Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Originally Posted by Pinetarpress

A couple photos of Nate Colbert today with the Blue Jays...Nate never played in a big league game with the Blue Jays and had closed out his big league career with 2 games for the A's in 1976

He was in camp as an NRI in 1977. he was released in mid march.

[Merkle923]

Not a lot of him in his last uniform, the 1967 Angels.

Thursday's Topps uploads (KC): 741-742 Mark Littell; 743-744 Joe Lis; 745-746 Larry Lintz; 747-750 Don Kessinger; 751-754 Greg Luzinski; 755-756 Ken Boyer; 757-758 Doug Clemens; 759-760 Galen Cisco; 761-764 Nate Colbert; 765-768 Donn Clendenon; 769-772 Gene Clines; 773-774 Jim Coates; 775-776 Choo Choo Coleman; 778-779 Al Cicotte; 780-781 Luis Arroyo.

[Merkle923]

I've been meaning to post these for awhile. These are six images from the October 27, 1894 edition of "The Illustrated American." The publishers have presented them as game images of and celebrations after the decisive fourth game of the Temple Cup series that decided the National League Champions. Clearly they're all pre-game photographs taken in centerfield at the Polo Grounds in New York.

The Temple Cup was a well-intentioned albeit foolish attempt to recreate the excitement of the World's Championship Series of the late 1880's - even though by 1892 there was only one league left. The players often didn't take it seriously for the simple reason that it pitted the regular season first-place team against the runners-up. It was largely as dull as it sounds.

The second-place Giants upended the Baltimore Orioles in four straight. There are to my knowledge no other photos taken at Temple Cup games. The Cup itself - which under different circumstances might have become baseball's version of the Stanley Cup - its in a basement archive at the Hall of Fame, ignominiously wedged next to a Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium beer vendor's tray from the 1970's.

The first shot is of Giants' ace Jouett Meekin, who registered 33 of his 152 career wins that season.

[Merkle923]

You can make a pretty good case for Hall of Fame consideration for this 13-year outfielder, later calculated to have ended a career of 6732 plate appearances with an OPS+ of 138.

[Merkle923]

Here's another 19th Century superstar sadly barely remembered now. George Van Haltren broke in as a 21-year old pitcher in Chicago, 16 years later was still a regular performer in center for the Giants, and was still a regular for the PCL Oakland Oaks at age 43.

He's on the left. Next to him is left fielder Eddie Burke, and catchers Duke Farrell and Parke Wilson (more about him below).

Oh, and, yes, between Farrell and Wilson, behind the ropes, is a horse. Game accounts indicate that the final 4th game of October 8, 1894 (won by the Giants 16-3) was held up briefly in the 7th inning when two horses "got away from their owners" and ran onto the field.

[Merkle923]

"The Illustrated American" claims this is the second-year catcher and sometimes first baseman for the '94 Giants - I think it's actually pitcher Meekin (above).

Whoever he is, he's carrying what one assumes was something a fan brought to the game: a flag encouraging the home team to finish off Baltimore. And he's the centerpiece to what is, for my money, as great a 19th Century baseball photo as any ever taken.

Again looking at the background, that train is part of what was New York's extensive elevated rapid transit system - and a city tradition of having trains run right back of a ballpark and visible from within (Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium). All or part of that line remained in exactly that spot - just over the Polo Grounds fence - until the Giants moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season. It would eventually connect over a bridge over the adjoining Harlem River, to the still-running "El" train that runs past Yankee Stadium.

[Merkle923]

That's him, player-manager of the Giants, in his last game as a big leaguer, far right, as the team begins its parade towards home plate.

There are a lot of familiar faces in these two images. I believe the fellow in the striped warm-up coat is Ward's fellow Hall of Famer Amos Rusie.

These aren't the most face-friendly photos we've ever posted here but they're really evocative of what a championship game looked like a scant 122 years ago.

[Merkle923]

If you want to try to pick the guys out from the above "action" images, here's a team picture.

Back Row: C Parke Wilson, C Duke Farrell, CF George Van Haltren, 1B Roger Connor (HOF), P Jouett Meekin, P Huyler Westervelt, P Amos Rusie (HOF). Middle Row: P Dad Clark, P Les German, IF Jack Doyle, 2B-MGR John Montgomery Ward (HOF), OF Mike Tiernan, 3B George Stacey Davis (HOF), SS Shorty Fuller, LF Eddie Burke. In Front: IF-OF General Stafford, IF Yale Murphy

[SPORTSMEM817]

Lou Johnson Dodgers

[Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com

anyone with the 1966 Atlanta Braves Spring Training roster without NRI's. Thanks to any reply

1966 Braves, hold the wannabes ...

PITCHERS
36 Wade Blasingame
49 Jim Britton (military list)
20 Clay Carroll
53 Joe Cisterna
40 Tony Cloninger
51 Bob Daniel
37 Arnold Earley
34 Hank Fischer
54 Herb Hippauf
56 Pat Jarvis
30 Ken Johnson
22 Dick Kelley
23 Denny Lemaster
35 Phil Niekro
26 Ken Nixon
33 Billy O'Dell
25 Dan Schneider
32 Arnie Umbach
52 Cecil Upshaw

CATCHERS
18 John Blanchard
12 Gene Oliver
15 Joe Torre

INFIELDERS
16 Sandy Alomar
19 Felipe Alou
11 Lee Bales (military list)
2 Frank Bolling
7 Mike de la Hoz
41 Eddie Mathews
19 Denis Menke
47 Felix Millan
42 Billy Southworth
9 Lee Thomas
14 Woody Woodward

OUTFIELDERS
44 Henry Aaron
43 Rico Carty
45 Vince Ferguson
24 Adrian Garrett
31 Gary Geiger
48 Mack Jones
50 Carl Morton (yes, that Carl Morton)
46 Bill Robinson
39 Frank Thomas

But someone will end up asking ... non-roster invitees:

PITCHERS
55 Tom Dukes
38 Chi Chi Olivo
58 Jay RItchie
57 Charlie Vaughan

CATCHERS
60 Glenn Clark
59 Bill Hancock
61 Bob Turzilli

INFIELDER
62 Richard Grant

OUTFIELDERS
27 Billy Cowan
28 Jim Beauchamp

(This is from the media guide; pretty sure one or two changes took place late)

[rlumpkin1@tampabay.rr.com]

Originally Posted by Rainmaker

1966 Braves, hold the wannabes ...

PITCHERS
36 Wade Blasingame
49 Jim Britton (military list)
20 Clay Carroll
53 Joe Cisterna
40 Tony Cloninger
51 Bob Daniel
37 Arnold Earley
34 Hank Fischer
54 Herb Hippauf
56 Pat Jarvis
30 Ken Johnson
22 Dick Kelley
23 Denny Lemaster
35 Phil Niekro
26 Ken Nixon
33 Billy O'Dell
25 Dan Schneider
32 Arnie Umbach
52 Cecil Upshaw

CATCHERS
18 John Blanchard
12 Gene Oliver
15 Joe Torre

INFIELDERS
16 Sandy Alomar
19 Felipe Alou
11 Lee Bales (military list)
2 Frank Bolling
7 Mike de la Hoz
41 Eddie Mathews
19 Denis Menke
47 Felix Millan
42 Billy Southworth
9 Lee Thomas
14 Woody Woodward

OUTFIELDERS
44 Henry Aaron
43 Rico Carty
45 Vince Ferguson
24 Adrian Garrett
31 Gary Geiger
48 Mack Jones
50 Carl Morton (yes, that Carl Morton)
46 Bill Robinson
39 Frank Thomas

But someone will end up asking ... non-roster invitees:

PITCHERS
55 Tom Dukes
38 Chi Chi Olivo
58 Jay RItchie
57 Charlie Vaughan

CATCHERS
60 Glenn Clark
59 Bill Hancock
61 Bob Truzilli

INFIELDER
62 Richard Grant

OUTFIELDERS
27 Billy Cowan
28 Jim Beauchamp

(This is from the media guide; pretty sure one or two changes took place late)

Thanks for the 1966 spring roster and NRI's. I got NRI's from previous pages.

[Cusick]

If anyone is using baseball-reference trying to find Catcher Bob Truzilli from the NRI's in the above list, his surname is spelled Turzilli. The photo shows him with the Richmond Braves. This would normally be posted on the minor league thread, but am responding to his name being mentioned here.

Bob Turzilli Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[cheech411]

[Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Cusick

If anyone is using baseball-reference trying to find Catcher Bob Truzilli from the NRI's in the above list, his surname is spelled Turzilli. The photo shows him with the Richmond Braves. This would normally be posted on the minor league thread, but am responding to his name being mentioned here.

Bob Turzilli Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

Thanks for catching my typo. Since he was a big league camp invitee several times between 66-70, I hold out that hope he will emerge from the darkness of the Vault someday.

[Merkle923]

Also add #50 Don Johnson, C, to your 1966 Braves Non-Rosters. To my knowledge Turzilli was not photographed by Topps.

[DeweyintheHall]

Kyle's Sports Cards has list several nice images of this tough-to-find Yankee who appeared in 18 games in 1978 and 11 in 1979 for the Bombers. Now if only a Larry McCall would surface...

[DeweyintheHall]

I've seen a number of in-game shots recently of Fitzmorris, which, like this one currently listed by Dr. jteeee, shows Al chewing on something which looks like a lollipop. Does anyone know what his habit was? And, does anyone happen to have a color shot of him in his 1978 Indians uni?

[Rainmaker]

Friday's Topps Vault entries were all previously used images, but there is a lot more going on that just baseball, FYI.

Here are Friday's releases:
781 Bruce Brubaker (67), 782 Larry Brown (72), 783 Jackie Brown (75), 784 Ike Brown (74), 785-786 Jim Britton (69-70), 787 Ernie Broglio (61), 788 Bobby Brooks (70), 789 Dick Brown (62), 790 Hal Brown (61), 791 Pete Broberg (76), 792-793 Ed Brinkman (63-75), 794 Chuck Brinkman (74), 795-796 Nelson Briles (73-73T), 797 Harry Bright (62), 798 Dan Briggs (82T), 799 Fritz Brickell (61), 800 Tom Brewer (61).



Torture for the collectors awaiting the Vault to release Briles with KC.

The Vault has also filled Folder JZ with just a few more NFL images among the oddities (JZ 825-844).
Folder MA has opened with #s 1-20 all NFL images. I hope that means the "K" folders will continue to add baseball, unlike last winter.

[Merkle923]

Sorry - didn't know this was in demand.

Not one of mine, but I think I have a few warming-up-on-the-sidelines shots as well. I'll scour.

[Merkle923]

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