Posted By:
Tom HuffordI'm fairly certain these photos are from an Atlanta Braves Old-Timers game from the sometime in the mid-1970s. The Braves often usually staged these games using former players who lived in the Atlanta area, and area players who had played with the old minor league Atlanta Crackers.
Jim Greengrass, who was a deputy sheriff in nearby Cobb County (my home), was a frequent participant in these games. I only knew him in the 1980s-90s, but I think he might be the guy on the left in the first (top) photo. Compare with old Topps/Bowman cards.
I don't know the second player, but am 99% percent sure the third player from the left is Bob Montag, all-time Atlanta Crackers HR leader. I told Bob one time that in view of his terrific minor league career, it was a real shame he never got a shot at the majors. He responded, "But I did. When I was called up to the Braves in 1950, I got into one game as a late-inning defensive replacement. But the scorer didn't notice, didn't put me in the boxscore, and that was that." Bob related details of that game to me, as well as events of the next day, when one of the other outfielders was hurt, and Bob was sure he would start. Instead, manager Billy Southworth used Sibby Sisti to start in RF (Sisti's only OF appearance that year), Montag had words with Southworth about why he didn't start, and that pretty much sealed his fate. Ernie Johnson and Roy Hartsfield, other 1950 Braves rookies, have confirmed to me that indeed Montag was up with the team that season, too, but don't remember anything about his phantom game. So, unless there is a contemporary newspaper account somewhere that might have mentioned Montag's appearance (and I haven't found one yet), he's not counted among those who can claim the title "Major Leaguer."
And, I believe that the player on the right in the top photo is the very popular Ralph "Country" Brown, longtime Southern League outfielder from northeast Georgia. He was a star with the Crackers in the late 1940s/early 1950s, and could probably have been elected the Mayor of Atlanta, had he ever chosen to run.
No idea right now on the players in the other photo.