OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - Thread for player identification in team photos

prewinter · 09-19-2021, 10:37 PM

The 1886 Atlanta Team Photo promotes the club as the 'Champions of 1886'. Atlanta won the Southern League that year with a total roster of 17 players, 14 of whom played in the majors at some point. The photo itself contains 14 players. Joe Gunson is identified on the front. The IDs proposed for the other players are

Top Row: Wells, Conway, Williams, Mappes, Stricker, Lynch
Middle Row: Shaffer, Unidentified, Purcell
Bottom Row: Peak, Cline, Gunson, Lyons, Moore

The problem is that Peak was released in April before Mappes and Wells joined the club in May.

The Atlanta Constitution reported on April 15 that the club leaving for their series in Charleston consisted of:
Blondie Purcell, Henry Moore, Tom Lynch, Denny Lyons, Patsy McDonald, Cub Stricker, Jim Conway, Joe Gunson, Charlie Williams, Sam Kimber, John Shaffer and Monk Cline.
All of these players appeared in games for Atlanta in 1886.

Two other players, Elias Peak and Frank Mitchell, were left behind in Atlanta. Both appeared in games in spring training, but neither played in a championship game during the season. Peak was released on April 23 (along with McDonald). Mitchel was sent home to Springfield on May 9 with a sore arm. (Macon Telegraph, May 10).

It is my thought that these 14 players are the players in the team photo.

Updated 9/26/2021:
The latest identifications
Back row: Unidentified 1, Jim Conway, Sam Kimber(?), Unidentified 2, Cub Stricker, Thomas Lynch
Middle row: John Shaffer, Unidentified 3, Blondie Purcell
Front row: Elias Peak, Monk Cline, Joe Gunson, Denny Lyons, Henry Moore
Options for unidentified are Patsy McDonald, Charles Williams, and Frank Mitchell

Updated 8/23/2022:
Unidentified 2 matches Charlie Williams, whose photos are shown on pages 7 and 8.
Unidentified 1 seems to be P.F. "Patsy" McDonald. P.F. McDonald is pictured in the Johnson City Chronicle on May 24, 1936 (pg. 25), in a photo of the Johnson City commission from 1917. I’m 95% sure this is the ballplayer, who hailed from Pottsville, PA. He was described as 6’, 225 pounds in the Savannah Morning News (February 8, 1886).
That leaves Unidentified 3, who is probably Frank Mitchell. Frank Mitchell was identified as a left-handed pitcher from Springfield, Ohio in the Macon (GA) Telegraph on January 29, 1886. The Savannah Morning News described him as “Atlanta’s ambidexter pitcher” who beat Detroit in three games last season. He was described as a “very slight fellow, weighing about 110 pounds” by the Macon Telegraph on March 29, 1886. He suffered an arm injury early in April and was released at some point without ever pitching for the club. He died of consumption in May 1887 in Springfield, Ohio at the age of about 25.

09-19-2021, 10:37 PM	#50
prewinter Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jun 2021 Posts: 282	1886 Atlanta Team Photo The 1886 Atlanta Team Photo promotes the club as the 'Champions of 1886'. Atlanta won the Southern League that year with a total roster of 17 players, 14 of whom played in the majors at some point. The photo itself contains 14 players. Joe Gunson is identified on the front. The IDs proposed for the other players are Top Row: Wells, Conway, Williams, Mappes, Stricker, Lynch Middle Row: Shaffer, Unidentified, Purcell Bottom Row: Peak, Cline, Gunson, Lyons, Moore The problem is that Peak was released in April before Mappes and Wells joined the club in May. The Atlanta Constitution reported on April 15 that the club leaving for their series in Charleston consisted of: Blondie Purcell, Henry Moore, Tom Lynch, Denny Lyons, Patsy McDonald, Cub Stricker, Jim Conway, Joe Gunson, Charlie Williams, Sam Kimber, John Shaffer and Monk Cline. All of these players appeared in games for Atlanta in 1886. Two other players, Elias Peak and Frank Mitchell, were left behind in Atlanta. Both appeared in games in spring training, but neither played in a championship game during the season. Peak was released on April 23 (along with McDonald). Mitchel was sent home to Springfield on May 9 with a sore arm. (Macon Telegraph, May 10). It is my thought that these 14 players are the players in the team photo. Updated 9/26/2021: The latest identifications Back row: Unidentified 1, Jim Conway, Sam Kimber(?), Unidentified 2, Cub Stricker, Thomas Lynch Middle row: John Shaffer, Unidentified 3, Blondie Purcell Front row: Elias Peak, Monk Cline, Joe Gunson, Denny Lyons, Henry Moore Options for unidentified are Patsy McDonald, Charles Williams, and Frank Mitchell Updated 8/23/2022: Unidentified 2 matches Charlie Williams, whose photos are shown on pages 7 and 8. Unidentified 1 seems to be P.F. "Patsy" McDonald. P.F. McDonald is pictured in the Johnson City Chronicle on May 24, 1936 (pg. 25), in a photo of the Johnson City commission from 1917. I’m 95% sure this is the ballplayer, who hailed from Pottsville, PA. He was described as 6’, 225 pounds in the Savannah Morning News (February 8, 1886). That leaves Unidentified 3, who is probably Frank Mitchell. Frank Mitchell was identified as a left-handed pitcher from Springfield, Ohio in the Macon (GA) Telegraph on January 29, 1886. The Savannah Morning News described him as “Atlanta’s ambidexter pitcher” who beat Detroit in three games last season. He was described as a “very slight fellow, weighing about 110 pounds” by the Macon Telegraph on March 29, 1886. He suffered an arm injury early in April and was released at some point without ever pitching for the club. He died of consumption in May 1887 in Springfield, Ohio at the age of about 25. Attached Images Last edited by prewinter; 08-24-2022 at 12:12 AM.