Gambo and T_Wil1 Photopack

[Merkle923]

After the loss of the MLB contract and the sale to Fanatics, information is harder to come by. But it appears the two full-time staffers who ran the Vault (and I mean they dug up the old stuff, cut up the current uncut sheets, scanned the negatives, posted the auctions, and wrapped the packages) were laid off during the pandemic lockdown and the positions were never filled.

What little is being sold seems to be being done by somebody else in the organization on a part-time basis. They also appear to have abandoned selling anything old. I was last at Topps in January, 2020 and whereas there were clearly thousands of negatives that just disappeared in the various relocations from storage site to storage site, there remained at least 15 full-sized, three-drawer filing cabinets full of them. Certainly somewhere in excess of 250,000 images were still filling a small storage room. What they have planned for them is anybody's guess.

[brobby05]

Does anybody know who this Yankee is...the listing says Bob Shirley but he was a lefty?

Thanks,

BRobby05

[DeweyintheHall]

I'd swear it was Shirley; has to be. The number 27 is on his glove, not one he ever wore in NY. Butch Wynegar wore 27 nearly all of Shirley's time on the club, and Butch was a righty. According to Retrosheet he never played a defensive position other than catcher while with the Yankees but he probably still had a regular glove. Maybe Shirley picked up a glove that was laying nearby?

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by brobby05

Does anybody know who this Yankee is...the listing says Bob Shirley but he was a lefty?

Thanks,

BRobby05

Its gotta be Bob Shirley. Same eyebags and nose shine lol

[Merkle923]

Just adding himself to the long list of players who tried (and usually succeeded) to screw with Topps by posing wrong-handed.

Those who made it onto cards include Bob Uecker, Clete Boyer, Lew Burdette, and Gene Freese.

Guys who did it but were caught before the photo was used, in addition to Shirley: Frank Malzone, Roger Clemens.

And infamously, two Hall of Famers who only got caught when the photos were printed on proof sheets: Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver (which is why there are only two different photos of the latter used before 1970: he posed left-handed in all the others, in his FIRST photo shoot, in March 1967. The other images were destroyed):

[brobby05]

Originally Posted by DeweyintheHall

I'd swear it was Shirley; has to be. The number 27 is on his glove, not one he ever wore in NY. Butch Wynegar wore 27 nearly all of Shirley's time on the club, and Butch was a righty. According to Retrosheet he never played a defensive position other than catcher while with the Yankees but he probably still had a regular glove. Maybe Shirley picked up a glove that was laying nearby?

Originally Posted by stlcardsfan

Its gotta be Bob Shirley. Same eyebags and nose shine lol

Originally Posted by Merkle923

Just adding himself to the long list of players who tried (and usually succeeded) to screw with Topps by posing wrong-handed.

Those who made it onto cards include Bob Uecker, Clete Boyer, Lew Burdette, and Gene Freese.

Guys who did it but were caught before the photo was used, in addition to Shirley: Frank Malzone, Roger Clemens.

And infamously, two Hall of Famers who only got caught when the photos were printed on proof sheets: Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver (which is why there are only two different photos of the latter used before 1970: he posed left-handed in all the others, in his FIRST photo shoot, in March 1967. The other images were destroyed):

Thanks a billion guys for the help. I didn't know that it was the case that Merk said. I noticed that Jesus Alou did the same thing but with a bat and I remember thinking, "Boy what a screwball!". I believe that one time Rick Dempsey did it too. I just thought maybe it was a brother or something...there's sooooo many rookies that I never heard of back then.

Anyhow...thanks a million for you guys' help!...BTW, speaking of thank you, where's the little "Thank You" button underneath each post like it used to be.

Have a GREAT weekend guys!

BRobby05

[tnfoto]

Originally Posted by Merkle923

Just a reminder to periodically Google your white whales.

An excellent reminder--new images and sources are added almost every day. Here's one more, although not nearly as spectacular as Merkle's: Bob Addis, on the first day of his 10-day stint with the Pirates in 1953. I found three distinct photos, all taken at the same time, showing Addis with his Cubs-to-Pirates teammates during batting practice before their first game as Pirates.

[Chickazoola]

I am excited to share an image of my holy grail of missing players, the well-travelled Jack Leary. I became fascinated by him while writing my Union Association book.

I found this nice article about the Champion 1885 Augusta, Georgia team in the March 15, 1908 Augusta Chronicle. Matt Kilroy starred for them before joining Baltimore in 1886. Leary played third base for the club and is mistakenly listed as O'Leary, but I've got numerous notes confirming that Jack Leary played for Augusta in 1885.

[Chickazoola]

This one is a bit tentative, but in lieu of more info, I am comfortable saying Wes Blogg has been found, based on my own research into his life and travels.

Cinemaodyssey sent me this photo that features members of the 1881 Detroits and the semi-pro Richmond, Virginia club, that was taken in October 1881.

The photo appeared in the 3/31/1935 Richmond Times Dispatch that printed the photo along with most of the identifications:

Top Row, L-R: Hankins (Rmd), Blog (Rmd), Martin Powell, Frank Bancroft (Mgr.), Charlie Bennett, Ned Hanlon, Billy Nash (Rmd)
Middle Row, L-R: Napier (Rmd), Barker (Rmd), unidentified, Jim Powell (Rmd), Sadie Houck, unidentified, Mannie Rawson (Rmd)
Bottom Row, L-R: Lon Knight, Henry C. Boschen (Rmd), Samuel Thompson (Rmd), Eddie Glenn

I strongly suspect that Wes Blogg, who played with Pittsburgh in 1883 is in the photo, though it lacks a definitive smoking gun.

I couldn't find any 1881 box scores with Blogg in them, and the only note I have on him for the year is about his joining a Baltimore club in March 1881.

That being said, Blogg did have connections to Richmond, notably playing against Richmond in an 1882 game, and I found an 1886 note saying he was well known in Richmond baseball circles.

More helpfully, I found an August 12, 1881 Richmond box score that does not mention Blogg, but does mention the Richmonds are signing a professional catcher. That would fit Blogg to a tee.

In the absence of any other ball playing Blogg/Blog to my knowledge. and Wesley Blogg's strong connections to Virginia, I feel comfortable saying it most likely him.

Bb-ref gives his height and weight as 5'8 and 155 pounds and right next to him in the photo is the much taller 6'0 Martin Powell. Charlie Bennett, who is listed as 5'11 is slouching in the photo and appears to be taller than Blogg as well. Also Blogg was noted to be the last 19th century major league player with a beard, so the facial hair is a nice clue as well.

[cinemaodyssey]

I'm convinced that team photos exist for every team from the Southern League of 1885. If we find the rest that should knock a lot of missing players off the list.

[prewinter]

Originally Posted by cinemaodyssey

I'm convinced that team photos exist for every team from the Southern League of 1885. If we find the rest that should knock a lot of missing players off the list.

Which teams do you know of currently?

[cinemaodyssey]

Originally Posted by prewinter

Which teams do you know of currently?

As of right now, we have team photos for Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga and Nashville.

[ssacc98]

Ollie Brown

I would appreciate Topps vault images for Ollie as a Giant and Brewer. Many thanks

[Cusick]

Thanks, Chickazoola, for your dogged research which resulted in the photo finds for Leary and Blogg.

[Buster Narum]

I guess he's not impossible, but this was a nice B&W shot of him with the White Sox in 1980 (from http://switchpitching.blogspot.com)

[Terry D]

Originally Posted by Buster Narum

I guess he's not impossible, but this was a nice B&W shot of him with the White Sox in 1980 (from http://switchpitching.blogspot.com)

I posted a color photo of Nardi some while back. See https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...as#post4250857

[cinemaodyssey]

Hill, almost exclusively referred to in the papers as "Johnny," is pictured in his Boston Bees uniform in the 3/2/1939 edition of The Atlanta Constitution.

[rangers311]

Does anyone have any pictures of Ed Kirkpatrick in a Rangers uniform?

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by rangers311

Does anyone have any pictures of Ed Kirkpatrick in a Rangers uniform?

here u go

[rangers311]

Originally Posted by stlcardsfan

here u go

Thank you!!