1958 Hires team distribution?

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Here's another curious aspect of the Hires set. Look at how many cards in the set feature pictures taken in Connie Mack Stadium. The only other set with more pictures from Philly than the Hires set is the 1955 Bowman set. And the photos bear a striking resemblence to the poses and colorization of the '55 Bowman set as well. It's not just the Phillies, but the Indians and Red Sox as well. Also, the A's stopped playing in Philly in '54, so the Indians and Red Sox pictures must date from that year. Where else could the photos have come from if not Bowman? I wouldn't be surprised if Topps used outtakes from the '55 Bowman photos for the Hires set. I just looked at the Frank Sullivan cards from each set. Not only are both shots taken in Philly, but the same guys are in the backgrounds of each photo and the grass is tinted the same unnatural color of green ...