@1921 Lefty Grove Photo

[Cardboard Junkie]

Is that "Lefty" in your avatar, Leon? Cool Card! Dave.

[RCMcKenzie]

Baseball-Reference has Grove on Martinsburg only for the 1920 season.

[Zach Wheat]

Where is Brad when you need him?

Z Wheat

[RCMcKenzie]

Here is "Groves" (far right) from an excerpt of a 1921 Baltimore photo.

[CobbvLajoie1910]

Nevermind.

[CobbvLajoie1910]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Is that "Lefty" in your avatar, Leon? Cool Card! Dave.

Its Carl Hubbell.

[thecatspajamas]

Bill,
I would e-mail or PM Rhys (same username for Net54) and I'm sure he would be glad to explain his reasoning. The posted scan is too small for me to make out whether he has an 'M' on his cap (though the image may be too washed out in that area to tell anyway). The back of the photo does have 1921 and Baltimore pencilled on it, but every image I can find of Baltimore players from either 1920 or 1921 has the black portion of the sock extending all the way down. I don't have an image of any Martinsburg players for either of those years, so I don't know that that proves anything definitively, but there may be some other supporting evidence for Martinsburg that I can't see or am overlooking. Either way, Rhys is a good guy, and I'm sure can shed more light on it than I can second-guessing him.

And if you would, please post your findings back here, because now you've got my curiosity up

[RCMcKenzie]

Did y'all ever learn anymore about this one. It seems like the pencil notation of '1921 Baltimore Groves' could possibly correct, which would still make it a nice photo.

You would probably get more replies on the memorabila board. Maybe Rhys is seeing an insignia on the hat that looks like an M. To me, It looks similar to the Baltimore uniform with a warm-up jacket and ankle sleeves.

[prewarsports]

Hi

I have had many researchers trying to help with this photo. What I can confirm 100% is that it is pre Philadelphia and absolutely is not Baltimore based on the uniform. The date on the back is a file date and should not be confused with the date of the actual image. It has to be either Martinsburg or a young Grove wearing some type of odd uniform very early in his career (barnstorming or something). I wish I could be more help, but I honestly have had several researchers working with me on it and the evidence points to Martinsburg but nothing is concrete. It is a very early Gorve no doubt about it.




FYI, we will have the best selection of early Hall of Famer photographs ever assembled in our Auction next Month at

www.RMYAuctions.com

Including some additional early Grove images including a 1926 by Louis Van Oeyen!

Rhys

[leftygrove10]

Sorry. I did not see this thread earlier. The seller was originally trying to sell this photo saying that it was a Baltimore Orioles uniform. I emailed him and told him that I didn't think it was an Orioles uniform. For one, the Orioles uniform has the Oriole bird on the cap.

I offered my opinion that this photo was actually a Philadelphia Athletics uniform likely from 1925.

He is now saying that it is a Martinsburg Mountaineers uniform. Lefty played for Martinsburg in 6 games in 1920. He was then sold/traded to the Orioles. I have not seen a Martinsburg Mountaineers uniform from 1920. I have seen other Martinsburg uniforms that have an M on them, but they were not from 1920.

I stand by my original opinion that this is a 1925 Philadelphia Athletics uniform. I will post some pictures below to let you make up your own mind.

[leftygrove10]

The first photo below is the photo of Lefty from eBay.

The second photo is a picture of Connie Mack and his son Earle from 1925. This shows a Philadelphia Athletics uniform from 1925 along with a sweater/jacket that appears to be the same as what Lefty is wearing in the eBay photo.

You can find this picture at the link below, which indicates that this picture was taken in 1925.

http://www.three-eye.com/galChiDailyNews.html

The third photo is a picture of Lefty that I believe was taken in 1925.

[leftygrove10]

Here is a picture of Lefty in a Philadelphia Athletics uniform with the elephant logo. If the eBay photo is from 1925, then that uniform should be very similar to this one.