1879 Dubuque Photo -Will the Real Comiskey please stand up or sit down?

[bmarlowe1]

Really this is pretty much just simple shape matching. Even though you chose an extremely blurry photo for your Comiskey exemplar (below far right), it is still clear enough to see that ear shape is very similar to that of Comiskey (center) and very different than that of of the "Dubuque" guy. Ears remain virtually unchanged during the time span represented by these photos.

So, how do you explain the uniforms, and do you really think that guy front row right looks like Radborune?

What you have is a kid's team. I hope you didn't spend too much money buying it and then blowing it up to massive size.

[Directly]

Thanks, now your being contructive, but I will be honest, in my opinion your middle photo of Comiskey facial features actually resembles my photo better than my example. Athough studing your comparions the ears still look the same to me in my example on the right. In the book 1919 Commy by GW Axelson its mentioned when Comiskey came to St Louis for a exhibition game their uniform resembled pajamas, so who knows what they had available at different times. Yes I agree a 18 year old is a kid and back then I suppose many young players smoked cigars like Cliff Carrol is holding. Again I believe I have a good case!-the ear appears to have a slight indentation, not perfectly straight!

[bmarlowe1]

I'm always constructive.

>>>in my opinion your middle photo of Comiskey facial features actually resembles my photo...the ears still look the same to me...

I have no doubt that to you they look alike. However, with all due respect, that means very little when the ear shapes are grossly different. The back edge of Commy's ear is long and fairly straight, the back edge of the Dubuque player's ear is very curved. If you can't see that I can't help you.

Hopefully enough people can distinguish a straight line from a curved line so that if this photo ever comes on the market the demand will be nill (I think that's constructive).

[Directly]

No problem and thanks again for the opinions, I am posting some later photos of other players I believe are in my photo-any other experts out there??--thanks for looking!--my Comiskeys ear is not curved as can be seen in the better but not hi-res team photo?

[bmarlowe1]

Your photo of Jack Rowe just above is actually Dave Rowe - that's a known NYPL Spalding Collection error. You can read about it here (page 13):

https://sabr.box.com/shared/static/t...lum70lefpk.pdf

So that implies that you are saying Dave Rowe is in your photo. If so, then it's not Dubuque because Dave Rowe was not on the team.

You will not be able to establish that any of those people are in your photo. Yeah, that's just my opinion.

Having blown this photo up to 3 by 4 feet and having already written these names over it, I just don't think you will ever be rational about it. Again, just my opinion.

So - are you the same Tom from the Sports Collectors Digest article (and the above Telegraph Herald article) that "found" this photo?

[Directly]

Thats OK-I'm here for the help and appreciate any other help or constructive imput --Jack and Dave Rowe both played for Rockford in the North Western League. I will be rational and I'm here for the wise. It's just the odds of a very old Dubuque cabinet photo found in St Louis with a young player thats a spitting image of Comiskey astronomical--anyone have a copy of his Old Judge Baseball card, the one showing him sliding I believe says World Champions?--let me know--thanks again

Note: Both Jack Rowe and Carroll joined Ted Sullivan in Dubuque around 1879, so yes they knew Comiskey.

[bmarlowe1]

Originally Posted by Directly

Thats OK-I'm here for the help and appreciate any other help or constructive input ----- It's just the odds of a very old Dubuque cabinet photo found in St Louis with a young player thats a spitting image of Comiskey astronomical-

Tom,
You edited your 11:55 PM post where you had originally asked for other opinions "for the love of the game." Really? - I am guessing it has more to do with you having tried to sell this piece fairly recently.

You are very confused about the issue of probability. As far as spitting image - no, some resemblance, yes. If you were going though a lot of old baseball photos specifically looking for someone that resembled Comiskey - that would certainly take some time but the odds of finding one would not at all be astronomical. Of course, it is the odds of the player actually being Comiskey that would be astronomically against you.

If you instead go through a lot of old baseball photos looking for a player who resembles any prominent 19thC player with some connection to Missouri - that is actually very easy to find. Again, the chance of the ID being correct would be very small.