Minor league photos of players who made it to the majors

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Posted By: Dave F

At the request of Dan.

Mike Simon who ended up playing for Pittsburgh from 1909-1913 and then two more years in the Federal League. Picture is Peoria 1905-1907 period.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

1898 Jack Chesbro, Richmond Virginia

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Posted By: Steve Murray

John "Shano" Collins. Pictured on a faux Rose PC with the Springfield MA Connecticut League team of 1909. Went on to "greatness" with the 1919 Black Sox.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

Thought I would add my Fred Merkle though it is another postcard.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Roy Ellam -can't remember which team uniform he's pictured with here (Conshocken maybe? -I have the card packed away and it's written on the back), but he went on to play with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and is probably most recognizable as a Southern Leaguer in the T206 set.



Nellie Fox with Lincoln in 1948


Bobby Shantz with Lincoln in 1948


Dick Stuart with Lincoln in 1956 - the year he hit 66 homers


I have more Lincoln players who made it to the majors, but I don't want to bore you guys with those.

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Posted By: Clint

Carl Mays on the right.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I think I remember that photo on ebay Clint...didn't the seller have 3 or 4 lots of photos on at that time of Carl Mays and other players who went on to play in the majors?

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Posted By: Clint

Dan, no I bought this from I believe Carousel Collectibles. They had a package of several photos of Carl, some real and some copied. I overpaid at the time but am glad I got them now.

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Posted By: Max Weder

Clint

I don't think that bear ever made it to the majors...

great photo

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Posted By: Clint

Careful Max, you might lose first dibs status.

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Posted By: Andy Broome

Not a good scan because the pic is framed but the picture features from left to right: Tony Roig, Harmon Killebrew, Waldo Gonzales, Stan Roseboro and Jesse Levan in Chattanooga in 1957.
Here is a trivia question for you: What is Waldo and Jesse famous for?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

They got caught fixing games and were banned from baseball.

edited grammar

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Posted By: Andy Broome

Yep! Gonzales got a year and Levan got life.

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Posted By: Clint

Don Larsen, second player from left on the top row, 1950 Wichita Indians.

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Posted By: Max Weder

Clint

Do you know where the Mays photo was taken?

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Posted By: Clint

Max

The photo was taken in Price, Utah. This is the backside of the team photo written in Carl's hand. These photos (postcards) were used for the book Baseball's Great Tragedy. I haven't seen the book, so I don't know if they are pictured or not.

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Posted By: Dave F

Has anyone ever attempted to get one of these cabinet photographs graded or authenticated like the one I have up top? I haven't seen any.

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Posted By: Mike

He started with Wash. in 54 and never went back to the minors. Why is he in a minor league photo from 57 ?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Killebrew played in the majors and the minors for 5 years before becoming a full time major leaguer. He was signed as a "Bonus Baby" in 1954 which by the rules he had to be added to the major league roster at some point during the season. While he wasn't ready for the majors at 17 years old they had to put him on the roster by rule. I'm assuming they had to do this every year he played in the organization since he played parts of every season up to 1959 when he became a full time major leaguer.

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Posted By: Andy Broome

Killebrew played for Charlotte in '56, nearly a full season for Chattanooga in '57 minus 9 games with Washington and split the '58 season with Chattanooga and Indy and 13 games with Washington. 1959 was his first full season with Washington.
He hit the longest home run in Chattanooga history in '57, a bomb that cleared the 471' centerfield wall at Engel Stadium.
When I had the original photo signed by Killebrew, he talked me out of the only copy I had. I actually wanted to get the copy signed but oh well.

[Archive]

Posted By: Robert S

Here's a bunch of photos and PCs with iDs below each image, but let me know if the images are too large and you want me to try to resize some of them:


Chauncey Fisher and George (Paddy) Fox -- who collectively played in the big leagues from 1891 to 1901. While Fisher had the more productive career, Fox is best remembered as one of four Pittsburgh Pirates players traded before the 1900 season for 14 Louisville stars...including Honus Wagner, Rube Waddell, Fred Clarke and Tommy Leach. Pittsburgh also threw in $25,000 to complete the lopsided trade.



1912 Wilmington Chicks with Jackson, Groh, Fritz (MLBers).


1921 Moose Jaw infield with Mark Koenig.


Charlie Root (served up Ruth's called shot) as a young semi-pro player.


PC of Cronin w/Providence Clamdiggers. He pitched in the Major League from 1895 to 1904.



PCs with Hall of Fame pitcher Stan Coveleski and his brother Harry, both pre-MLB days.


PC of George McConnell, who would later lead the Federal League in wins.


PC with a few MLBers, including Snake Wiltse, brother of Hooks.


PC with Armando Marsans, Rafael Almeida playing for New Britain.


PC with Home Run Baker pre-MLB.


PC with minor leaguer Jacob Daubert. Other players on this team who played in the big leagues include Hub Perdue, Pryor Mcelveen, Win Kellum, Jack Hardy, Carl Sitton, George Hunter, and Harry Bay.


PC with Harry Wolverton, Eddie Foster, Jack Warhop.


PC with Fred Toney as a minor leaguer.


PC with Ad Brennan in the army. He pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1910 to 1913 before signing with the Federal League Chicago Whales in 1914-15. He is most well-known for his celebrated decking of NY Giants manager John McGraw in a fistfight beneath the Polo Grounds stands in 1913. Both he and McGraw were suspended for five days.



PC of Everett Scott in his minor league days.


PC of Ray Schalk -- post MLB days.


Need help on this one: Minor League player, identified as Alvin Carsltrom. It likely is Albin Oscar 'Swede' Carlstrom who played 2 games for the 1911 Red Sox, during his days with Lawrence of the New England League.

That's it for now...!

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Posted By: DMcD

Bravo!

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Posted By: Rhys

[larry frazier]

I am looking for any Yankee players from 1969 down while in minors; particulatrly Maris or maras which is ism reakl name, Jack Reed, 60'-63' yANKEES, Chuck Connors. Thanks

[bmarlowe1]

Just for the record - in Robert S's post, for the first photo - Chauncy Fisher is not there. That casts doubt on the Paddy Fox ID. Nice photo though.

The Wilmington photo also includes major leaguer Doc Kerr.

[rhettyeakley]

Also, just for the record, and I realize this is a super old post BUT, I really ike that 1921 Moose Jaw photo and even though the info is incomplete on Baseball-Reference.com I'm pretty sure the players depicted are L-R

Elmer O'Shaughnessy--Mark Koenig (obviously)--Peter Rose (the non-cheater) and Karl "Junk" Walters (he palyed throughout the Western states & Canada from at least 1913 to at least 1921--I have seen the same guy on a 1913 RPPC for LaGrande in 1913 id'ed on front as "Junk" Walters).

here are some known cards of O'Shag & Rose to compare to...


Koenig was the only Major Leaguer depicted BUT the Minor Leaguers are even more fun to me as there is so much still unknwn about these guys.
-Rhett

[VintageBall]

Hi Mark,

The Chauncey Fisher photo originated from Lew Lipset many years ago. So what's the statute of limitations on an old purchase?

Here's a photo of Chauncey from BaseballReference.com with which to compare:



And oddly enough, I just discovered that the image for Paddy Fox on BaseballReference is the same photo as the one I listed above. Hmmm.... did they get it from my website, from another source or from an old Lipset catalog? Here's their link: http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Paddy_Fox

And here's their photo:



Cheers,

Robert S

[bmarlowe1]

Hello Robert -

Unlike the most of the things you will find on baseball-reference, the early player photo ID's are very unreliable. They aren't verified, and they won't correct them even when requested to do so by multiple knowledgable people over a long period of time.

There is, to my knowledge, no verified photo of Paddy Fox. Those listed in the SABR encyclopedia include your photo and an 1894 Reading team photo. Unfortunately the ID's for the team photo are not reliable. In any case, the guy ID'd as Fox in the Reading photo is not in your photo. There is a newspaper woodcut of Fox, but I haven't seen it.

There are a number of good photos of Fisher (below are two), and he is certainly not in your photo. You are entitled to a refund. If you want supporting documentation, contact me offline.

BTW - your Carlstrom photo may very well be correct. It does resemble a newspaper half-tone image of him.

Best,
Mark

[thekingofclout]

Shown here in his Seals uniform, this kid went on to have a decent Major League career...

dimaggioheadshot.jpg

[Scott Garner]

Congrats to all of you that posted the great photos that preceed my post. Not prwewar, but I've always liked this one...

Here is a 1967 vintage signed newspaper photo of Nolan Ryan while pitching for the Jacksonville Suns. Ryan had a brief cup of coffee with the Mets in 1966 but was sent back down to the minors for more seasoning and returned to the Mets in his rookie season 1968.

[VintageBall]

Here's the team photo that's the companion to the Koenig photo above:

[BrockJacob]

Here is a large team photo of the 1923 Louisville Colonels with a minor league Earle Combs and Mgr. Joe McCarthy

[bcbgcbrcb]

Very nice Louisville photo. Also like the Nolan auto newsphoto.

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by VintageBall

Here's the team photo that's the companion to the Koenig photo above:

Robert: That is a Spectacular image.

[VintageBall]

Here's the image I was trying to post:



Robert S

[slidekellyslide]

Dazzy Vance when he was with New Orleans in 1920 or 1921


1908 Lincoln team with Chief Johnson (sitting, 2nd from right) and Claude Hendrix (standing, 2nd from right)...there are other future major leaguers in the photo too, but I haven't tried to identify them.

[rhettyeakley]

Here is another of the 1921 Moose Jaw guys ( I love the really obscure team stuff!)

SHULTIS- Lane Shultis is pictured next to "Junk" Walters (I was right on that ID earlier)...


LEAKE-is probably Hollis Jefferson Leake or Albert Leake (the Leake in question apparently played with Edmonton in 1921). These are probably the same individual--but that needs to be confirmed. Hollis has some Zeenut cards which I don't own, 1917 and 1918.

LEIFER- is Elmer Edwin Leifer who is also depicted on a 1918 Zeenut.

GATEWOOD- likely Earl Gatewood who played briefly with the 1920 Portland PCL team

[MacDice]

This is not a minor league photo but an ameatuer team. Back row has Hall of Famer Earl Averill as well as Roy Johnson who had a decent big league career.

[rhettyeakley]

Cool photo of the young HOFer & Roy (older brother of the more famous "Indian Bob" Johnson)...



Edited to add: I have always held a special spot for Averill as I was born and raised (up to the age of 11) in the Bellevue/Seattle area and even at an early age I was well aware I was going to Averill's old stomping grounds as I'd go antiquing with my father in Snohomish.

[Kawika]

Haven't posted this picture for awhile. It's a team picture of the 1928 San Francisco Seals which was developed from a glass negative I picked up somewhere or other a few years ago. There's a boatload of MLers to be found. I tried to ID everyone at one time but let the project slide. Evident are Earl Averill, Frank Crosetti, Roy Johnson (1st row left), Gus Suhr (1st row 3rd from left), and a number of others. Even Moose Javian Junk Walters might be in the photo per the baseball-reference.com roster although he only played 9 games; I don't know which player he might be.

[VintageBall]

You can see every line and detail...!

[Heritage Sports]

My all-time favorite on this theme. The man in question, Shoeless Joe, is standing fifth from the left.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Awesome, Jonathan!

Is that yours?