1961 Topps Checkliest #98 - Player Identification?
 

On this 1961 Topps Checklist, card #98, can any experts confirm the players pictured? Ernie Banks is in the center. Who is the Braves player to the left and the Cubs player to the right? I believe the Cub to be Don Zimmer, playing 2nd base and coming towards first. That's what I'm hoping to confirm. Would also be interested to know the Braves player. Photo most likely from 1960 season.

http://www.baseballcardstars.com/61checklist.jpg

Nevermind, found this amazingly detailed article that researched all the 1961 checklist photos. Looks like some NET54 members helped.

And yes it is Don Zimmer. Amazingly, Zimmer has cameo appearances on three different 1961 checklists! And with the many different variations for these checklists, I have a bunch of new cards to track down for my Zimmer collection.

https://www.number5typecollection.co...-and-1961.html

Joe Adcock, Ernie Banks and Don Zimmer at a guess (Banks is obvious plus it's Wrigley).

You were correct according to the research I found (see second post). They're at 2nd base, not 1st as I thought.

"1961 Topps #98, Series 2 Check List

That's Chicago playing at home again and Milwaukee visiting. 2B Don Zimmer approaches SS Ernie Banks with the ball, Zim notably shorter (5'9") than Ernie (6'1"). The Wrigley service door behind that runner is in left-center, so that's likely Cubs LF Richie Ashburn walking back to position after throwing to the infield. Banks' indifference to other bases makes me think that guy on second's the only runner, with any others having scored. (His uniform # is just out of view, but doesn't look like a 1.)

Ernie Banks, Don Zimmer, Richie Ashburn in LF, and a caucasian Brave taller than Ernie Banks doubling to left or center limits us to these contests.
June 30: Cubs win 11-5 (#23 Johnny Logan doubles with bases empty)
July 24: Braves win 7-5 (#9 Joe Adcock doubles in Del Crandall & Hank Aaron)

Joe Adcock is 6'4", so looms over 5'11" Johnny Logan as clearly taller than Ernie Banks, even leaning to one side. The double's credited as deep LF-CF, so I'm not surprised Hank Aaron in his prime would make it home from first without a throw.

Todd Schultz of Net54 pointed out this could be an easy fly ball where the runner held up, making it quite tough to pick out the situation. Given that all Topps' other checklists use "active" plays, I'm OK with thinking this represents something more dramatic. In this case, the first runs of the game.

VERDICT: Calling it for Joe Adcock's double on July 24."

For a bonus, let's see if someone can name each of the fans in the stands. :rolleyes:

I wonder if anyone ever recognized themselves in the stands on a baseball card

please delete

Probably
 

At least this guy, I imagine.:rolleyes:

True enough. I was at the Chicago National when he did not show to get the brief case of money.

The faces on the 65 Mantle missing a Gibson fastball while hitting a HR off Barney Schultz are pretty clear

Photo Deception
 

Right, Al, who were those guys - they look like they might have been the heads of the St. Louis mob. But, as we know, the shot is actually showing Mantle whiffing on a Gibson fastball in Game 7.:rolleyes:
Another bit of Topps chicanery was the pic used in the 1956 Mantle card, which could even be the answer to another trivia question on how many fans have actually appeared twice on one card. Usually, one cannot be in the same place twice at the same time, except when a Topps photo editor wants to make the empty stands behind a Yankee superstar appear more populated. So, he just copied and pasted the folks at the left edge of the shot into the right side of the same pic. Pretty clever...or not.;)

In all my years of collecting (and there are many), I've never noticed that. One never stops learning stuff.

The people on the left were pasted to the right and they also put the ball in his glove

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5fbceb041f.jpg