Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Merkle923]

Although this will settle the Bob Nemcek questions on the Minor League Thread.

Occasionally Topps will throw in the packet (often simply a legal envelope cut in half) in which one of its Vault images was stored in the photo archives. Happened to me twice this week and I thought I'd give you an idea of how those archives and their two million (plus) images were stored. Each packet would be in a green hanging folder. Some players had just one packet. Others, like, say, Bob Miller, might have 30 or 40 because of all the trades and such.

The yellow one dates to 1966 and the work of the famed traveling photographer Jim Laughead (Untitled Document), and the 1972 one bears the printing of Bill Haber, the pioneering collector and late sports editor who had just begun to work at Topps the year before and was there well into the '80s before his unfortunate and premature death due to asthma in the early '90s.

Postscript - the stamp listing the contents and quality dates back at least to 1959. Topps had custom-made envelopes before, then presumably had a cost-benefit eureka moment that ordinary envelopes and a $5 stamp set-up would cost a lot less. Also in the categories of images you'll notice "No Hat" - confirmation of the intention to be prepared for trades and the like - and the use of the word "Action" which obviously means exactly the opposite of what we'd think today. Not game action but poses simulating action.

[cinemaodyssey]

Some more Horner photographs to bolster the turn-of-the-century collections. Here is early Red Sox pitcher Winter, who did not feature in the 1903 World Series for whatever reason.

[cinemaodyssey]

Before he died in 1972, Parent was the last man alive who participated in the 1903 World Series. And he contributed mightily, hitting 3 triples.

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Won 3 games in the 1903 World Series, including 2 shutouts.

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Starting second baseman for the Boston Americans, Ferris had 5 RBIs in the 1903 World Series.

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Cy Young's personal catcher.

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Freeman had tremendous power, hitting 25 homeruns in 1899 for the old Washington national league franchise.

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Utility guy for the early Boston Americans.

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Mostly played for Brooklyn in the 1890s, but LaChance (who looked like he belonged in the late 1870s) managed to snag a ring in the 1903 World Series.

[cinemaodyssey]

Right up there for the worst haircut of all time, Dougherty did hit two home runs in the 1903 World Series.

[cinemaodyssey]

Primarily known as a catcher on the Giants before Bresnahan took over the duties, Warner did play one year with the Boston Americans. Here he is, pictued in 1902.

[cinemaodyssey]

Had a few good seasons with the Phillies but pitched only 17 games with the Boston Americans. Horner still photographed him here in 1902.

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Stahl provided a lot of drama for the Red Sox franchise, culminating with his suicide in 1907. Still, he was a key offensive factor in the 1903 World Series.

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Won a World Series title at age 36, winning 2 games for Boston.

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Early star for Connie Mack's A's teams, this guy has the weirdest eyes I have ever seen. Here he is, pictured in 1902.

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Davis had substantial power in the deadball era, routinely placing at the top of the league in homers and triples.

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An awesome moustache was what apparently kept Cross employed in the big leagues, as he could not hit at all and was no more than average in the field.

[cinemaodyssey]

One of the best players on the early (and powerful) A's teams, Murphy probably gets the least amount of credit for their success. I have no idea why.

[rico43]

Gentlemen, I give you Donald Johnson:



From the web page of the South Pasadena HS alumni association:

Donald Lloyd Johnson, a resident of Covina, California was born October 12, 1943 in Montebello and passed away on June 3, 2009. Don was a former minor league catcher who was drafted by the Milwaukee Braves 32nd overall in the 1965 amateur entry draft (2nd round) from the University of Southern California. He was involved in a trade that sent Jim Britton to the Montreal Expos for Larry Jaster on December 2, 1969.

Johnson's career lasted from 1965 - 1971. He missed the 1968 season and spent a total of 15 games at the AAA level in 1969 - 1970. Overall, he hit .231 with 29 home runs and 223 hits in 350 games. He played Catcher, Outfielder and Third Baseman.

I came across his name while looking through linescores of the Braves' 1966 spring training games that were in the Chattanooga Times. Injuries shelved Joe Torre and Gene Oliver that spring, so the Braves used several catchers in MLB spring training games, and found Johnson's name in three linescores as a catcher.

He was the only name who I did not have a matched photo from my 1966 project, so I started dropping in key words. That led to this link:

Don Johnson (Deceased), South Pasadena, CA California

Wondering: does this not mean he was Tom Seaver's catcher at USC?

[Merkle923]

Don Johnson! Nice work!

Can't find any stats on line for USC baseball prior to 1997 (typical) but it would make sense.

Embarrassingly enough, I already had this image of him in my collection - it's from the team picture of the 1970 Jacksonville Suns, the AA team shared by the Expos and Brewers.