1971 Anderson, South Carolina - American Legion Post 14 Team Photo w/Jim Rice?
 

I recently picked up the below item on e-bay as described above. What are everyone's thoughts on the player in the back row, third from the left being Jim Rice (he would be 18 years old at that time)?

It should also be noted that Rice played on this same team since 1969 (he would have been 16 years old at that time) so the 1971 date could possibly be wrong.

Phil,
I'm sorry, but my first impression would be no, IMHO. The guy in the photo looks to be younger than 19 to me, and does not have any facial similarities with Jim Rice other than they both are African Americans. :o

I look forward to hearing from others as they check in.

Happy New Year!

Phil,
It is hard to tell but I can see why you posed the question. I too see some similarities to Rice. However, you have to be cautious as it is very easy to see what you want in such items. An example of this would be the kid in the front row looks like he could be Wally Moon's little brother;) Nonetheless, it is a very cool photo and I hope that you are able to ascertain that it is Rice. Good Luck.

Not sure I've seen Jim Rice without a mustache...can't really tell myself.

Looks like a really young Jim Rice or a really old Ricky Henderson LOL!! :D



Seriously, if it is Rice it's a really neat piece. I love these older pre-major league photos.

Perhaps a bigger cropped scan of the subject in question would help.

Well, the seller was from Anderson, South Carolina and claimed that he had received the photo from a teammate of Rice's on that 1971 American Legion team and he believes that a total of about 14 exist, one was made for each player at the time. I guess that makes things more believable along with the fact that the price the seller offered it for was very reasonable, not much money was made if this was a fraudulant piece. Of course, all of this doesn't matter if the player in question is not Jim Rice.

.

Maybe we can use some of Wally Moon's unibrow to create the 'stache! :p

Thanks for the help, Al, further verification is in progress.

For what it's worth, I think it's Rice.

Here's me and Jim on the same 'team', back in the '80s. Not photoshopped - anyone else get their picture taken in this thing at Fenway?

http://www.t206themonster.com/Photos/RedSox.jpg

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Scott,
After a few pops you could almost pass for Eck.
Course he wassn't on the team by then.

Yes! 1987. Good times. Now I need to dig out that Polaroid.

American Leigon
 

Phil,
Just wanted to let you know I did some research for you . Im the Assistant State Commissioner for Babe Ruth Baseball in Ct. We also have Legion baseball here. I was able to contact the post in South Carolina for you. And have a contact. Alot of the posts have pictures of the teams they support.
Post 14 is still around and is at 1301 greenville st Anderson S.C 864-224-6487 Your contact will be Ronnie Whitfield cell # 864-940-3455 call his cell. I spoke with him and he would be more than happy to try and help you. He also went to school with Jim. Thats the best I could do!!! Al

Al:

I just spoke to Ronnie, good news, he was able to identify 4 or 5 of the other members on the American Legion team in the photo along with the photography studio that took the picture stamped on the back. I e-mailed the photo to Ronnie for ID on Rice and he said that he will get back to me shortly.

Thank again for your help. Hopefully, this will now become a permanent piece in my collection.

Phil

This is one of the reasons this board is so cool. People helping others out like this. GREAT JOB GUYS

american legion
 

Phil,
My pleasure! Take 2 Wagners out of petty cash and send them to me!;);)
Happy New Year! Al

Phil,
I hope it works out that this really is Jim Rice. That would be a great pickup!

Rice
 

Hi Phil,
What did we find out? Al

Al:

Unfortunately, after e-mailing a scan of the photo to our contact, I have never heard anything back again. I didn't want to be a bother to anyone so I have just left it alone.

This post has always intrigued me. Due to this I made it a point to search for another copy of Phil’s photo. I purchased this one from an eBay seller yesterday. The seller is located in Yadkinville NC which is 197 miles from Anderson SC. The seller described the photo in the follow manner.

“Neat item here....one I purchased probably 15-20 years ago and just found in my basement during some work were doing on our house foundation...I've forgotten a few details, but I know that this is an 8x10 color photo of a young team which had Jim Rice, future major league HOFer...hand dated 1970 at two places on the front....I believe this was his high school team (the A on the shirt for Anderson High School, his home town in South Carolina) but am not sure if it was high school or American Legion....I believe the 3rd player on the left on the top row is Rice, but because the names aren't on the back I'm not 100% sure that he's the one; I just know for sure that Rice was on the squad....photo has is missing lower right corner of the borders...there is another 1970 on the back and photo has a few generally minor surface imperfections....”

Although it is in lesser condition than the one Phil posted I was thrilled to find another and add it to my collection. I love mysteries and thought it would be interesting to pick up the search where Phil left off two years ago. I thought the best place to start would be a review of Rice’s HOF induction speech as players usually thank past coaches. I figure I might get lucky and find that he mentioned a coach from his days playing in Anderson SC. I hit pay dirt. In his induction speech he not only mentioned such a coach he mentioned The coach of the American Legion team allegedly pictured in the photograph.

Rice said, “Olin Saylors. I played American Legion ball for Post 14. He came by my house every day and picked me up. I didn't really want to play ball, but Olin was very [determined] to make me play baseball for American Legion Post 14”.

I then did a google search and found a newspaper article from September 2013. Not only is Mr. Saylor still very much with us he continues to work at his own business. http://www.independentmail.com/news/...our-oil-tires/ This morning I located his business phone number and called it. Mr. Saylor answered the phone and indulged me as I told him the story of this photo and this discussion on Net54. I had hoped to talk to him about his time coaching Rice, however, he is obviously a very busy man. He was brief and very much to the point. He doesn't have an email address so provided me with his mailing address and told me to send him a copy of the photo and he would confirm or deny if it is actually Jim Rice. The conversation lasted all of three or four minutes but hopefully my efforts will be fruitful. I will let you all know when I hear back from him.

Rice
 

I've actually just listed a pinback button of the Williamsport Red Sox of the New York/Penn League. I mentioned in my listing that Jim Rice had played for the team. I came across this thread and thought I'd post the link that I used to do a little research:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/mi...gi?id=38ab1386

I sent Jim Rice's American Legion coach (Olin Saylors) an 8X10 copy of the team photo and a blow up of the teenager that had been identified as Jim Rice. I received this response today attached to the blow up. I had hoped that it was Jim Rice and it is very cool that Mr. Saylors took the time to confirm it.

That is really cool.

Mike,
Glad to see something came of this. I had talked to the leigon post director at length about the photo then I turned it over to Phil as It was Phils intrest and not really mine at the time. Glad to see that you were able to find out more info on the photo! Al

Wow I just noticed that I posted that origional post 1/2/12 two years ago to this very day!:eek::eek: Chills just went up and down my spine!:):)

Great job, Mike!

Nice detective work, Mike!! Way to go. :cool: