LOTG Contest

[Howe’s Hunter]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I believe it says 'Alpem', not 'Alpern', and it's a Jewish player.

Last week, typing in Alpem in Google, it came up with a scanned article from a Salt Lake City newspaper dating to 1911 that mentioned a "Alpems staff of lefties" but like many of the old newpapers that have been scanned, it ran across a whole page, so what might have been the first five words in an article in column five was followed by the first five words in column six. When I went to view the actual scan of the page, it said I had to join the site for $60 a year full access, and I wasn't quite ready to do that. Now today, I can't find that article.

[nolemmings]

DJ looks to be on fire. Seems that Honus was not at Hot Springs in 1909 either, so the photo is from 1910 or later.

BTW, thanks to a kind board member (angelpece) for digging up a tidbit that keeps me in the running with my guess of magistrate Louis Alpern. Here is a blurb from the Pittsburgh Gazette on March 11, 1911, under the heading HANS WAGNER TO LEAVE TODAY FOR HOT SPRINGS--note the last line:


So if the photo is from 1911, or if Alpern made a trip with the team to Hot Springs in 1910, he may be the guy--although it will likely be tough to come up with a photo of him from that time for comparison.

[Al C.risafulli]

Todd, I bet you've got it.

-Al

[sb1]

Here is an image of his son Philip, similar nose, and facial features.

http://ak-cache.legacy.net/legacy/im...000000253e563c

[Jobu]

Nice, looking like it is Louis Alpern assuming he looks anything like his son. I wonder if the Post Gazette's archives or the Pittsburgh Historical Society (http://pittsburghistoricalsociety.com/) would have a photo.

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

DJ looks to be on fire. Seems that Honus was not at Hot Springs in 1909 either, so the photo is from 1910 or later.

BTW, thanks to a kind board member (angelpece) for digging up a tidbit that keeps me in the running with my guess of magistrate Louis Alpern.

Board member (angelpece) helped me with some research I was doing on Whitey Ford back in December. He's turning out to be quite the detective for our modest board. Well done!

[Al C.risafulli]

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd take a moment to introduce you all to Louis Alpern, Pittsburgh alderman and police magistrate.



Alpern was part of a group of nine people that included Tommy Leach and Barney Dreyfus, who headed down to Hot Springs, Arkansas in March of 1911 to join the Pirates at Spring Training.

An article in the March 14, 1911 issue of the Pittsburgh Gazette not only makes reference to Alpern's being at Spring Training, but in a single paragraph, refers to A) how Alpern got a Pirates uniform, B) the 14-pound medicine ball in the background of the photo, and C) the players having fun at the non-players' expense!

You can read the whole story here.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled to extend a $200 auction credit to Todd, who's "wild theory" turned out to be completely accurate! Todd's research also puts a date on the cabinet photo that is Lot #3 in the current auction, which we had dated to 1910, but is actually 1911.

Congrats, Todd!

Catalogs mailed to active bidders yesterday, and anyone who tried digging into this puzzle is sure to love the cover!

-Al