Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Cusick]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

Every time Reds spring trainings of the '60s come up, I'm reminded of this guy. He was in a McCarthy collection I obtained some time ago - two color poses and two black and whites, likely from different years, only one set dated.

In the dated shots (1963) he's in a catcher's crouch, in a windbreaker under the vest, wearing number 57.

In this second batting pose, you can see the "5" but not the second number. It's possible this is also from 1963 but not only is he in shirtsleeves with a slightly different haircut but it looks like the signs on the outfield wall are different. My hunch is this shot is 1964. He's not Tom Tischinski, Larry Himes, Dick Kennedy, or Jim Saul, nor any of the Reds' big league backstops - each of them was shot separately by McCarthy.

Any evidence as to who this Reds catcher might be?

This is the best photo I have of Bob Weaver, and it isn't very good. But it looks a bit like the unidentified Reds catcher. Bob Weaver was a non-roster invitee with the Reds in 1965 and 1966. The photo is from the Troy (NY) Record of June 6, 1962 and shows him with the Salisbury Braves.

One concern I'll admit about this suggestion is that Weaver was supposedly a left-handed batter, and the catcher was pictured as a right-handed batter.

The only other catchers I know of who were in the Reds' camp during the appropriate time period and haven't been mentioned by you, Merkle, or weren't major leaguers were Pedro Rafael "Jake" Martinez (1962-64 and 1967 NRI) and Roger Wayne Hyden (1963 NRI). I've not been able to find photos of those two.

Robert Weaver Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Pedro Martinez Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Roger Hyden Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[Cusick]

The unidentified Cincinnati Red catcher is not Bill Blasberg. I've posted a photo of Blasberg on the minor league thread. His right ear sticks out much too far to be the catcher Merkle is trying to identify. The Blasberg photo is on the following page:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post4067984

[cheech411]

jim northup expos 1974 anything???

[Chickazoola]

Here is a photo of John Graff who played for the 1893 Washington Nationals. He was a long time member of the D.C. Jolly Fat Men's Club and was pictured with their champion bowling team in the December 25, 1910 Washington Herald.

[Chickazoola]

Bill McCauley, 1895 Washington Senators as found on Ancestry.com - William Henry McCauley.

[Chickazoola]

John H.T. "Jack" Leiper missing player from the 1891 Columbus Solons as found on Ancestry.com

[SDL]

Originally Posted by Cusick

Received a fairly rapid reply from Randal C. Fairbanks. He confirms that the Topps Vault photo is of him, and he is known informally as Randy Fairbanks. He was happy to have the photo, and looks forward to sharing it with his grandkids.

You'd be surprised how many players have no idea that these TV pics of themselves exist.

[Merkle923]

Or better yet, as we saw with the 1976 non-roster Tiger invitee Tom Caponi, the posing was one of the highlights of their careers and they've been searching for the images for decades.

Thanks for all the help on the Reds catcher. The McCarthy proof photos are dated March, 1963 - could be a mistake but he made few of them. And Topps repeatedly shot Jake Martinez: not a match. Weaver is a possibility but I'd be happier if we knew he was in camp in '63.

[FatJack]

I can find no evidence that Weaver was in camp in 1963, but multiple notations that Roger Hyden was (including the NRI list Merkle posted in 2015).

Roger also gets listed in an overview of the Reds spring squad that appeared in the February 16, 1963 Valley Morning Star (attached). Noticably absent from that list is Weaver.

Hyden was an Eastern League All-Star in 1962. That's the kind of thing that gets a carcher a spring invite.

That said....no picture.

[FatJack]

Correction: Roger was an All-Star in the Florida State League, which was divided East/West and he was on the East squad.

FWIW, here's a picture of Roger's son. The ears look familiar. Although it doesn't show up on Baseball-Reference, Roger Hyden Sr. is deceased and has been since at least 2011.

[Cusick]

Sorry, but the fellow on the right is Roger Hyden's son. The caption says so, and if you look closely at the name tag worn by the fellow on the right, it says "Roger Hyden."

[Cusick]

An article in the Troy (NY) Record of March 8, 1963 indicated that Bob Weaver planned to leave on March 24 for Tampa, FL and the AA Macon Peaches' spring training camp. The Reds' spring camp was also located in Tampa. Whether there's a possibility that the photographer could have maneuvered between camps I'll leave for others to judge. It would probably be unlikely for a teen-age Weaver to be donning a Reds' uniform that late in spring training.

[FatJack]

Originally Posted by Cusick

Sorry, but the fellow on the right is Roger Hyden's son. The caption says so, and if you look closely at the name tag worn by the fellow on the right, it says "Roger Hyden."

OK, you got me. I have never known my right from my left. I don't know why that is, but it is (I'm also dyslexic, so maybe that has something to do with it).

But did you have to squash the picture to make him look even fatter than he is?

[tnfoto]

A couple of 1942 Phillies options. Sadly, I can't recall the source.

John also posted a nice colorization over at Baseball-Birthdays.

[tnfoto]

A couple of 1932 White Sox options, both courtesy of thecatspajamas.

[tnfoto]

1949 Pirates. The phil_masi_pirates image in the batters pack actually pictures Clyde McCullough, from McCullough's 1950 Bowman card.

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Tom Tischinski-1965 yearbook

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Dan Neville from 1965 yearbook

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Larry Dovel from 1965 yearbook

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Ed Hill from 1965 yearbook