Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Merkle923]

As the 1964 World Series scorecard shows, the Yankees went with just 24 players rather than lose Trail or even keep him as a pinch-runner or emergency 25th man. Amazing.

[rico43]

This is, to me, a rare image. Reds outfielder Dick Simpson, who was traded in the winter following the '67 season.

His '67 Topps card has him in the old vest, his '68 (Cardinals) and '69 (Yankees) cards are hatless wonders of no specific teams, and he was done.

No Simpson batting poses to be seen. Except here.

[cheech411]

war hero AND THANKS TO ALL VETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rico43]

Hope you hugged a Vet today. Here are the last stragglers between us and a compltetely ID'd Topps thead. Clues where available.
The first two were part of a long, non-sequential line of single images.

GH693



This must be a Milwaukee spring photo. Have camp ID's from 66-68 and it's not future Expo Carl Morton (66) and it's not Ed Rakow (68) and 1967 in-camp No. 50 was a Venezuelan, Al Cambero.

GH707



Betting a Red Sox expert can nail this guy.

GQ352



Only non-ID'd guy in thread. Between Strickland and Strohmayer.

[Sir Lurksalot]

I have listed as follows;

GH693 - Ken Nixon - That is how Topps listed it at least...
GH701 - John Boyle

I have the listed GQ352 saved as GD352 and it is Jackie Stripling.

[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.

Just for the record, THIS guy is Ken Nixon:

[FatJack]

Unless I'm mistaken (which I very well could be--though I'm best at recognizing the Amazins), here we have Tucker Ashford during his stay with the Mets. My guess, as these look like spring shots, is that the shoot is from the spring of 1984. Tucker was acquired from the Yanks after spring training in 1983 and traded on to KC towards the end of spring training 1984.

[FatJack]

And one for that hated crosstown bunch.

[FatJack]

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.

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'.

[rico43]

Mystery Brave has a pretty obvious mole on his throat. Anderson doesn't.

[Merkle923]

Somebody would have noted such a comeback, or listed him among NRI's. Also, he came back as an outfielder?

[Merkle923]

Briefest of possible Cardinals pitchers, presumably from spring training 1972.

[Merkle923]

Rudy Arroyo is part of the vast field of players dealt for Larry Hisle before he finally lived up to his minor league reputation. Neither ever played for the Dodgers but St. Louis sent Arroyo to LA for Hisle, and Arroyo was in their camp in 1973.

[Merkle923]

In the rarely seen Oakland uniform he wore briefly in 1982 and even more briefly in '86.

[Terry D]

Fernando Arroyo is a largely forgotten pitcher who toiled in obscurity in the late 70's and early 80's with the Tigers and Twins. In 1982 the Twins traded him to Oakland after the season began, and he got a few innings with the A's that year. He spent the next three seasons in the minors before a last cup of coffee in Oakland in 1986. The only picture I had ever seen of him with the A's before this was a black and white shot from his 1982 stint, but the latest Topps Vault batch has two good color shots of Fernando in an A's uniform. These are spring training shots (check the background), so even if they aren't 1986 they can't be 1982.

[Terry D]

Oops! Great minds think alike, Merkle.

[Terry D]

Originally Posted by FatJack

Unless I'm mistaken (which I very well could be--though I'm best at recognizing the Amazins), here we have Tucker Ashford during his stay with the Mets. My guess, as these look like spring shots, is that the shoot is from the spring of 1984. Tucker was acquired from the Yanks after spring training in 1983 and traded on to KC towards the end of spring training 1984.

Thanks. Now, if we could only find him with the Rangers...

[rico43]

Jim Lyttle's career wound down with 24 or so games for the Dodgers in 1976 and no card captured his brief stay in the City of Angels. But if people are still doing Cards That Never Were out there (and I hope you are!), here's a perfect shot from his final days. (Topps Folder GJ)

[ssacc98]

Can you please provide the Topps Vault File folder that this image was included in?

[ssacc98]

I meant the Rudy and Fernando Arroyo images