Is this Napoleon Lajoie?

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Posted By: Adam J. Baxter

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Posted By: Adam J. Baxter

This is a cropped picture from a scan of an 1894-96 cabinet photo I have of the New England League Fall River Indians team. The date for the photo should be accurate as Fred Klobedanz is also pictured and he was only with the team these three years. Klobedanz is featured in SABR's 19th century stars book. Lajoie played for Fall River in 1895 and this is one of only two men in the photo that I have been unable to ID. The other looks absolutely nothing like Lajoie, however I wanted to get some opinions from the board on this guy. Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Regards,
Adam

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Posted By: fkw

My opinion NO he doesnt look like Lajoie. It looks more like a cross between Mathewson and Waddell. Frank

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Posted By: halleygator

I also vote "NO".

Lajoie had dark prominent eyebrows, and this guy does not.

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Posted By: Andy Baran

Would have been great if it was Lajoie

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Posted By: runscott

Please send a scan - thanks!

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Posted By: dona cauchon

I've checked the pic against my 1913 National Game "Lajoie" and I would vote that the pic is indeed Lajoie. His eyebrows in 1913 don't look heavy in my pic, even many years later.

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Posted By: runscott

Lots of times features are blurred or not dark enough in old photos, and when it involves the eyes/eyebrows it can really make a person look different.

Cover up the eyes only and then see if the picture would look like the person in question if you added the eyes (as you know them to look).

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Posted By: Hankron

Below is a picture of Napoleon Lajoie 1915-16



I do not beleive the other picture is of Lajoie.

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Posted By: brian p

Notice how the eyebrows on the easily identifiable Lajoie are curved at the ends down to the sides of his eyes--very distinctive. The player's eyebrows pictured from the team photo keep in a straight line and seem to fade away. And Lajoie had a very sharp, distinctive face--I am guessing that one could easily spot it in a crowd. If a photo doesn't just jump out and grab you as Nap, in my opinion it ain't going to be him.

Brian

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

I see a lot of similarites in the photos, the porportion of the face, the mouth, the hair cowlick, the eyebrows do look different, but the pictures are 20 years apart and the older one is much sharper. Could be Lajoie. Would be nice to see whole photo.

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Posted By: leon

I am not sure but if you look at the top pic and look squarely between his eyes at the top of his nose you will see the way his skin wrinkles a little, like he's squinting.......if you were to "pronounce" that for 20 years there would be large wrinkles on the bottom Lajoie, between his eyes.....and there are not.....it's sort of like a young smoker and an old one.....wrinkles get worse over time. SO, unless the bottom pic of Lajoie is when he had a face lift I don't think it is him....again, compare those 3 little wrinkles.....just a thought....later

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Posted By: Adam Baxter

..for the great responses. I had a strong feeling that Lajoie was nowhere to be found in this photo. I couldn't ID two players, so I figured I give it a shot. So I'm up a Klobedanz and down a Lajoie! :)Lajoie was only with Fall River a short time in 1895 and I don't think he was even still with the team when they won the New England League championship at the end of the season. Still a great photo anyway and a real find INMHO as 19th century New England League items tend to be fairly scarce.

Regards,
Adam