research needs on T206 players

[Archive]

Posted By: Frank Wakefield

For the past several years I've worked on a book (work a week, set aside for a month...), I might even try to publish it one day. It is about the players in T206. When I started collecting T206s, Sunny Jim Dygert was my second card, and I had not heard of him. Where could I find out about him??? Well, the encyclopedia's give you some stats. But who was he? And that gave me a title, borrowed loosely from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid... "Who are these guys?" An example of what I'm doing is to preserve and pass on that "Wabash" George Mullin tended bar at the Elks Lodge in Wabash, Indiana after his playing days were over.

So here's what I'm after. Little tidbits about the lives and antics of players in T206. I have quite a bit. Specifically, what I'd like is to get you guys with Spalding Guides to look in the years from the mid 20s into the 40s, in the section called "Death Toll" I have guides for 1934 and 1938. In that section in each guide there are small paragraphs about passing players. If you could either scan and email, or photocopy and mail, great. I'll reimburse postage and photocopying, and I'm extremely patient. Ideally, email me with what you could send one day, and I'll email back and let you know whether I need that or if someone else has already sent it.

If/when the publication occurs, I'll acknowledge your help in print, for the readers to see.

Thanks, guys and gals! Frank. fwakefield1@comcast.net

[Archive]

Posted By: Max Weder

Frank

I recommend that you check out the SABR biography project at http://bioproj.sabr.org/?m=5&s=192

It's an attempt by SABR (http://www.sabr.org) to have a short biography written about every major league player, as well as other people in the game.

Not all bios are done (by any means), but many that aren't done list authors who have been assigned. You can contact them for information they have already gathered, and I'm sure they'd be pleased to hear from you as to your information.


Max

[Archive]

Posted By: Rich Klein

But when my much beloved by everyone SABR Trivia Partner Eddie Gold passed on, his son sent me much of his non-essential "papers". In those papers, are biographies of what happenned to many early Chicago Cubs after their playing career. Many of those players got hurt by the depression and I remember one of them was killed while crossing the street to go to his job pumping gas. Anyway, those boxes are deep in storage and as I start moving stuff out as we start figuring out what I can bring over for my new "office" in my new home -- I might be able to dig up some of that stuff for you

Rich

[Archive]

Posted By: Max Weder

Frank

While this won't help with T206 players in the years of issue or post-career, SABR has on line Sporting Life pdf's from 1899 to 1900. Interesting reading.

http://www.sabr.org/sabr.cfm?a=cms,c,1018,5,177

Max

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott Mosley

Jimmy Sheckard would be the player you are likely referring to who was struck by an auto and killed on his way to his job at a gas station.

He has become one of my favorite players of his era and I have a nice little type collection of his cards going.

Scott