Need help identifying large studio photo/cabinet card??

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

Wondering if anyone can help me to identify this large photo,cabinet??
As you can see it's been the picture in my avatar since day one on N54.
I purchased it about 7 years ago from SC Gaynor Auctions and was drawn to
it by the pose and clarity of the image. Stamped on the photo is: C.A Myers,
3520 Farrell S.F. Calif..... Size is roughly 7-1/2" x 9-1/2" and it has a blank back.
Minor 1-1/4" circular abrasion just to the right of the players head. Other than that
its' in wonderful condition as shown. The glare on the right border is from my scanner,
it's not on the photo/cabinet.
I saved the item decription from the original auction and this is what it stated:

"The offered item is a circa 1910-11 studio photo of a baseball player in full uniform.
Beautiful original thick stock matte finish photo features what appears to be a professional
baseball player in full uniform and in action. Embossed studio name C.A Myers of San Francisco.
This could also be a Pacific Coast League player as it has the pose and quality of an Obak
Premium T-4".

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Tony

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Harry Hooper c1907 at St. Mary's College.

It's not out of the realm of possibility.

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Posted By: Anonymous

probably no connection, but the image instantly made me think of those 1906 Rustlers playing cards with generic ballplayers on them

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Posted By: jay behrens

Looks like Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth. Possibly Joe Jackson. Better sell it on eBay to find out

Great image.

Jay

The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

Hi Dan -
Wondering how you came up with the Harry Hooper comparison.
Wish there was a team logo to be seen on either the players
hat or jersey. There does seem to be a logo on his cap, but
at the angle the picture was shot, can't make it all out.

Tony

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Tony, it's worth looking into as Hooper played his college ball at St Mary's of California which is located near the San Francisco bay area. He was righthanded just like the guy in your photo and he looks kinda smallish like Hooper was...so who knows? Probably wishful thinking, but you just never know.

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Posted By: Richard L.

Just my opinion, but I feel this player has a strong resemblance to a young John McGraw. (which would make this photo a bit earlier than 1910)

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Posted By: Vincent

The glove in use by the ballplayer appears (to me) to be a catcher's mitt. If so, that doesn't ID the ballplayer, but might help limit the possibilities of who it may be.

Just my two-cents worth.

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Posted By: Paul S

*edited for larger headshot.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

that it is Buck Weaver but in comparing Buck's uniform as it appears on both his 1911 Zeenut and 1911 Obak there were enough discrepancies that make me think otherwise. Also, Buck was not a catcher but it sure looks like him.

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Posted By: leon

My first thought was Buck also....

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Posted By: Anonymous

Thanks Paul- I appreciate the large pics. I did come across one thing that was interesting.
Although it doesn't show up well in the scans, you can barely make out 1/2 of the letter
"C" on the front of his cap. It also strongly resembles the Cincinnati Reds hat style from that era.
In fact I came across an old picture of Hal Chase wearing a vintage Reds cap and the caps seem very
similiar. Notice the dark ring that surrounds the band of the cap. The guy in the picture even
looks like Chase, but Chase fielded lefty while this player is fielding right handed.

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Posted By: Paul S

We definitely need some profile shots. The nose knows!

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Posted By: robert a

Hal Chase.

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Posted By: Steve Murray

It's not in the nose it's in the ears. The ears do not match.

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Posted By: Paul S

Steve, I don't mean Chase's nose (although that would help), I mean noses from several other player possibilites.

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Posted By: robert a

Doesn't it kind of look like "the crab" too?

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Posted By: Steve Murray

I did understand your comment. My post was in response to Robert's apparent belief that it is in fact Hal Chase.

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Posted By: Paul S

Steve -- OK, thanks...and forget what I said

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Posted By: Jim Manos

Check it out?? Hope this helps..

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

Hi Jim -
Thank so much for the research. I checked it out as you said.
He definitely has a strong resemblance to Sisler as you
say, but Sisler was a lefty, and this guy in the picture
is clearly a righty.
Oh well, the search continues.

Tony

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Posted By: brock

The person in the photo is ME. It was taken for my high school photo just so you guys know.

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Posted By: Corey R. Shanus

Can't say who it is but can say it is one gorgeous image!

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

I've definitely hit a wall on my search. I did find a website that list's
every Cincinnati Reds cather who's ever played the position, but locating
photo's of all those players has been difficult.
Can anyone recommend a website that might help that would show player images.
I've Googled alot of the player names already but most of them are linked to
stories mainly, which do not include photo's.

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Posted By: Matt

Did you try Google Images? http://images.google.com
That way you won't have to sort through pages that just have articles of the players with no pictures.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

If you think this is a Cincy player you need to find out why he would be getting his picture taken in San Francisco. I don't recall ever reading about any kind of spring training or exhibition games for the Reds on the West Coast pre 1920. So your next step should be to look at Reds rosters from the era to see if they had any West Coast guys on their team that may have gotten their picture taken during the off-season.

I personally think it's most likely a PCL player or local college player. It's a great photo no matter what, but sometimes photos without provenance (especially when you can't identify the team and the face of the player is a profile shot) are just going to remain anonymous. But with photo collecting half the fun is researching anonymous photos - it can be very rewarding. I can't even begin to tell you how much I have learned about the history of the game by researching anonymous photos. It's one of my favorite aspects of memorabilia collecting.

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Posted By: jamie

Is it possible this is simply an artist's model? It would certainly explain why you've got someone in a fielding position using a catcher's mitt.

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Posted By: Tony Andrea

I was going off of it being a Cincy player due to his cap style and partial logo
showing, but I do see now what your saying about why would an East coast player be
taking his photo on the west coast. I also agree with Jamie, it could simply be a
photo taken for a model of some sort. Regardless, the search has been fun like you stated
and while doing so, I've come across some incredible stories and pics from this era.
The picture has and will continue to hang in my office at home. It's one of the nicest baseball
images I own.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I wouldn't necessarily call that glove a catcher's mitt...That could very well be a first basemen's glove.

Here's Frank Chance with a similar glove

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Posted By: Peck

Dan may be right about a first baseman. The pose looks much more like a stretch to catch a throw than a play at the plate or fielding a grounder.