Great Yankee photos

[BronxBoyInDenver]

Spring training in St. Pete, there's a giant pond past right field fence. They caught them there, i'd bet.

I wonder how Gehrig and Shawkey managed to go fishing in their Yankee uniforms.

[penguin4]

Only the Babe could pull this off -- this photo was indeed signed the same day he got married, but the message wasn't for Claire! (see here)

[Jersey Yankee]

I can't let you folks have all the fun!!!

Ruth is wearing the kid's hat, as he reported loved swapping hats for pix.


1928

[Jersey Yankee]

Check the signature in the bottom middle, from 1922.

[penguin4]

Check the signature in the bottom middle, from 1922.

Whoever wrote the date is wrong. Gehrig was at Hartford in 1921 (as "Lou Lewis" for the Giants -- the discovery of which almost ruined his eligibility for collegiate athletics) and in parts of 1923 and 1924, after he'd signed with the Yankees. I'd be willing to wager it was from one of the latter two years, simply because he was only there a couple weeks in 1921, and I don't think he would've posed in the team picture if he was supposed to be playing incognito.

Interesting how only half the caps have "H"'s on them. And the guy sitting extreme right resembles George Pipgras a bit; I wonder if it's him. Somewhere there's gotta be a list identifying all the guys in the photo.

[Dave Visbeck]

Originally Posted by Jersey Yankee
I can't let you folks have all the fun!!!

Ruth is wearing the kid's hat, as he reported loved swapping hats for pix.





Nice picture of the Babe and Lou.

Look at those huge arms on the Babe! Hot dog power arms! Compared with that "Jose" we all know about and his twig arms ...

Wish he had never worn both a Red Sox and Yankee uniform.




Sick cheater.

[fdnyladder7]

Any info on Joe D's number 18 here? (Joe's SF Seals uni number was #10, NYY rookie year jersey was #9 followed by #5.) Any other photos or rosters with #18?

This is, presumably, a pre-season game NYY vs Cin Reds (NL) in St Pete '35.

card; 1936 National Chicle R313 -blank back

[penguin4]

Any info on Joe D's number 18 here? (Joe's SF Seals uni number was #10, NYY rookie year jersey was #9 followed by #5.) Any other photos or rosters with #18?

This is, presumably, a pre-season game NYY vs Cin Reds (NL) in St Pete '35.

card; 1936 National Chicle R313 -blank back

Hmm... well, if that really is Hank Erickson (the only contemporary Erickson I could find who played catcher), it would have to be 1935,as that was his only major league season -- but DiMaggio wasn't a Yankee until 1936, and Erickson was in Louisville in 1934 (which is a long way from the PCL), so my guess is that either isn't Erickson or isn't DiMaggio. And since I'm having trouble finding any instance of DiMaggio wearing 18, I'm guessing it isn't DiMag. Pitcher Johnny Allen (who was also righthanded) wore 18 in 1935, according to YankeeNumbers.com, so it could be him, possibly.

The lack of pinstripes on a white uniform confuses me, though, so it may not even be a Yankee. (I'd say it was just the lighting, that it could be their road grays, but the catcher's uniform seems to be even darker.)

[fdnyladder7]

Thankyou for the indepth and accurate reply,

Ref; the Vintage Baseball Card gurus over at Network54;

'I could find no catcher in the PCL, 1934-1936, named Erickson.

Hank Erickson caught in 25 games for the Cincinnati Reds in 1935.

My old ragged Beckett's Alhpabetical list has one card for Hank Erickson, an R314, which is the 1936 Goudey wide pens.

Looks like there is now a "fine pen" R313, too.'



'... spring training, uniform shuffling (which was a common practice with Prospects), interleague, Florida. And Erickson played only one season.

So now I want to find a worn R313 like that one. There's much more going on with that card other than it being DiMaggio.'

-Some more nuggets,
~It is conceivable that now being Property of the 1934 NYY (in absentia), he attended camp/exhibition in the Spring of '35.

*November 21, 1934: Traded by the San Francisco (PCL) to the New York Yankees for players to be named later and cash. Doc Farrell refused to report to his new team on 1935. The New York Yankees sent Doc Farrell (December 19, 1934), Floyd Newkirk (December 19, 1934), Jim Densmore (minors) (December 19, 1934), Ted Norbert (minors) (December 19, 1934), and $5,000 (1935) to the San Francisco (PCL) to complete the trade.


~Cinci held camp across the bay in Tampa.

~Further digging revealed, Although Joe was sold by SF to the Yankees, the contract required the Dago to remain with the PCL one more season before shipping over. (He was a superstar and huge draw for the Seals);

'... He played well during 1935 under the legendary manager Lefty O'Doul, and hit .398 with 154 RBIs, 34 home runs and 173 runs scored. But the Seals' management, which wanted to sell his contract in 1934 for $100,000, settled for $25,000 and the services of five other ball players, when he went to the Yankees for the 1936 season.' *Museum of SF*

Incidentally, In 1935, the Yankees and Braves (NL) both held S/tng in St Pete and held interleague games as well. One wonders if this closeness may have facilitated Babe's _ceremonial_ move back to Beantown for his final season and last ditch efforts to fill the seats at Nickerson Field. But this story for another post.



Penguin, I appreciate the link to the jerseys. Steve, Boston

Added, RHP Johnny Allen #18 was traded to Cleveland sometime during the '35 season. Man, I have a lot of reading to do.

'34 Goudey Gum;

[Jersey Yankee]

Ruth's bunt attempt, which my friend credits to 1928.

[penguin4]

'... spring training, uniform shuffling (which was a common practice with Prospects), interleague, Florida. And Erickson played only one season.

So now I want to find a worn R313 like that one. There's much more going on with that card other than it being DiMaggio.'

-Some more nuggets,
~It is conceivable that now being Property of the 1934 NYY (in absentia), he attended camp/exhibition in the Spring of '35.
~Cinci held camp across the bay in Tampa.
~Further digging revealed, Although Joe was sold by SF to the Yankees, the contract required the Dago to remain with the PCL one more season before shipping over. (He was a superstar and huge draw for the Seals);

'... He played well during 1935 under the legendary manager Lefty O'Doul, and hit .398 with 154 RBIs, 34 home runs and 173 runs scored. But the Seals' management, which wanted to sell his contract in 1934 for $100,000, settled for $25,000 and the services of five other ball players, when he went to the Yankees for the 1936 season.' *Museum of SF*

Interesting. I didn't realize JoeD was Yankee property in '35; I always thought the trade happened the following offseason. Could've been the case certainly, but doubtful; I think most accounts talk about his driving cross country with Lazzeri and Crosetti (I think that's who it was) make it seem like it was his first trip out east, period. I don't know. I might just have to poke around some of the old newspapers online and see what I come up with.

Incidentally, In 1935, the Yankees and Braves (NL) both held S/tng in St Pete and held interleague games as well. One wonders if this closeness may have facilitated Babe's _ceremonial_ move back to Beantown for his final season and last ditch efforts to fill the seats at Nickerson Field. But this story for another post.



Penguin, I appreciate the link to the jerseys. Steve, Boston

I know there's a photo floating around of Ruth in a Braves uniform and Gehrig in a Yankees uniform from that spring training. Babe looks old and sour, and Lou looks like he's trying to hold back his discontent of them having to pose together again. I guess you could say that was at the height of their feud.

And you're welcome! I'm always up for playing photo detective. If you're really curious, I could pass this onto the SABR-Listserv and let those people have a crack at it.

[penguin4]

Ruth's bunt attempt, which my friend credits to 1928.

Look at where the visting pitcher's warming up! (I wonder if there was even a formal bullpen back then.)

[Dave Visbeck]

Ruth's bunt attempt, which my friend credits to 1928.

I believe you, but, to me ... it just doesn't look a lot like Ruth's profile in the photo

[penguin4]

I know there's a photo floating around of Ruth in a Braves uniform and Gehrig in a Yankees uniform from that spring training. Babe looks old and sour, and Lou looks like he's trying to hold back his discontent of them having to pose together again. I guess you could say that was at the height of their feud.

Here's the photo to which I was referring, BTW. It really is as painful to look at as I remember.

[shotz]

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[49andCounting]

Another theory on the DiMaggio/Erickson photo:

Hank Erickson played only one season (1935) with the Cincinnati Reds. He had at least two catchers ahead of him in that organization (Ernie Lombardi and Gilly Campbell). He was only 28 years old in 1935, so there is no reason that he could not have been in Cincinnati Reds spring camp in 1936, but failed to survive the cut.

DiMaggio started the 1936 season wearing uniform #9. Baseball Almanac shows that Catcher Art Jorgens wore uniform #9 in 1935 and returned to the Yankees in 1936. His uniform number in 1936, however, was #18.

It is therefore quite possible that the photo is from Spring Training 1936, and DiMaggio swapped numbers with Jorgens sometime before Opening Day.

[penguin4]

Another theory on the DiMaggio/Erickson photo:

Hank Erickson played only one season (1935) with the Cincinnati Reds. He had at least two catchers ahead of him in that organization (Ernie Lombardi and Gilly Campbell). He was only 28 years old in 1935, so there is no reason that he could not have been in Cincinnati Reds spring camp in 1936, but failed to survive the cut.

DiMaggio started the 1936 season wearing uniform #9. Baseball Almanac shows that Catcher Art Jorgens wore uniform #9 in 1935 and returned to the Yankees in 1936. His uniform number in 1936, however, was #18.

It is therefore quite possible that the photo is from Spring Training 1936, and DiMaggio swapped numbers with Jorgens sometime before Opening Day.

I like your way of thinking, 49andCounting. That does indeed seem very plausible. I checked NewspaperArchive.com (to which I have a subscription--one of my best investments, ever), and you were right on one thing, in that Erickson did go to Spring Training with the Reds:

ERICKSON LOOKS O.K.
TAMPA-- Paul Derringer was booked to pitch for the Reds against the Phillies today and he may be allowed to go the full route. Charley Dressen was confident he had developed Hank Erickson into a real switch-hitter. Hank lost a finger joint in an automobile accident at Louisville last summer but it doesn't seem to hamper his switch-hitting ability.

Apparently he was competing with three other guys that spring for the backup job behind Lombardi. I guess the injury couldn't've helped. He was opted to Toronto at the end of Spring Training, on April 3... which is weird because on March 30 wire reports said he would be "chief understudy" to Lombardi. Either someone got it wrong or something changed in those four days that wasn't reported.

I'll do some more digging on DiMaggio later. This is interesting stuff.

[fdnyladder7]

Penguin, Thanks for the photo... 49r, great points. I appreciate the help in this. Thankyou both.

Some Yanks and more DiMaggio cards in my photo album;
http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c327/oche16/

[fdnyladder7]

Update;

Source; Richard Cramer's bio, "JOE DIMAGGIO The Hero's Life"

Ch6 p78;
1936... Joe heads east for the first time, along with Crosetti and Lazzeri. They drive for more than a week, from San Fran to St Petersburg for Yankees spring training. Furthur into the chapter on page 80, it is mentioned that Joe walked onto Miller Huggins Field wearing uniform number 18.

I'm finally satisfied.
Happy Christmas All,
Steve F


Another Yanks Premium I just unpacked -from the Grader.
(1936 Goudey R311 Glossy, "1935 NYY Team")

[metalboy15]

[penguin4]

Update;

Source; Richard Cramer's bio, "JOE DIMAGGIO The Hero's Life"

Ch6 p78;
1936... Joe heads east for the first time, along with Crosetti and Lazzeri. They drive for more than a week, from San Fran to St Petersburg for Yankees spring training. Furthur into the chapter on page 80, it is mentioned that Joe walked onto Miller Huggins Field wearing uniform number 18.

I'm finally satisfied.
Happy Christmas All,
Steve F

Yay! Mystery solved! That card really is quite a find then! Who knew?

Another Yanks Premium I just unpacked -from the Grader.
(1936 Goudey R311 Glossy, "1935 NYY Team")

I always found it interesting that Gehrig was one of the centerpieces of the Yankee team in those days but never stood in the center; he was always on the end or kind of hidden. Like he deliberately tried to seem obscure.