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Old 09-20-2016, 03:37 PM   #29137
FatJack
All Star Reserve
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 847
Poor Devil

These don't turn up all that often. This is the Brace image of Freddie Velazquez that was used for the Galasso set. And, unlike most Brace photos, this one is actually clear and bright. Velazquez was the third-string catcher for the expansion Pilots. He was nicknamed "Poor Devil" by Gary Bell and Jim Bouton because he was so excited to be in the major leagues, but almost never got to play. Most teams stopped carrying 3 catchers a few years later. 3 catchers gave a manager some versatility--you could pinch hit and play lefty-righty without worrying about having no one available in case of injury--but, mostly, the 3rd catcher would stay in the bullpen to warm up the relievers. Certainly, that was Freddie's fate with Seattle. Some teams went to the "emergency catcher"--a player whose natural position was elsewhere but, in a pinch, could do the job. For the bullpen, they went to using full time bullpen catchers who, for roster purposes, were considered part of the coaching staff.

This Brace image of Poor Devil was used for 3.5x5 postcards and I'm guessing the current autographed offering by tim328 on eBay is one of those 3.5x5s. It'll only set you back $50 (assuming no one else bids). Also attached is a clean scan of a 3.5x5 from my own collection (perhaps a tad over-saturated).

EDIT: Just noticed that my 3.5x5 is a bit wider in perspective (can't see the anniversary patch at all in the eBay offering), which likely means the eBay offering is the 4x6 version.
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Last edited by FatJack; 09-20-2016 at 03:50 PM.
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