Mystery regarding John McLean T205 front solved

[Vintagecatcher]

The facsimile signature on John "Larry" McLean's T205 has always been puzzling for me.

It clearly shows M.A. McLean not J.B. McLean. Although often called "Larry" McLean, his birth name was John Bannerman McLean.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...cleala01.shtml

While searching eBay this week, I believe I have stumbled onto a item which sheds light on where the confusion may have occurred regarding the front of the McLean T205.

During the same time period, there was a baseball sports writer based out of Chicago, and writing for the Chicago Record Herald...Malcolm MacLean.

Here is a scan of his Baseball Writers' Association of America Pass addressed to... M. A. MacLean.

Now we know perhaps the rest of the story!


Patrick

[nebboy]

Nice work -

[T206Collector]

So the T205 writers were confused about the guy's name?

[AddieJoss]

I was always under the impression many of the T205 signatures were not truly the players'. If they were unable to get a players signature they signed it. Likely just messed it up?

[Wite3]

I would lean towards the artist just messing it up...since the M.A. MACLean is still not McLean...good detective work but not sure it really holds up.

Joshua

[btcarfagno]

I think it could be a combination of both. Someone made up the signature with this M.A. MacLean in mind but not only got the person wrong but the spelling of the wrong MacLean....which happened to be correct for the right McLean.

Which was wrong.

Right?

Tom C

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Wite3

I would lean towards the artist just messing it up...since the M.A. MACLean is still not McLean...good detective work but not sure it really holds up.

Joshua

agreed...