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Originally Posted by Jobu

I love the Ruth, Cobb, and Wheat - fun to see Mr. Wheat when he was so young.

Here is another young gun: Mickey Mantle on his first pro team, the semi-pro Whiz Kids, in 1947 when he was 16 years old. Mantle (unfortunately not a period signature) and a few of the other players signed the picture (the other sigs are barely legible).

The condition is a bit rough because it is an original that belonged to one of the kids in the picture, Guy Crow, who was the bat boy (left end of the right bench). This may also be the first photo of Mantle associated with baseball as his high school yearbooks don't have baseball photos in them.

Bryan - so you’re the one who has that awesome photo of the Mick! Very awesome! I always thought it was from 1948. I see that there’s one from 1948-49 in the next major Heritage Auction. How do you know yours is from 47? I see that the Mick is standing behind everyone in yours whereas he’s sitting with his teammates in the one at Heritage.

Very cool!