Ted Williams Rookie Snapshot Photo? Before MLB Debut?

[GoCubsGo32]

Hey everyone,

I recently pickup some original snapshot photos that seemed to be circa 1940 during spring training in Sarasota,FL. I was looking over some photos in my collection, and notice that maybe my Ted Williams photo was taken before his MLB debut, landing it spring training 1939. I notice my Bobby Doerr from that pickup and the Ted Williams were taking from the same day and it looks like Doerr has a patch on his jersey that might be 1939 Centennial patch.

In addition,Ted Williams does have a pencil caption at the bottom that say "1939" next to the "Ted Williams" in blue ink. Not sure how accurate that is.

What do you think?! You think this photo is of Ted Williams before his MLB debut?

Not sure when the patches where removed or placed on the jersey. I have a picture from that lot of Left Grove 40th Birthday on March 7,1940..that doesn't show the patch.

[Wrightfan85]

That's absolutely the 1939 patch but they could be leftovers from the year before. Hard to say.

[GoCubsGo32]

^^ Yup.That's what I'm trying to figure out. Hoping there's a way. Maybe the glove part can help ? Did he have different model glove from 1939 and 1940?

[whitehse]

Usually teams would use their uniforms from the previous year for spring training the next year. The uniforms that were purchased by the teams for the season were not usually broken out for use until opening day. I am not at all surprised that this might be a 1940 photo while Doerr is wearing a 1939 jersey. This was not unusual at all.