Cabinet Photo: Did I just miss out on a doozy? (Walter Johnson)

[Prof]

I'm no expert in the realm of vintage baseball. But, I just lost an auction for a few old cabinet photos. This one was in the lot. From what I could tell:

- It is marked San Bernardino California 1911-12.

- Jerseys say Urbita. That appears to be the Urbita Stars, some sort of winter league team in California that would play with some major league ringers and whatnot during the offseason. Sometimes they appear to have played under pseudonyms.

- I found a newspaper from February 1912 that had a box score that matched most of the players in the photo (including Altizer), so it had to be around then. But, it wasn't for this game.

- The photo is marked by row, and I could ID all but two guys on baseball-reference. I couldn't find the Smith guy, or the one with writing on his chest.

-As you can see, the middle row has an A's player (I believe Cy Morgan(?) under a pseudonym), Chief Meyers, Dave Altizer, and potentially Walter Johnson.

- Chief Meyers and Walter Johnson both had family about 45-60 minutes away from the team's home park... which would lead me to think they could drop into a game for a few bucks while visiting family around area during the winter holidays/offseason.


So, am I totally crazy? Does that look like Walter Johnson to you? It really looks like him to me.

I can't find any references to Johnson, Meyers, or the A's player, ever having played a game for them.


If you think that's Walter Johnson, what do you think the value on that should've been? I'm sure it has to be one of a kind at this point.

I'm kicking myself for being the underbidder, but I just had no clue on the value.

The only photo. Click for slightly bigger resolution, but that's all I've got:

[Hankphenom]

Great photo with the Chief and others, but no WaJo. He wasn't living in California at that point.

[Rad_Hazard]

Excellent photo, but I don't see Walter Johnson in that picture, not at all.

[Scott Garner]

Really? No way

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Great photo with the Chief and others, but no WaJo. He wasn't living in California at that point.

Interesting... I looked up some pertinent dates, and saw that WaJo attended Fullerton High School as a freshman in 1904. By 1907, he had already signed on with the Senators. I played high school ball for rival Troy High (also in Fullerton). We actually played our night games at Amerige Park, which was the former site of Fullerton High when WaJo played there. Very tough to even wrap my head around that one!

Getting back to things people may actually care about.... Fullerton High School has the distinction of being the only high school to produce 3 major leaguers who threw no-hitters. I bet there's at least one guy here (paging Mr. Garner) who can name all three.

[mrreality68]

still a great photo but I agree with the others

[RUKen]

Definitely not Walter Johnson.

A clipping from the San Bernardino County Sun, dated in December 1911, indicates that the Urbita Stars had a left fielder named Johnson:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2668...no-county-sun/

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Interesting... I looked up some pertinent dates, and saw that WaJo attended Fullerton High School as a freshman in 1904. By 1907, he had already signed on with the Senators. I played high school ball for rival Troy High (also in Fullerton). We actually played our night games at Amerige Park, which was the former site of Fullerton High when WaJo played there. Very tough to even wrap my head around that one!

Getting back to things people may actually care about.... Fullerton High School has the distinction of being the only high school to produce 3 major leaguers who threw no-hitters. I bet there's at least one guy here (paging Mr. Garner) who can name all three.

Hey Mark,
I know of two Fullerton High School students that went on to pitch a MLB no-hitter: WaJo in 1920 and Steve Busby (no-hitters in 1973 and 1974), but I am completely stumped on who the 3rd pitcher is.
Who was it???

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Hey Mark,
I know of two Fullerton High School students that went on to pitch a MLB no-hitter: WaJo in 1920 and Steve Busby (no-hitters in 1973 and 1974), but I am completely stumped on who the 3rd pitcher is.
Who was it???

Nice job on getting Busby.... he was truly spectacular for a few years, but his career had an unfortunately short peak.

Mike Warren (former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics) is the third. Though he made just 27 starts in his career, he pitched a no-hitter at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox on September 29, 1983.

Definitely one of the most obscure pitchers to hurl a no-no.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Nice job on getting Busby.... he was truly spectacular for a few years, but his career had an unfortunately short peak.

Mike Warren (former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics) is the third. Though he made just 27 starts in his career, he pitched a no-hitter at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox on September 29, 1983.

Definitely one of the most obscure pitchers to hurl a no-no.

Mark,
That's really interesting about Mike Warren.
FYI, Mike Warren lives in Anaheim not far from Disneyland.

Funny story about Mike Warren:
A good friend of mine worked in the Ticket Office at Anaheim Stadium for many years as a second job. Mike Warren and his wife came up to the Will Call window as a guest of someone on the A's who were the visiting team that night.

My friend Tom said, "Hey you're Mike Warren the no-hit pitcher that used to be with the A's!"
Warren was obviously happy to be recognized.

His wife brought him back to earth quickly when she said "No, that's Mike Warren the house painter!" LOL

Mike Warren the former rookie no-hit pitcher from Fullerton High School is now a professional house painter...

[NiceDocter]

“Gee thanks honey” LOL

[perezfan]

That's too funny Scott. Sounds a lot like something my wife would say if I was a bit too pleased with myself.

I do have to give her credit for one thing... she coined the phrase "nerd porn" for this forum and all the "stuff" we collect. Tough to really argue that one!