate - it would almost be interference. And, he is quite obviously wearing strap-on shin-guards. Was it common practice in the 1950's for catchers in the on-deck circle to wear shin-guards so as to save time putting them on if the guy at the plate made the last out of an inning? These are the kind of questions that plague my mind as I try to get to sleep at night.

Yes it's very common for catchers in the on-deck circle to wear the shin guards.

Being that close to the play isn't unusual either. he's in dead ball territory so he's allowed to be there. By the looks of it he just completed the task of telling the runner to slide and in what direction.

Good points
 

I just don't think I've seen it recently, catchers wearing shinguards in the on-deck circle. Maybe haven't been paying attention or cameras don't pick it up. Yeah, he's obviously giving the runner signs, but he's almost in the left side batters box - what happens if the ball gets behind the catcher and he bumps into that guy trying to retrieve it? Interference, no?

Photo number 3?
 

That's obviously good ol' number 10, catcher Jack Shepard. The California native is an interesting story, as he ended a promising career as a respected defensive catcher on his own terms after the 1956 season, at the age of 25, in order to pursue an academic and business career. He was a Stanford grad who obtained his masters degree, also from Stanford, during the winter breaks from baseball. Became a successful business man and sadly died in his early 60's of cancer.
Yes, I looked it up.