Earliest smiles in baseball cards

[darkhorse9]

There's an odd reality that people didn't smile in photographs for many years. Looking through a bunch of vintage baseball cards it seems that held true for cards as well.

The earliest true actual smile (not a smirk or slight smile) is clearly Hughie Jennings. But it's the very fact that he is smiling that makes that card so unique. Before the 1930's there doesn't seem to be many happy players.

What examples are there of actual smiling players in vintage card sets?

[RCMcKenzie]

I've read that it was considered rude to smile in a portrait photo back then. I don't know. I'll see if I can think of any...Rob

[joejo20]

After reading The Glory of Their Times it definitely shows there were happy ball players.

[bxb]

In the old days, they had to hold still for a long time to do a photo, so it was too hard to hold a smile that long.

[brianp-beme]

I think some of the reason for the lack of smiles was the lower level of dental hygiene/care during that time frame...no need to reveal all the snaggled and broken choppers.

Brian (speaking of snaggling, I snaggled these two images, one from our Val and the other from the internet)

[dstudeba]

A move to the West Coast can make you smile.

[Mark]

Freshest man on earth smiles.

[drcy]

In the early days of photography (1800s) it took a bit of time to take the photos, which is why people rarely smiled back then.

[kkkkandp]

Probably not a real smile, but it’s as close as you are going to get in the Old Judge set! [Image from Heritage Auction site]

[ValKehl]

If you had knocked in the winning run in the 12th inning of the 7th Game of the 1924 WS (making WaJo the winning pitcher in relief) for the Washington Senators first (and only) WS Championship in your first season in MLB, after just being acquired on August 8th from Sacramento (PCL) (for $50,000 & outfielder Wid Matthews) by Clark "The Old Fox" Griffith, you too would be smiling when your photo was being taken for your 1925 Exhibit card!

[GeoPoto]

One year later, Muddy Ruel looks like it is catching on. Maybe Nick Altrock's clowning around got them started.
https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1590171367
https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1590171375

[Mark]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

If you had knocked in the winning run in the 12th inning of the 7th Game of the 1924 WS (making WaJo the winning pitcher in relief) for the Washington Senators first (and only) WS Championship in your first season in MLB, after just being acquired on August 8th from Sacramento (PCL) (for $50,000 & outfielder Wid Matthews) by Clark "The Old Fox" Griffith, you too would be smiling when your photo was being taken for your 1925 Exhibit card!

Great exhibit card! He deserves lots of credit for that victory, even if credit is often given to a pebble in front of Lindstrom.

[ValKehl]

Yes, George, Muddy Ruel also had a big reason to smile because of his role in the outcome of the 7th Game of the 1924 WS as you probably know, and not only because he was WaJo's catcher. In the bottom of the 12th, Ruel hit a pop up behind home plate that Giants catcher Hank Gowdy failed to catch because he tripped over his discarded face mask. Given new life, Ruel doubled to left field (for Ruel, who batted .283 during the regular season, this was only his 2nd hit in 21 ABs in the 7 WS games), moved to third base when Travis Jackson fumbled WaJo's grounder, and then scored the winning run on Earl McNeely's hit.

It really is amazing that the Senators beat the Giants in the 1924 WS the more one thinks about it. The Giants were managed by John McGraw who had already won 10 NL pennants and 3 WS, including consecutive WS wins over the Yankees in 1921-22. The Senators were managed by rookie manager Stanley "Bucky" "Boy Wonder" Harris who was also their regular 2nd baseman. Of the Giants 8 position players, 7 are in the HOF - Fritsch, Jackson, Kelly, Lindstrom, Terry, Wilson & Youngs - and the 8th, Hank Gowdy was no slouch. Of the Senators 8 position players, only 2 are in the HOF as players - Goslin & Rice. The big difference in this WS was the pitching. The Giants had no HOF pitchers, while the Senators had WaJo, but he lost his 2 starts before coming through in relief in Game 7. It was the other Senators pitchers who really shined. The Senators WS ERA was 2.42, versus a 3.11 ERA for the Giants.

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by Mark

Great exhibit card! He deserves lots of credit for that victory, even if credit
is often given to a pebble in front on Lindstrom.

Mark, you are absolutely correct. In fact, the Senators tied the game in the 8th inning when a similar occurrence happened - "I bounced a lucky hit over Lindstrom's head with the bases full" said Bucky Harris in his biography entitled "Playing The Game" that he wrote after the 1924 season. The baseball gods were certainly kind to the Senators in the 7th Game of the 1924 WS (but not so in the 7th Game of the 1925 WS).

[lowpopper]

This is a great topic

[mhatun487]

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[Yoda]

Check out the T205 of Patsy Dougherty. Sorry no scan. Any help appreciated.

[ValKehl]

I apologize for taking this thread a bit off topic with my posts about the Senators amazing win of the 1924 WS. Very coincidentally, in today's Washington Post, Thomas Boswell, the dean of DC's sports writers, has written his column about the fantastic Game 7 of the 1924 WS - “Game 7 in ’24,” ESPN’s Sam Miller said, “is the best game in baseball history.” This is a fun read for anyone who might be interested- here's the link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...-similar-ring/

[Leon]

This ad card is a little later but Dizzy and Peewee knew how to smile.

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

I apologize for taking this thread a bit off topic with my posts about the Senators amazing win of the 1924 WS. Very coincidentally, in today's Washington Post, Thomas Boswell, the dean of DC's sports writers, has written his column about the fantastic Game 7 of the 1924 WS - “Game 7 in ’24,” ESPN’s Sam Miller said, “is the best game in baseball history.” This is a fun read for anyone who might be interested- here's the link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...-similar-ring/

In today's Wash. Post., Thomas Boswell writes about the 7th Game of the 1925 WS, won by the Pirates over the Senators. If you enjoyed Boswell's piece about the 7th Game of the 1924 WS, you may enjoy this one as well: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...ly-they-could/

[Leon]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

I think some of the reason for the lack of smiles was the lower level of dental hygiene/care during that time frame...no need to reveal all the snaggled and broken choppers.

Brian (speaking of snaggling, I snaggled these two images, one from our Val and the other from the internet)

I was thinking of that Donovan when I saw the title of this thread.