Brian Campf has been trying to identify the players on this postcard showing the 1908 Chicago Union Giants at Wheatfield, Illinois, on August 17, postmarked at Wheatfield, August 25, 1908. Todd Peterson, who would be the real expert here, identifies the player standing third from right as outfielder Joe Green, which looks right to me. This would be the summer before he tried to score on a broken leg against the Cubs.
Todd has also made educated guesses that the guy standing third from left is catcher Tom Washington, and that first on the left stands infielder James Smith. Based on box scores for the Union Giants around this time, the other players probably include (in no particular order) “diminutive” catcher/oufielder William Primm; infielders Albert Toney, Frank Young, and Wesley Pryor; outfielder Bob Ramsey; and first baseman Robinson (possibly Al or James?).
Brian would welcome input from anybody who has any more precise ideas or information about who’s who in this photo.
Comments