Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Merkle923]

Always fun to see obscure big leaguers in uniforms they never wore in the big time. Byrd suffered through part of the original Blue Jays' baptism by fire in 1977 and never again reached the majors. But he was in camp with the Mariners (more likely in 1980 than 1979) as today's full fledged return by Topps suggests.

[Merkle923]

Here's an early '80s Giants pitcher stuck in among the Caldwells and Calmuses and looking very much like 1983-84 transient Mark Calvert.

[Merkle923]

Another quick major league visitor, with the '63 Dodgers and '67 Cubs. The lighting and portrayal in the home uniform suggests this (and a few others Topps posted) date to Spring Training 1967, a month before his trade to Chicago.

[Merkle923]

And while this isn't a white whale per se, it's pretty tough. The long serving lefthander is seen frequently with the Giants, Padres, and Brewers, but almost not at all with the Reds (1977) and rarely with the Cards (1976). This image is clearly from Spring Training '77, just before he was dished off to Cincinnati.

[rico43]

Not sure where anyone sees a left-hander in that photo, but matching him with a Giants postcard shows his distinctive eyebrows. It's absolutely Calvert.

[FatJack]

The Vault gave us this long time White Whale in a few different poses in the home uni a couple of years back. Now we get Mr. Buskey in the powder blue road duds. Being as that sure looks like Shea behind him, and if we presume this picture was taken in 1977, we can actually narrow the date to September 7 or 8. The Phils won both games but Mr. Buskey played in neither.

[cheech411]

did Caldwell ever pitch for st louis ???? what yr??

[hobbs11]

Originally Posted by cheech411

did Caldwell ever pitch for st louis ???? what yr??

Nope...He was involved in a multiple player deal between St Louis and SF in October in '76. He was then flipped to Cincy by the Cards in March '77 for Pat Darcy. (who never made it out of the Cards minor leagues and didn't suit up for them in the bigs)

[FatJack]

Not sure how hard it is to find a picture of this short timer with Detroit and Houston, but you don't see a lot of him (no Houston image in the latest update).

[FatJack]

Legendary catcher and broadcaster Joe Garagiola passed away earlier today. He was 90 years old.

[Merkle923]

Very scarce in a major league uniform, star of Connecticut high school ball and husband of an ER nurse in the hospital closest to ESPN:

[Merkle923]

Rightfully belongs in the minor league thread, but he was a Venezuelan star infielder who made it as far as Spring Training with the '67 Braves

Alberto Cambero Register Statistics & History | Baseball-Reference.com

[Merkle923]

For a utility infielder with a 107-game career spread over four seasons with just one team, Lou Camilli certainly has proved vexing. Cleveland changed uniform styles three times during his short stay; this is the 1970-71 garb. There's a Brace image of him in the '69 red vest style and a team-issued black and white in the '72 stretch-knits (the HOF has a color image in that uniform style):

[Merkle923]

Made a couple of cards but I don't see clean images of this brief Braves reliever floating around - here's one to round out the highlights of the newest Topps postings.

[rico43]

He was commonly known as "Chopper" Campbell during his stint with the Braves. The nickname followed him from his collegiate career at East Tennessee State University.

[Amazin69]

Actually, the Lou Camilli pic is definitely from 1970. While the '71 uniform was largely similar to the 1970, the Indians had removed the red "shadow" font from the team name, and just went with basic blue pinstripes. Here are a couple of Tribesmen wearing the 1971 threads, presumably at ST 1972:


Mike Carruthers


Milt Wilcox


Steve Mingori

So a 1971 Camilli is still to be found. Lou does look good in the 1970 kit, though.

[Merkle923]

You're right. Which means Camilli played four seasons with the same team - in four different uniforms.

[Terry D]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

Here's an early '80s Giants pitcher stuck in among the Caldwells and Calmuses and looking very much like 1983-84 transient Mark Calvert.

The face does look like Calvert's to me, but he did not throw an official ML season pitch in that uniform. The Giants abandoned the style shown after the '82 season and Calvert made his debut in the following season, 1983. Of course, this might be an 83 spring training shot before the new uniforms were issued.

[keonleafs]

Originally Posted by rico43

Posed/Portaits only, not action shots


953-954 Mike Chris
.

Not Mike Chris. It is Doug Capilla pictured surely in Spring Training 1982 with the Giants, because of his uniform. Doug was originally drafted by the Giants in 1970, was in their minor farm clubs in 1970 & 72-73, but never made it with them. Drafted under Rule 5 by the Cards in 1973, he finally pitched in the bigs with them in 1976-77. Traded during the 1977 season to the Reds, then traded again to the Cubs in 1979. In December 1981, the Cubs traded him to the Giants for Allen Ripley. He must have been cut the following spring, finishing his career in the minors in 1982 with the Expos and White Sox farm teams.

[brobby05]

Hi Guys,


Thanks guys, for the nice pics of Lou Camilli. I had to include him on my "end of season" rosters for 1971 Total Classics set for my MVP Baseball 2005. Jack Heidemann didn't end the season with the Tribe, either by injury or minors...I forget. So I had to put another shortstop on the roster, and Camilli was next in line.


A Camilli pic is very hard to find...I had to use my 1972 Indians rookie star card from Topps for the portrait. I like the 1970 pose better but it has that stupid watermark up a little higher, and the 1971 one has a yellowish tinge to it. The 1970 one is a little bigger so maybe I can remove that watermark with Paint Shop Pro.


Anyhow, thanks a million for sharing all these great pics of the players. I told my wife that I saw the b & w pic of Mike Buskey in the 1974 Phils yearbook but I never saw a nice color one...until NOW!!! Keep up the SUPER work!!!


BRobby05