Help IDing a Phillies photo from the 50s (presumably)
burghman
Posts: 1,081 ✭✭✭✭
My Father had this photo in his archives. I used Google image search and it first claimed it was the Pirates celebrating Maz's walkoff in the 60 Series - that's obviously incorrect. When I prompted Google that the Phillies were involved, it said it's the team celebrating their 1950 pennant clinching by mobbing Dick Sisler after hitting the go-ahead home run in the top half of the 10th. The problem is that there are photos of that moment out there and they don't seem close to this picture and the Phils are wearing home pinstripe unis...
While old, it's an official newspaper photo so there may be a way to track it down... I just don't know how to do that with the Bulletin going out of business pre-Internet in 1982. Temple has the Bulletin photos in their library archives (https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p15037coll3/search), but I had no luck finding it after going through Phillies photos up to the mid 70s. Anyone have any ideas what it's from or how to chase it down?
Jim
Comments
I'm not very good at this but this might point someone in the right direction --- Sonny
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/baseball_uniform_numbers.php?t=PHI
Got this from google AI: Do I 100% trust AI on this? No.
This photograph captures the historic post-game celebration following the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies winning the National League Pennant.
Here are the specific details identifying the photo:Who: Stan Lopata (#29), Robin Roberts (#36), and Johnny Blatnik (#11) are seen directly from the back. They are mobbing their starting center fielder, Richie Ashburn, at home plate.What:
The team is celebrating the dramatic tag-out of Brooklyn Dodgers runner Cal Abrams at home plate in the bottom of the 9th inning. Ashburn had fielded a hit by Duke Snider and fired a perfect strike to home plate to keep the game tied.
The Phillies went on to win the game in the 10th inning to clinch the pennant.
Where: Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.
When: Sunday, October 1, 1950.This specific 1950 Phillies squad was famously nicknamed the "Whiz Kids" due to the remarkably young average age of their roster.
Thanks Mike. Don’t take any of this personally - it’s more a criticism of AI because it gave me all kinds of provably false info as I was researching this.
Maybe I’m too young to remember - born in 1971 - but it seems really odd to me that fans in those days would be on the field to celebrate in the 9th when the game was tied. It seems to me that the guy between 36 and 11 is looking down as he touches home plate, and with fans on the field and presumably manager and coaches casually walking towards them it feels like a walk-off situation. Also doesn’t make sense that Ashburn would be mobbed at home plate after throwing a guy out at home.
I think 11 may be Clay Dalrymple (1960 through 1968 - no player wore 11 from 46 to 59 but it could be a coach), 36 is likely Robin Roberts (49 through 61), and 29 is either Stan Lopata (49 through 58) or Gene Conley (59 and 60). It’s a shame we can’t see more numbers.
Jim
Hi Jim
No - been on way too long not to take a little criticism even if not directly at me?
That's why I gave AI full credit - I agree they make all kinds of mistakes - I have found they do way better when you supply the data to be analyzed vs asking them to research archives.
That's a good photo - wish it had a date on the back - my take is that it's not a news service photo but one taken directly by the local newspaper photographer IMO.
PS: just checked Blatnik never had #11 and somewhere in the 2nd half of 1950 he was with St Louis.
Wild guess here....I searched for significant walk off Phillies wins in the 1950s. Found a June 25, 1950 game against Cubs where Richie Ashburn singled to drive in Putsy Caballero in the bottom of the 9th. Robin Roberts (#36) pitched a complete game which would explain why he was at home plate. Stan Lopata (#29) was in the lineup that day. #11 could be pitching coach George Earnshaw, who wore #11 during his playing days in Philly.
It was Game #2 of a doubleheader sweep by the Phillies, in the middle of a pennant race, which might explain the fans going nuts.
Here is a photo of Caballero. Could he be the player stepping on home plate? Kind of looks like him in my opinion.
You may have nailed it, @Chicago1976! Caballero was on second so that gives fans and players plenty of time to meet him as he’s crossing the plate - thanks!
Jim
Great detective work!
🕵🏼♂️
Thank you! One correction: it looks like the Cubs won Game 1, 11-8. Hank Sauer had a monster game (4 for 4, 2 HRs and 2 doubles).
Whoa! This is kinda insane… On June 25, 1950 the Phils and Cubs split a double-header with Ashburn knocking in Caballero with the bases loaded to walk off the second game. Robin Roberts beat Bob Rush 2-1. On July 25, 1950 (the game I accidentally found and commented on in my prior post) the Phils shutout the Cubs in both games of the double-header with Ashburn knocking in Caballero from second in a walk off 1-0 win in the second game. Once again, Robin Roberts beat Bob Rush.
That’s pretty remarkable… Seems like this pic is from one of those 2 games.
Jim