Did Players Know?

[mintacular]

What pic/shot would become their Topps baseball card for the year? i.e. "Topps is sending there photographer today so stand here so we can snap this shot..." Or did photographers take a lot of diff pics and later decide what pic would be used on baseball card...I know later in the 70s there were more action shots used so obviously those pics weren't staged but the 60s seems to be mostly mugshots and was wondering if these were pre-planned on a certain date, etc.

[Griffins]

you can often find Topps Vault auctions for images that weren't used on cards. I have no doubt when Topps sent out a photographer they shot multiple frames, and I really doubt the players had a say in what frame ended up on the card.
The shoots would have been planned, the players were told or just pulled to the side as they came onto the field.

[ALR-bishop]

And since photos were often reused and taken earlier, and players changed teams, expansion teams arose, and the deadlock between Topps and Marvin Miller complicated licenses in the latter 60s, I agree with Anthony they likely took several shots-- action shots, cap shots, capless shots---to give them more flexibility out of their library.

Keith Olberman and SCD have had some interesting articles on Topps often peculiar use or reuse of photos

[brob28]

Thinking of some of the awful pictures I've seen on cards, I'd say there was no way the players had a say on what picture was used for the cards. I'd love to post an example but I'm at work.

[nolemmings]

Originally Posted by brob28

Thinking of some of the awful pictures I've seen on cards, I'd say there was no way the players had a say on what picture was used for the cards. I'd love to post an example but I'm at work.

Agreed. I got the feeling that photographers submitted the worst shots possible of players who irritated them, although I suppose they maybe weren't the ones with the final say as to what was used. Still, some of those cards were so unflattering I really wonder if someone was trying to make a point.

[brewing]

1964 Billy O'Dell and 1973 Joe Rudi are some not so great photos.

[GasHouseGang]

I don't think they had any say in the photo used. I once got a signature from Don Sutton on his rookie card. He took one look at it, and said "I always hated that picture!", and then signed right across his face. Thanks alot!