Hey, pennant guys

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

That is awesome!

Awesome to get OJ in his garage...

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by doug.goodman

Awesome to get OJ in his garage...

Hide the knives!

[UKCardGuy]

I don't have it in hand yet but I have discovered a new version of the Grommet pennant series. It's 1914 Champions but the Boston Bees rather than the Boston Braves.

I think this helps to prove Greg's hypothesis in post #9366 that the Grommet "Champions" pennants were produced for the HoF museum opening in 1939.

As you'll be aware, the Braves changed their name to the Bees for a few years between 1936-1940. So it seems that the standard was to use the then current name of the teams on the pennant. That's why this pennant reads Bees instead of Braves. It's also why the 1920 pennant features the Dodgers rather than the "Robins" as they were known in 1920.

Considering that there are "Champions" pennants with dates including 1914, 1920, 1936 and 1939, I think it helps to establish the pennants are from 1939.

In 1939 these were the players inducted (including those from the veteran's committee):

• Ty Cobb (Tigers, Athletics)
• Walter Johnson (Senators)
• Christy Mathewson (Giants)
• Honus Wagner (Pirates)
• Babe Ruth (Yankees)
• Nap Lajoie (Indians)
• Tris Speaker (Red Sox, Indians, Senators, Athletics)
• Cy Young (Spiders/Indians, Cardinals, Red Sox, Braves)
• George Wright (Red Sox, Braves, Providence Greys)
• Grover Alexander (Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals)
• Eddie Collins (Athletics, White Sox)
• Willie Keeler (Giants, Dodgers, Orioles, Yankees)
• George Sisler (Browns, Senators, Braves)
• Cap Anson (Rockford Forest, Athletics, Cubs)
• Buck Ewing (Troy Trojans, Giants, Spiders/Indians, Reds)
• Candy Cummings (Reds, NY Mutuals, Baltimore Canaries, Hartford Dark Blues))
• Charles Radbourn (Providence Greys, Braves, Red Sox, Reds)

It seems possible that the pennants were celebrating the last world series appearance for the teams that the inductees played with. e.g. 1936 Yankees (Ruth) and Giants; 1920 Indians (Tris Speaker) and Dodgers (Keeler);

So far these are the known Champions Grommet pennants:

1914 Bees
1915 Phillies
1918 Red Sox
1919 White Sox
1920 Dodgers
1920 Indians
1933 Senators
1935 Tigers
1936 Yankees
1936 Giants

There are Grommet pennants for the Cardinals and Browns but those aren't Champions versions. I'm going on the assumption that they only produced pennants for teams that were in the MLB at the time - so no Providence Greys, Troy Trojans or Hartford Dark Blues. All of this implies that Championship grommet pennants might exist for the Pirates, Athletics, Reds, Cardinals, Browns and Cubs,

Going one step further, I wonder if the players on some of the pennants are based on the HoF inductees. Is the player on the Yankees pennant meant to be Babe Ruth? Doesn't the player on the Senators pennant resemble this photo of Walter Johnson? Doesn't the player on my Braves/Bees pennant look a lot like George Sisler?

[thetahat]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

I don't have it in hand yet but I have discovered a new version of the Grommet pennant series. It's 1914 Champions but the Boston Bees rather than the Boston Braves.

I think this helps to prove Greg's hypothesis in post #9366 that the Grommet "Champions" pennants were produced for the HoF museum opening in 1939.

As you'll be aware, the Braves changed their name to the Bees for a few years between 1936-1940. So it seems that the standard was to use the then current name of the teams on the pennant. That's why this pennant reads Bees instead of Braves. It's also why the 1920 pennant features the Dodgers rather than the "Robins" as they were known in 1920.

Considering that there are "Champions" pennants with dates including 1914, 1920, 1936 and 1939, I think it helps to establish the pennants are from 1939.

In 1939 these were the players inducted (including those from the veteran's committee):

• Ty Cobb (Tigers, Athletics)
• Walter Johnson (Senators)
• Christy Mathewson (Giants)
• Honus Wagner (Pirates)
• Babe Ruth (Yankees)
• Nap Lajoie (Indians)
• Tris Speaker (Red Sox, Indians, Senators, Athletics)
• Cy Young (Spiders/Indians, Cardinals, Red Sox, Braves)
• George Wright (Red Sox, Braves, Providence Greys)
• Grover Alexander (Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals)
• Eddie Collins (Athletics, White Sox)
• Willie Keeler (Giants, Dodgers, Orioles, Yankees)
• George Sisler (Browns, Senators, Braves)
• Cap Anson (Rockford Forest, Athletics, Cubs)
• Buck Ewing (Troy Trojans, Giants, Spiders/Indians, Reds)
• Candy Cummings (Reds, NY Mutuals, Baltimore Canaries, Hartford Dark Blues))
• Charles Radbourn (Providence Greys, Braves, Red Sox, Reds)

It seems possible that the pennants were celebrating the last world series appearance for the teams that the inductees played with. e.g. 1936 Yankees (Ruth) and Giants; 1920 Indians (Tris Speaker) and Dodgers (Keeler);

So far these are the known Champions Grommet pennants:

1914 Bees
1915 Phillies
1918 Red Sox
1919 White Sox
1920 Dodgers
1920 Indians
1933 Senators
1935 Tigers
1936 Yankees
1936 Giants

There are Grommet pennants for the Cardinals and Browns but those aren't Champions versions. I'm going on the assumption that they only produced pennants for teams that were in the MLB at the time - so no Providence Greys, Troy Trojans or Hartford Dark Blues. All of this implies that Championship grommet pennants might exist for the Pirates, Athletics, Reds, Cardinals, Browns and Cubs,

Going one step further, I wonder if the players on some of the pennants are based on the HoF inductees. Is the player on the Yankees pennant meant to be Babe Ruth? Doesn't the player on the Senators pennant resemble this photo of Walter Johnson? Doesn't the player on my Braves/Bees pennant look a lot like George Sisler?

Gary … wow that’s still a super cool pennant, it may not be 1914 but still 85+ years old and great condition. And yes it does provide a major clue to solving the mystery.

I have seen a Championship grommet Athletics and I am pretty sure I’ve seen a Pirates.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Going one step further, I wonder if the players on some of the pennants are based on the HoF inductees. Is the player on the Yankees pennant meant to be Babe Ruth? Doesn't the player on the Senators pennant resemble this photo of Walter Johnson? Doesn't the player on my Braves/Bees pennant look a lot like George Sisler?

Can you provide a picture of the '33 Senators? Thanks.