[nolemmings]

Al, I am following your logic and don’t disagree with your findings, but am wondering where it leaves you. Caveat: I am not a program collector and have not researched this in any great detail, but it seems to me as if the lineups for all three scorecards could have been printed at the same time, inserted and then incorrectly distributed at the wrong games. In other words, Al may be right about what was intended to be Mantle’s first game scorecard, but others were used that night instead or as well.

Have any programs where the printed lineups match the April 17 box score been scored? The one Al shows is unscored, as is the other he auctioned awhile back. So too for the same scorecard lineup in an REA auction from 2015. Is it possible that the opening day lineups were printed and stapled but incorrectly assigned for distribution in game 3—the rainout? If so where does that leave things–an opening day program/scorecard that was never or only partially distributed? [BTW, I do not know at what time the rainout was called–before or after people showed up at the ballpark and may have bought their programs]

Both of the other two scorecards attributed to Mantle’s debut were scored, and apparently correctly, although of course these days there is always the possibility the pencil marks were added well after the fact. Still, there appears some anecdotal evidence, such as the sale of an Opening Day game ticket that allegedly accompanied one of the programs, that suggests these other lineup cards were distributed on April 17.

Finally, it makes sense to me that the scorecards for all three games would be printed at the same time where possible, as opposed to rushing for lineup info between games (especially if the opponent did not go out of its way to cooperate). The opening series of the season would present a great opportunity to do this, although it may have created confusion as well.

So, there you have it–clear as mud. My two cents.