Amazing Baseball Photos from a Simpler Time |

For a personal project, I’ve been searching for royalty-free images of baseball players. I’ve come across a goldmine on Flickr. A huge collection by Boston Herald-Traveler photographer Leslie Jones is here, courtesy of the Boston Public Library. The collection is simply amazing. I just had to share some of my favorite photos.

When I first saw this photo, it looked fake. But going by their listed heights, Eppa Rixey (6’5″) stands a full foot taller than Rabbit Maranville (5’5″). While Maranville was small for his era, Rixey must have been considered a giant.

That’s 1,345 wins in that photo (Smoky Joe Wood—117, Cy Young—511, Lefty Grove—300, and Walter Johnson—417).

Ted Williams pitching batting practice. Think you’d see that today?

I just love this photo of “Sunny Jim” Bottomley.

Lefty Grove pitching. I love the dude in the top hat behind him.

No wonder Rick Ferrell’s Total Zone numbers don’t match up with his defensive reputation.

I love this one—Johnny Pesky giving a kiss to Ruth.

A reunion of the “$100,000 Infield”—Stuffy McInnis, Frank Baker, Eddie Collins, and Jack Barry.

Lou Gehrig’s hands.

Babe Ruth, surrounded by children.

Q: How many men does it take to remove an injured Babe Ruth from the field?

Talk about Hot Stove…

Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, and Dom DiMaggio. Photographers loved these reaching poses back then.

Mr. and Mrs. Lefty Gomez.

Wes Ferrell. He’s on a horse.

Rabbit Maranville with the incredible Nick Altrock.

I love this angle. You don’t see this anymore. This is Jimmie Foxx…

… and here’s Joe DiMaggio.

Hal Trosky covered in bats.

The Ferrell brothers. The wrong one is in the Hall of Fame.

[Presented without comment.]

Oh, to see an Old Timer’s Game back then—Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker, and Duffy Lewis…

… not to mention Frank Baker and Eddie Collins.

Willie Mays and Jimmy Piersall.

Honus Wagner, Pirates coach.

Walter Johnson, managing Cleveland, sitting with Herb Pennock.

The Cornelius McGillicuddy.

A young Bob Feller.

I love this shot of Rick Ferrell.

Jackie Robinson signing autographs.

Babe Ruth, Dodger coach.

I’m still going through these, but I had to share these images. If you look through the collection, please share some of your favorites below.

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junius worth

12 years ago

I always liked the old photos of players and their bats, like Jim Bottomley and Hal Troskey.

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Andy

Is that last one not Ruth as a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers?

Author

Adam Darowski

Reply to Andy

Caught in an error! I had just assumed since most of the photos in the series are Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves. Fixing!

Reply to Adam Darowski

It caught my eye because I only learned that Ruth has coached with them a few months ago, and saw my first ever photo of him in that uni quite recently.

By the way, this is an awesome post–great job and thanks so much for all the work to bring these to us.

Thanks, and no worries at all. I love going through these. That Rixey/Maranville shot just blows my mind.

Also, Leslie Jone *loved* taking photos of Wes Ferrell. So, he’s cool in my book.

kzuke

“Ted Williams pitching batting practice. Think you’d see that today?”

that’s as crazy as a hall of fame pitcher shagging fly balls…

Editor

John Autin

Great pix!

Was that Gehrig’s normal grip? — with his pinkie on or below the knob?

Reply to John Autin

Not sure. One was mislabeled as Ruth, and I did just recently read that Ruth batted like that. But I’m pretty sure those are Gehrig’s hands.

Richard Chester

I have a couple of books about the Yankees with photos of both Ruth and Gehrig completing their swings. Gehrig’s pinkie is definitely below the knob and and it looks Ruth’s is not.

bstar

Reply to Richard Chester

Off-topic, sorry. RC, there’s an article on the front page of B-Ref that goes into detail about their calculation of wRAA, if you’re still interested. It’s pretty math-exhaustive.

Reply to bstar

Thanks, I’ll take a look.

Bill Johnson

Thank you very much. Keep them coming!

What a ride! These are stunning. Great job, Adam.

Hartvig

Great stuff.

From the picture it looks like there might be some truth to the old story that a scout “discovered” Jimmy Foxx when he stopped to ask directions of a farm boy working in the fields and that he pointed the way to town by picking up his plow.

Doug

Evidently, clowning around ran in the Ferrell family.

Anyone know why Eddie Collins was wearing a Red Sox uni?

Reply to Doug

He was the GM of the Red Sox at the time.

Here’s a few from the Library of Congress collection, here.

Roger Bresnahan

Tommy Leach

Hippo Vaughn

e pluribus munu

Thanks, Adam. These are great! Never knew Grove could smile.

KalineCountry Ron

Great pics Adam, thanks for sharing.

Reply to KalineCountry Ron

KalineCountry! Good to see you over here, sir!

Lawrence Azrin

Great job, Adam.

If you enjoy these sort of vintage photos, there’s two books out of Charles M. Conlon’s baseball photos from 1904-1942:

– Baseball’s Golden Age: The Photographs of Charles M. Conlon
– The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs

He’s the one who took that famous action photo of Ty Cobb in 1909 sliding into third base (the 3rd baseman was the Highlanders Jimmy Austin, and the baseball was added to the original photo). This may be the greatest action photoin MLB history.

Mike L

Thanks, Adam. More. Love the shots of Foxx and DiMaggio swinging. Look at the sheer athleticism and power.

Reply to Mike L

It’s amazing that a still photograph can capture Dimaggio’s grace so well. It’s my favorite pic of the group.

kds

Great, great selection Adam. I think the Babe being carried off the field is at Fenway, pre-1934 when the Monster was painted green. Ted Williams pitching batting practice also seems to be in Fenway. Does anyone know when the scoreboard was put in the Monster, as it doesn’t seem to be in that photo.

That babe Johnny Pesky is kissing may be Ruth, but she ain’t Babe Ruth.

The long and the short of it is that Rixey and Maranville were on different teams in the same league at the same time for more than 20 years.

Bryan O'Connor

These are brilliant, Adam. Rixey and Maranville look like me and anyone from my wife’s tiny family. I love Smokey Joe with perhaps the three greatest pitchers ever. Anyone ever see a picture of Clemens, Pedro, Maddux, and the Big Unit together? I also dig the random uniforms these guys wore for old timers’ games.

Speaking of old-timers’ uniforms, I think Smoky Joe Wood has his fielder’s glove in his pocket!

Check out Smokey Joe’s Uniform. Yale. And the picture of Rick Ferrell-proof there were early knuckleballers.

Stuffing gloves into their uniform pockets was common-place in the old days. I have a photo of Bob Meusel taking batting practice with his glove in his rear pocket.

Yep, that was the point I was driving at — The glove in the rear pocket is so classically old-timey.

So, glove in the back pocket except when the gloves were left on the field when your team was batting.

Guess you had to be there.

Was there ever an odder baseball custom than leaving your glove in the field while your team is at bat? The only benefit I’ve ever heard cited for that custom is that if you were left on base at the end of an inning, you didn’t have to go get your glove from the dugout. I guess teammates couldn’t be expected to bring your glove out. And what happened when a player got lifted for a pinch-hitter? Would his defensive replacement go find the glove and toss it in, or did they just play on with an extra glove on… Read more »

Christopher

It is great to see Honus Wagner!

Although I am not savvy enough to know how to copy it for here, in the Boston Public Library collection on Flickr there is also a shot of Honus Wagner shaking hands with Nap Lajoie, dated 1904. What a treasure!