Rob,
Your comment about me tracing down the story behind these pins raises another dimension in being a pinback detective. I will say for the record that Howard and his connection is the only way this story will ever be known.
All the sleuthing on pins that I have ever done involved trying to tie together scattered clues from the past. I recall one person even asking me, "Why would anyone care about such stuff?" My only answer was, "I don't know, but I do."
The new dimension in this case pertains to legal issues---the selling of licensed images. This is a pinback story that not only is not known, but perhaps some people may wish to have it remain unknown. By now I believe the statute of limitations may have expired, or perhaps more simply, no one in MLB today cares what happened 40 years ago. Then again, maybe MLB might want to make this photographer a poster child for those who defy them. I think winning the trust of this person is critical, along with perhaps the assurance of anonymity in telling the story.
By the way, I learned a lesson about these licensing laws about 10 years ago. My local minor league team hosted the league all-star game. I am friends with the GM, and asked if I could have made a 3.5" pin that listed all the teams in the league, plus some information about the all-star game itself. He said that would be great, but I could not sell them. The illegality is not the making of the merchandise, but the selling of it. So I ordered a batch of 50 pins, one for each player, one for each team GM, and a few other people. I recall it costs me about $100. I remember being a real SOB with the pinmaker, demanding the precise placement of images on the pin, and the right pattern of coloring. All minor league logos are licensed as well. As such, I did not violate the licensing laws because I did not sell the item, but the pinmaker did for selling the item to me.
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