Quote:
Originally Posted by Merkle923
It's not Ken Nixon.
It's in a Topps envelope marked "Ken Nixon." It was in a file marked "Ken Nixon."
Nevertheless, it's somebody else. For one thing, Nixon was a pitcher and this guy is in only batting and portrait poses. For another, there is a separate shoot for 1966 of Ken Nixon and he's pitching and wearing uniform number 26.
But to confuse things even further are all the Braves rosters I have seen for spring training 1966 (and this is the only possible date for it - the cream color of the uniforms, the light, the backgrounds match every other photo I've seen from 1966 Atlanta camp - the 1967 Topps shoot shows the Braves on a brilliantly sunny day in bright white uniforms; there was no 1968 shoot; by 1969 Atlanta was wearing one-color caps and pinstripes).
The 1966 Braves' media guide, spring scorecard, visiting scorecards, etc, list #50 as a young outfielder named Carl Morton. He would be converted to pitching and star for the Expos before arm injuries - but he also doesn't look anything like this guy.
This fellow also doesn't match up with anybody on the Braves' roster, NRI list, or minor league group (as near as we can tell). It doesn't look like Topps shot anything at Braves' minor league camp that year so the usual research tools aren't available.
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Not for nuthin', but he looks a lot like Bob Anderson to me.
Bob's career was essentially ended when he tore his rotator cuff in 1961. They didn't know from torn rotator cuffs in 1961 (he wasn't diagnosed for thirty years), so he pitched until he couldn't take the pain any more. '63 was his last major league action, but he did pitch in the A's system in '64. Is it possible, after taking some time off, he gave it one last shot with the Braves in the spring of '66? He would still have been just 30 years old.
Just askin'.