Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Merkle923]

Three innings with the White Sox in 1972, yet preserved for us by Topps Vault:

[Merkle923]

...here again is Dan Neumeier, after a trade to Houston and in camp with the 1974 Astros (for whom he never appeared).

[FatJack]

He's baaa-aaack! Here's another shot of the mystery Brave from the latest Topps drop. Still alphabetized as though he's Ken Nixon which.....you know.....he's not. Bueller? Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

[FatJack]

The Mets released the 1976 Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones after the 1982 season. In his two years in New York, he'd gone 8-18 with an ERA well north of 4. The Pirates gave him a shot in 1983, but released him before the end of spring training. That ended Randy's pro career. He went on to tutor young pitchers including future Cy Young winner Barry Zito.

[FatJack]

Otis Nixon's younger brother Donell with the Giants (circa 1988-89).

[Merkle923]

How many things are wrong with this picture?

I can attest that the above hitter was in a folder marked "Ken Nixon, Braves, 1966."

Everything about this is wrong. The image matches nobody on the 1966 Atlanta spring roster AND the non-roster invitees. There WAS a number 50 in camp and it was then-outfielder Carl Morton. I've found images of all of them (only recently tripping over a picture of a career minor league catcher named Bob Turzilli) and he's not one of them. Moreover, while he might have been a minor leaguer in camp for a day, that was a rare thing in 1966 and there are at least a dozen major leaguers posed in virtually the same physical location as this guy was - so this wasn't taken at minor league camp. There were also no other Nixons in that organization that year nor in 1965, nor Nicksons, nor Dixons, and only one other Ken - and he was a lefty hitter.

There is only one near homophone for "Ken Nixon" in the Braves' farm system of that time, a young outfielder named "Butch Menton." Can't find an image for him nor any indication that he wandered through the Atlanta camp somehow in March, 1966.

Just for the record, The Unknown Soldier here is not Ken Nixon - THIS, also posted by Topps Vault today, is Ken Nixon:

[Buccos]

Thanks FatJack. First proper color shot of Randy Jones as a Buc.

[FatJack]

Originally Posted by Buccos

Thanks FatJack. First proper color shot of Randy Jones as a Buc.

Well, by all means, have another.

[FatJack]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

How many things are wrong with this picture?

I can attest that the above hitter was in a folder marked "Ken Nixon, Braves, 1966."

Everything about this is wrong. The image matches nobody on the 1966 Atlanta spring roster AND the non-roster invitees. There WAS a number 50 in camp and it was then-outfielder Carl Morton. I've found images of all of them (only recently tripping over a picture of a career minor league catcher named Bob Turzilli) and he's not one of them. Moreover, while he might have been a minor leaguer in camp for a day, that was a rare thing in 1966 and there are at least a dozen major leaguers posed in virtually the same physical location as this guy was - so this wasn't taken at minor league camp. There were also no other Nixons in that organization that year nor in 1965, nor Nicksons, nor Dixons, and only one other Ken - and he was a lefty hitter.

There is only one near homophone for "Ken Nixon" in the Braves' farm system of that time, a young outfielder named "Butch Menton." Can't find an image for him nor any indication that he wandered through the Atlanta camp somehow in March, 1966.

Just for the record, The Unknown Soldier here is not Ken Nixon - THIS, also posted by Topps Vault today, is Ken Nixon:

If I've mentioned this before, I apologize. The Braves used to do a thing with the Wisconsin newspapers. The papers would, annually, pick out the top high school baseball players. The award for hitters was "Silver Sluggers". The winners of these awards (there were usually 3 or 4, all tolled) would then get to work out/try out for the Braves the following spring...always with the unspoken promise of, "who knows, they might sign you").

Looking through old newspapers, the Braves did this from the mid-50s at least until the advent of the draft. Of the years I could find specific mention, none were ever signed by the Braves and only one ever played any pro ball at all (in the Mets system, of all things). But they'd get their invite and there would be shots of them in the Milwaukee papers sliding into bases or posing like hitters or pitchers.

Now I realize this is somewhat problematic since the draft started in 1965. But (he asks, waiting for the inevitable slap down) is it possible that the Braves were fulfilling an obligation they'd taken on in Milwaukee--tying up loose ends with the Silver Sluggers promotion and this guy, this mystery guy, was one of those high school kids working out his baseball fantasy camp, as it were, before moving on to a life outside of pro baseball (as the majority of them did)? I wouldn't imagine they cared much what number they assigned to those kids; they weren't staying or anything.

Just asking.

[rico43]

Before I take a break (really, I swear) from this project, wanted to close out one more folder and make a dent in another and urge everyone's willingness to take a crack at them as they appear over in "that other web site."

bk948


BK970


EC312 (also 313)


EC325 (also 326)


EC723 (also 724)


By my count, we have full ID's on 79 folders (over at Baseball Birthdays), and have a dozen more in progress. Your help on the two images from BK will make it an even 80!

[Merkle923]

Given that the Braves didn't even televise their games in Milwaukee in 1965 (but did televise them in Atlanta), and wee being sued by that city and the state, it seems highly unlikely they'd have a contest for Wisconsin kids the year after they got the injunction lifted and they moved - and in the major league camp on Topps photo day, just about the same hour Hank Aaron was posed.

Also, Topps blew plenty of ID's (think George Korince/Jim Brown) but to my knowledge they never photographed a high school contest-winner having mistaken him for a player.

[Merkle923]

From the top
- Al Lary (Texas League picture colorized circa 1962)
- Gene Ross 1964
- Murray Wall 1958/59
- Jim Hughes 1956
- Luis Sanchez 1983 (image used on 1984 card)

[rico43]

A record time response! Thanks yet again. Hope to stay alive on this board because that da** Braves player above has become somewhat of an albatross, given my 1966 Braves project of the past winter. I will raise a laurel and hearty handshake to whomever nails him down.

Only today, I was investigating the April 5, 1966 trade of Don Dillard for Chris Cannizzaro, but he of course is neither of them, either. But now I'm wondering if there are any photos of Dillard in Braves camp that spring.

[rico43]

From the tail-end of his 12-year career, Frank Lary finished in 1965 with a 14-game stint with the White Sox after beginning the year with the Mets. But there was no 1966 card; this (or one of several images in the EC folder) would have been that card. Too bad.

[rico43]

.

[Merkle923]

That's Dean Stone during his brief stay with the White Sox in 1962. The tip-off, besides the lack of facial resemblance, is the uniform number on the sleeve, which the White Sox did not adopt until 1960.

As I recall Topps did photograph Howie Pollet with the White Sox in 1956 (they certainly shot him with the Pirates, and later as pitching coach of the Cards and Astros). But that's Stone.

Pollet with the White Sox can be found in the "help finding photos" thread here: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post3250024

[tnfoto]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

That's Dean Stone during his brief stay with the White Sox in 1962. The tip-off, besides the lack of facial resemblance, is the uniform number on the sleeve, which the White Sox did not adopt until 1960.

As I recall Topps did photograph Howie Pollet with the White Sox in 1956 (they certainly shot him with the Pirates, and later as pitching coach of the Cards and Astros). But that's Stone.

Pollet with the White Sox can be found in the "help finding photos" thread here: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post3250024

In addition to the Brace photo Merkle linked to above, Don Wingfield caught Pollet during 1956 spring training.

[rico43]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

That's Dean Stone during his brief stay with the White Sox in 1962. The tip-off, besides the lack of facial resemblance, is the uniform number on the sleeve, which the White Sox did not adopt until 1960.

As I recall Topps did photograph Howie Pollet with the White Sox in 1956 (they certainly shot him with the Pirates, and later as pitching coach of the Cards and Astros). But that's Stone.

Pollet with the White Sox can be found in the "help finding photos" thread here: http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...ml#post3250024

At 2 a.m., it looked like Pollet's 56 Topps card. A bad way for me to step away, but step away I shall.

[hobbs11]

It worked as part of an out of the blue request for Ray Busse weeks back, so I thought I would try with a few of my open gaps for the following players. Any quality photo that you all might have in color (non photo-shopped) would be fantastic! Thanks all!

Here goes.....

1978
Tom Bruno - Stl
Gary Gray - Tex
Paul Mirabella - Tex

1979
Joe Decker - Sea
John Hale - Sea
Rich Hinton - Sea
Bob Stinson - Sea

1980
Von Joshua - SD
Bob Detherage - KC
Rusty Torres - KC
Balor Moore - Tor
Dave Rajsich - Tex

[Merkle923]

There's a long story behind why there's a white stripe in the corner, but if you can work with this, here he is, in a photo I took myself at Yankee Stadium.