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Originally Posted by nolemmings
I was hoping this post would gain more traction and catch the eyes of team issue or Yankee collectors. As I mentioned in the other thread posted on the pre-war side, the presence of Jackie Jensen and Johnny Mize places this set as being issued in the 50's, and I now believe it was from 1951, as Austin Mike suggests. Jensen was a two-sport sensation at Cal who was acquired by the Yankees in 1950, which provides the earliest date for the photos, and since he was gone from New York less than a month into the 1952 season, that leaves a narrow window. Of course Dimaggio’s last season with the team was 1951, so unless his photo was included as some sort of homage, the set was from 1951. What I find odd is the inclusion of three coaches– Crosetti, Dickey and Henrich – in a 12 card/picture set. Also strange is why it would not include Mantle, who was being trumpeted as a star before he arrived that rookie year of 1951, or maybe even a young Whitey Ford.
The Phil Rizzuto photo really seems to pin down the year of issue to 1951, based on the outfield sign advertising seen in the background. Note that the sign seen along the left field line is for “Rainbo”, which is the same sign found in photos from Mantle’s first spring training in 1951– you can google it– one of which formed the basis of his 1951 Bowman rookie card. Also note that the Yankees held spring training in Phoenix in 1951 and only that year. So if the historians are correct as to the Mantle photos then Rizzuto’s pic must have been taken in 1951, and given the other player and coach selections in the set, the entire group would seem to be from 1951 also. Of course the origin of who produced it remains a mystery.
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Crosetti, Dickey, and Turner, all coaches, were included in the 1950 photo set. Although that was a 25 photo set, it may explain why they were also in the 1951 set. Whoever produced the set may have thought they were more popular that anyone else on left out of the set. When you throw Stengel in, that leaves only 8 players. These days, that would be a big no-no. Back in those days, obviously not. Even though Mantle was highly touted, my recollection of what I've read indicates that he wasn't expected to make the ML roster. However, after the spring he had, they couldn't not add him to the ML roster. The set may have been planned and produced before the final ML roster was set, thereby leaving him out of the set. Ford probably wasn't included because he was in the military and missed all of 1951 and 1952.
There's also the question of where the set was sold at. Keyman Collectibles claims the 1947 through 1950 photo sets were sold at the stadium (I have no information to verify or dispute this claim). Were these sold at the stadium also and/or through other outlets. The same question holds for later photo sets as well. I have evidence that at least some of the "Action" sets were sold through other outlets. My 1953 "Action" envelope has a stamp for Sportsman's Inn at 852 River Ave., Bronx, NY. My 1956 "Action" envelope has a stamp for Manny's at 840 River Ave., Bronx, NY. Photos attached. My 1955, 1957, and 1960 "Action" set envelopes have no stamps. None of the "Action" set envelopes have the official Yankee emblem. Does this mean they were produced by a third party to be sold at other outlets, albeit with team approval?