Who is the man: The Mets were not so miraculous in 1970, coming down from their World Series championship high in 1969 to finish third in the NL East.
Can ya dig it: I'm assuming this photo was taken outside since I see grass. The white background, though, makes it look like it's inside somewhere. Maybe they simply erected one of those white backdrops behind the team.
Right on: Trainers/clubhouse men bookend the bottom row.
You see that cat Hodges is a bad mother: Manager Gil Hodges is seated in the middle of the second row, fifth from the left.
Shut your mouth: Finally some visible numbers. They stuck the poor coaches on the ground. Yogi Berra is the third guy from the left in the first row. Rube Walker is the third guy from the right. I hope it didn't take them too long to get up afterward. In the second row, catcher Duffy Dyer is three guys from the right. In the third row, the first guy on the left is Tommie Agee and he has his hands on the shoulders of the player in front of him. I don't know who that is, but I think the guy next to him is infielder Al Weis. In the top row, Tom Seaver is third from the left. Ron Swoboda is standing next to Seaver and Jerry Koosman is next to Swoboda.
No one understands him but his woman: I think the player to the left of Seaver is Donn Clendenon even though Clendenon wore No. 22 and the number here appears to be 28, which isn't listed on the 1970 Mets roster. I don't know who else it could be (Ken Singleton wore No. 29 and was the tallest guy on the Mets --6-4 -- but the guy next to Koosman looks more like Singleton).
(A word about the back): Tenth, tenth, tenth, tenth, ninth, tenth, ninth, FIRST.
28 could be John Milner...he got his first cup of coffee with the team in 1971, but he could have been in a spring training photo before the season, possibly even before the previous season. Then again, Milner isn't taller than Seaver. Hmmmm.
ReplyDeletefound a clearer picture seemingly taken the same day:
ReplyDeletehttp://metsfantasycards.blogspot.com/2014/02/1971-mets-fantazy-cards-plus.html
a quick glance a the faces id say the back row is: Singleton, Seaver, Swoboda, Kooz, Clendenon, Shamsky and Ryan(maybe, he wore 30 for the Mets, but unless he is slouching he's too short!)
next row: Agee, -, - , Boswell, Garett, - , Freisella, -, Folkers
next row: Gentry(?)# 39 or Ryan?), Weiss, Tug, Buddy, Gil, Cleon, Sadecki, Dyer, - , Grote
I recognize the faces of most of the dashes, but didn't feel like googling all of them to double check, I think there is a Jim Gosger in that middle row, possible Jim Beauchamp, too.
probably much more info than any one cares about, but I took in on a challenge to see how many I could recognoze!!