Not sure when I picked this up, but finally got around to doing something with it in April, so here goes:
Original George Burke 8x10 Photo of Charlie Grimm Arguing with the Cubs Mascot
Originally, I had thought this was the batboy or possibly the child of one of the players, but thought he looked familiar somehow, possibly from other Cubs photos I had seen of that period. I asked one of my consignors who is an avid Cubs fan (and who gladly added the photo to his collection) if he recognized the child or knew who he was, and he thought that it was one of the Little Rascals child actors, possibly Chubby Chaney.
Well, he was very close, as a little more research revealed that it was actually Paul Dominick, Chaney's successor in the role of the obese kid in the gang which Dominick played for two years starting in late 1935:
Paul Dominick as Chicago Cubs mascot circa September 23, 1935
A little more digging, and look what else turned up!
From The Ludington Daily News, September 25, 1935
Looking back at the Cubs' record in late 1935, it appears that Dominick joined up as team mascot on or about September 4 of that year (assuming the second photo's caption is correct), and remained with them through the end of the season and likely in the World Series as well. It also seems likely to my mind that Hal Roach may have discovered Dominick as a result of his appearances on the field with the Cubs. Roach is reported to have had difficulty finding the kind of obese kid that could carry on the tradition of Joe Cobb and Chubby Chaney, supposedly due to advancements in medical science which made it extremely rare for children to be that overweight.
Anyway, needless to say, I was thrilled to have made the connection, all the moreso knowing that the new owner will be just as thrilled for the Our Gang connection as the Chicago Cubs one.
Edited to add: If anyone knows how Dominick found his way to the Cubs dugout in the first place, I would be glad to hear that story as well.