Goudey Question: Why Is Ruth on the Mound?

[robw1959]

Some have speculated that he decided to pose for a camera shot of him swinging the bat while on the pitcher's mound because he started his career as a pitcher. I get that, but yet Lou Gehrig is also swinging his bat on the mound on his two '33 Goudey cards.

In the absence of any factual information, my best guess is that Yankee outfielders of that era improved their fielding skills when Ruth and Gehrig hit baseballs to them from the pitcher's mound during batting practice. Fences were pretty far from home plate back then (typically 450' or more), so maybe those outfielders could gain quicker reaction times when tracking those balls?

More information would be appreciated, because it is a bit of an oddity to see a batter swinging from the pitcher's mound on a baseball card.

[jason.1969]

The Goudey artwork uses fabricated backgrounds. Here is the original Conlon photo.


Jason
Twitter: @heavyj28

[Fred]

Hey Rob, I'm not making fun of the thread but I wonder if it was as simple as he happened to be on the mound with a bat and someone said, "hey Babe, can I get a picture?"

How many of you have played albums backwards in search of a hidden meaning or phrase?

Interesting question though. Would be interesting to hear a back story or two.

[robw1959]

Okay . . . that's a possibility. But what was he doing with the bat on the mound? I mean does that make sense for anyone to go out there with a bat?

I like the Conlon theory about adding in the background, but why would they add a pitcher's mound to his card and to Gehrig's as well?

[Fred]

See, that's the stuff I like to read - Conlon's theory, for example.

[insidethewrapper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFYPy3r0CYY

[BobC]

Originally Posted by robw1959

Some have speculated that he decided to pose for a camera shot of him swinging the bat while on the pitcher's mound because he started his career as a pitcher. I get that, but yet Lou Gehrig is also swinging his bat on the mound on his two '33 Goudey cards.

In the absence of any factual information, my best guess is that Yankee outfielders of that era improved their fielding skills when Ruth and Gehrig hit baseballs to them from the pitcher's mound during batting practice. Fences were pretty far from home plate back then (typically 450' or more), so maybe those outfielders could gain quicker reaction times when tracking those balls?

More information would be appreciated, because it is a bit of an oddity to see a batter swinging from the pitcher's mound on a baseball card.

Are you sure that is a pitching mound? Doesn't, and never, looked like it to me. Always thought it was maybe supposed to be like an on-deck area, sort of as in the above photo someone posted that shows the actual photo supposedly used as a basis for the image on the Goudey card. In fact, I would think that swinging a bat on a mound could actually be dangerous. With the normal stride one takes when swinging, your front foot could come down on a strange angle or an uneven area of the mound, and actually cause a fall or maybe even worse. Also, if that is supposed to be a mound, where's the pitching rubber? And lastly, if it was a mound, wouldn't the main shadow show more of a curvature and drop-off at the edge. It actually looks more like he's standing in a somewhat squared area of sand/dirt, not a mound at all.

[brianp-beme]

I have always thought of it as just a square of dirt...mounds, besides the elevation part, have pretty much been round in shape. So it was just the artists fanciful and non-accurate way to introduce some dirt contrast, and thus simulate a batters box while having the outfield stands in the background (even if that means the Babe is facing the wrong direction). Otherwise, if accuracy had been a priority, Ruth's backside would have been facing us, the baseball card viewer.

Brian

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by insidethewrapper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFYPy3r0CYY

Thanks, but I am not sure what the point is of this batting practice clip. It's a cool clip though, and maybe that's the point!

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by BobC

Are you sure that is a pitching mound? Doesn't, and never, looked like it to me. Always thought it was maybe supposed to be like an on-deck area, sort of as in the above photo someone posted that shows the actual photo supposedly used as a basis for the image on the Goudey card. In fact, I would think that swinging a bat on a mound could actually be dangerous. With the normal stride one takes when swinging, your front foot could come down on a strange angle or an uneven area of the mound, and actually cause a fall or maybe even worse. Also, if that is supposed to be a mound, where's the pitching rubber? And lastly, if it was a mound, wouldn't the main shadow show more of a curvature and drop-off at the edge. It actually looks more like he's standing in a somewhat squared area of sand/dirt, not a mound at all.

Maybe so, maybe so. That way, the Goudey artist was free to create any background that would evoke being in a ballpark, including a colorful outfield fence replete with advertising banners. Makes sense to me.