Frank Oberlin - Mountains
 

Just opened up a delivery from David Bergin. (TOP NOTCH PACKAGING by the way.) Looks like "Flossie" has mountains in the background. Is this the only card in the set with mountains?

Fun card...

I have always imagined that they were clouds in the background. Here a couple of visuals for folks, one mine, one not. Perhaps you see it differently than me?

Brian

I still see mountains. Now I have to see the original pic…

I too always thought they were pink clouds, but now I'm convinced they are pink mountains.

Those are clouds if you play for Minneapolis, snow covered mountains if you play for Colorado.

I have always thought of those as clouds, not a mountain. Like Casey.

Middle name, Rufus; better I think than his nickname, Flossie.

He played with Milwaukee in the American Association until August of 1906, when the Boston Red Sox bought his contract. In August of 1907 the Sox sold him to the Washington Nationals. Oberlin was optioned to Minneapolis for 1908, and that's where he remained until July of 1909 when the Nationals recalled him to the Nationals.

I stop there; that wasn't the beginning of his play, nor the end, but that has him with those two AL teams and then in the American Association... no huge mountains like that in the AL nor AA. Until the photograph that was used for the card image surfaces, I feel fairly confident about those being clouds. Yet I do see why someone might think it's a mountain.

I to always thought they were clouds, but now that you mention mountains I can definitely see it. Either way, one of the prettier cards in the set!

Here's the best possibility among Washington operatives:

That's a wildfire in California. The dark smoke has dispersed before reaching Washington.;)

As far as the pink clouds are concerned, I would favor clouds over mountains, because the highest "peak" has no snow on top.

Oberlin might be in front of an unfinished Bob Ross painting. I'd vote for clouds as it just looks that way, plus you add on that he was in Minnesota, or somewhere they played out in that comparatively flat part of land.

"Tell me what you see when you look at these clouds?"
I see mountains.

Gentlemen, I believe we have an answer!!

Using highly specialized equipment, I was able to really zoom into and focus on the background area, and correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that a group of mountaineers ascending the summit???

Attachment 636650

To me they look like skydivers linked up to execute an unusual 'feet first' formation before deploying their parachutes.


Brian

There's always a contrarian in every crowd!!! :D:D:D

Here are two of my favorite pieces from Flossie…

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5db03e24_c.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7d82be6f_h.jpg

Thought maybe it was fire until I seen the little mountain climbers .
Definitely mountains

Edit .. oops missed a great letter from Paul while making my stupid joke ��

Bert Randolph Sugar, who was the recipient of this letter from Oberlin, was a well-known boxing author who was also involved in our hobby. I have his autograph in my 2nd edition copy of his, as author/editor, The Sports Collectors Bible. It was published in 1977, and is a fairly comprehensive 550 page guide book/checklist for sports cards (especially for the times, and still not a bad resource), and other categories of sports memorabilia. I got it in an used book store in the mid 1980's and didn't initially realize it was signed.

And by the way, to answer Oberlin's question posed in the letter, Bert would have been 15 years old when he received this letter in 1951.


Brian

How fantastic. Mountain climbers. Burt Sugar. Paul’s signed T206 series!

GREAT letter, Brian. Mr. Sugar's 'Bibles' were and remain a great resource.