great portraits of baseball players

yeah, the christy pic definitely inspired the thread

I think people have commented on the resemblance between Mathewson and Seaver; James also once wrote something about a picture of Mathewson and Cobb shaking hands, how their personalities (Mathewson: self-assured, confident/Cobb: frightened, small) were perfectly reflected in their expressions.

http://memory.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/09800/09869v.jpg

^

http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ozzie_smith_mirrors.jpg

^^ That's one to right-click and "Open Image in New Window".

http://i54.tinypic.com/jqkigz.jpg

http://www.life.com/image/ugc1065781/in-gallery/47141/babe-ruth-rare-and-unpublished

A never-before-published photo of Babe Ruth and two unidentified men, taken by Ralph Morse in the locker room at Yankee Stadium, June 13, 1948. "This picture works so much better in color than it would in black and white," Morse says. "Because with black and white, you might get a sense of how frail Ruth was, but you wouldn't really feel it, the way you do here. In black and white, you wouldn't see how gray his face looked, how the cancer had really destroyed him. To put it bluntly, Ruth wouldn't look as sick in black and white as he does in color. The man was dying, after all -- and it showed." Coming back into the locker room after addressing the crowd (so the story goes), Ruth was offered a beer by his old teammate, "Jumping Joe" Dugan, who asked the Babe how he was doing. Ruth took the beer, and looked Dugan in the eye. "Joe, I'm gone," he said -- and broke down in tears.

Roxymuzak: thanks, that's the one. I was wrong about them shaking hands...I think what James said was that even though Cobb was the older and presumably wiser and more self-assured player, it looks as if it's he who's in awe of Mathewson.

Pretty basic, but iconic:

http://jackierobinsonfacts.com/images/Jackie_Robinson.jpg

Not a portrait...but man, I love this photo:

http://www3.whig.com/whig/blogs/uponfurtherreview/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/BobGibson_68.jpg

Did Storm Thorgerson take the Ozzie Smith? WOW.

Not Thorgerson, obv.

how do I get mathewson's jacket?

You're too late--it's been cut up into a thousand Upper Deck inserts.

On DiMaggio's birthday, one of the other guy:

http://blog.detroitathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ted-williams.jpg

^emo

williams looked so great back then.

http://photos.mycapture.com/STLT/731526/23161147E.jpg

https://phila8.securesites.com/ppp/images/autoph/2009Dom2.jpg

the ultimate other guy

ian johnson reminds me of joe dimaggio sometimes

http://mlb.mlb.com/images/2008/02/09/wJQhul5t.jpg

that is neither a portrait, nor great

http://i.imgur.com/DzQ89.jpg

Potato, potato, roxy.

http://www.sealclubbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/sammy_sosa_hitbypitch.jpg

not a proper portrait, still:

http://product.images.prosportsmemorabilia.com/44-01/44-01180-F.jpg

aaaw robin ventura got his blood on nolan ryan's face!

this thread es fantastique

http://grab.by/7BBJ

aaaw robin ventura got his blood on nolan ryan's face!

lol

http://images.chron.com/blogs/sportsupdate/archives/ryan_ventura.jpg

bloody ryan pic linked above is from a bo jackson-hit ball.

I was going to find a Donny baseball mustache pic...kudos on the double wammy with Boggs

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yCdkXPm18SQ/RezR1OztT9I/AAAAAAAAAAk/QXyxnHt6cnw/s320/tekulve.jpg

http://mdd2403.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/ted_williams_pilot.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HYtTa.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_wFtDGrTjvGs/TNLOTxHLhpI/AAAAAAAABIg/ynAWdLy3oCM/s1600/27marichal_186115314.jpg

http://thesportshernia.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451b84f69e2011570361948970b-400wi

There are leg kicks and there are leg kicks.

http://shootthemoose.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/babe_ruth_02.jpg

Love all the leg kicks. A couple more: Dontrelle Willis, who turns up all over the place on a "high leg kick" search, and Palmer, whose stride was probably longer than it was high.

http://detectovision.com/pics/dontrelle%20willis24.jpg

http://www.sportsmemorabilia.com/image.php?productid=180885

http://www.millerparkdrunk.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/gorman-thomas.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xoqYhFMIB-0/SJMiI_yXQaI/AAAAAAAAASc/4mgkPCfw_VE/s320/rod-beck.jpg

I call your Thomas, and raise you one Mad Hungarian.

http://www.hotstoveleague.org/images/AL%20HRABOSKY.jpg

ok Ross Grimsley

http://www.survivinggrady.com/ross_grimsley.jpg

http://7is.neswblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/pete-Vukovitch-mustache-brewers-topps.jpg

http://cjciaramella.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/gamble1.jpg

Potato, potato:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T8xffaEz-OA/Sv89_bUsGoI/AAAAAAAAGfQ/syes1giYiaY/s400/doc+ellis1.jpg

Damn, someone beat me to Oscar Gamble...I know about Doc, but where do you get some of whatever Grimsley was flying on?

We've gone from eloquent portraiture of Mathewson, Paige, and DiMaggio to Bad '70s Hairapalooza...

I HATE Brandon Arroyo's leg kick.

I really get a kick looking at 70s baseball players. I love a diverse thread

Let's hit the '80s/'90s then:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-2gf151WQ-A/THUOLQW0j-I/AAAAAAAACDo/wfDrt0TPJfI/s320/jose_lind.JPG

I was just kidding--I worship '70s baseball. I still count it as baseball's greatest decade, from start to finish.

i imagine a bizarro universe where Donald Sutherland plays Kent Tekulve in a We Are Family dramatization

again not a portrait but what a great picture. manny in left.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/resizer/2DTF0wzLfkbxg3lL4KNsmxmxIJ0=/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-bostonglobe/ATSRF6HK3PH3C5KPX34DDHFEOE.jpg

from this article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/24/sports/fenway-park/

Speaking of Boston and left field:

https://i.postimg.cc/65kv740X/yazted.jpg

Awww.

Yaz? Yaz.
https://www-bostonherald-com.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/www.bostonherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/0918-NWS-BHR-L-carlmikeyaz002.jpg?w=978

I guess this is a famous photo? I'd never seen it till this morning, when it turned up on my FB wall.

https://www.welovedc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/2010-08-10-carter-wipes-away-tear-500x333.jpg

Carter's wiping away a tear as Dawson is honoured by the (then still relatively new) Nationals franchise.

Brendon Barynov (bbflicks on Instagram) is an MLB photographer who mainly photographs the Giants and visiting teams. Some of his usual work:

https://i.postimg.cc/Sx2pF42F/IMG-7051.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/FHMXh63f/IMG-7054.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/L4Dqhty4/IMG-7055.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/c4Jv3vjR/IMG-7056.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/YqyhzpKJ/IMG-7057.jpg

JP one particularly cool cos his dad is this guy (who I don’t know but clemenza might).

Anyway recently he’s been using a disposable camera for shots and the aesthetic really works: something about combining the goofiness of players when they see a disposable camera, which many people associate with fun/informality, with the older/grainer look to the pictures making them look timeless. Padres Polaroid effect?!

https://i.postimg.cc/DZyScm03/IMG-7047.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/NMJ5CY29/IMG-7048.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/1zKg6D9K/IMG-7049.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/y8c31wtt/IMG-7052.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/KYbkR0yz/IMG-7050.jpg

Sorry, missed that--don't know much about the CFL (my friend's brother knows so much, he's been hired by the league for a panel charged with naming the 150 greatest players ever).

Ichiro shaking hands with George Sisler's daughter:

https://i.postimg.cc/ydmLbsds/ichiro.jpg

Not sure if I see Fernando in there!

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/USATSI_21190152.jpg

A little haircut goes a long way

https://i.postimg.cc/s2NxMSY3/eckson.jpg

We lived down the road from Denny McLain when I was a young child, there were always references to the Tigers around my house, so I was kind of aware of baseball, but this is the first picture (and play) I can remember:

https://www.baseballhistorycomesalive.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1-rudi-4.jpg

I guess not really a portrait, but it's what immediately came to mind when I read the thread title. It's etched in my mind.

Here's a portrait to make up for it.

https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTY4MTI4MjI3NTU1Mjg4MzM3/1969-0622-reggie-jackson-001161220jpg.jpg

A shocking omission from the underwear pics upthread

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kOsAAOSwekpiF-O6/s-l1600.jpg

McLain is fascinating. I tried to get a filmmaker friend interested in exploring a possible documentary on him 10 years ago, but we never pursued it. Still alive, 79.

Rudi--along with Fingers--is in the Reggie documentary on Prime, the three of them sitting around reminiscing.

McLain was the dark side to the beloved Mickey Lolich.

https://i.imgur.com/lNK2VAZ.png

this is a bad baseball portrait, sorry, but notably bad!

finally, pete rose made the hall!

I collect those postcards--I'm right up to date as of the 2023 group. I look forward to purchasing my Notably Bad Whitey card sometime soon. (You know who else was a pretend architect? George Costanza.)

Saw this on the official mlb account and it’s a great shot IMO; the bubble; the swing of the necklace; and the right arm readying the throw.
https://i.postimg.cc/1zzKRgjn/IMG-2993.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/maNuhol.png

I don’t know where else to share this great photo of Sparky Anderson. He looks like he’s conjuring up a spell or something

https://media.gettyimages.com/id/452540735/photo/detroit-mi-manager-sparky-anderson-of-the-detroit-tigers-smokes-on-his-pipe-prior-to-the-start.jpg

well shit, nevermind https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/manager-sparky-anderson

23 pages of sparky Anderson pics… not how I imagined i would spend my night, but here I am

59yo at the time

https://i.imgur.com/zcHzFiP.jpeg

that’s the one, thanks mookie

i think as a young baseball fan i was always amazed at how old Sparky looked, though maybe not as amazed as i was about Phil Niekro still pitching for the Braves when he was by all appearances in his late '70s.

70s!

i’m not sure how this escaped my attention until now, but the first known photo of someone - anyone, baseball or not - giving anyone the finger is this one of old hoss radbourn, in this 1886 boston beaneaters team photo

https://i.ibb.co/FkY3ypSC/Screenshot-2025-12-26-at-7-29-18-PM.png

idk this feels like a pixels situation

i do not know what a pixels situation is! you mean like a doctored photo?

the sad truth, i first saw this picture because i was seeing whose birthday it is today (checking facebook) and the photo was served to me on the feed because it knows i always pause over baseball stuff. but i did visit wikipedia, which said

Radbourn is also known for being the first person photographed gesturing the middle finger. In 1886, an image was captured of him "flipping off" a member of the New York Giants in a team photo.[15]

i don’t get how people used to be able to do athletics while wearing sweaters

i figure it was a combo of playing without gloves and drinking gallons of whisky

xp I feel this way every time I see baseball players wearing leather belts

it’s crazy that they used to play without gloves, even crazier when you consider that the ball used to be made of pure steel and heated to 400 degrees before gameplay

not to mention the then-common habit of chewing on lead as a way to treat stomach conditions

no longer common, thank god

https://i.postimg.cc/9QZNmRxr/suarez.jpg

Eugenio Suárez #28 of the Seattle Mariners blows a bubble during batting practice prior to game five of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers at T-Mobile Park on October 10, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)