Welcome to our community

Be apart of something great, join today!

Photo of the day Saturday January 4, 2013 Teddy Ballgame in the Old Roman's house

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
Let me just say that its been a rough week at work which has limited my ability to post a photo of the day for most of the days this week. I might start posting the night before so that I can insure I get these up here. I hope you all enjoy looking at this stuff as much as I do in finding it and posting here.

Today's photo of the day features Ted Williams sizing up White Sox pitcher Billy Pierce in an undated photo. From the scoreboard we know this is pre-1960 as that is the year when Bill Veeck installed his exploding scoreboard and did away with the huge Chesterfield sign. I thought this photo, while being black and white and shot at night was exceptional because it not only showed one of the all time greats trying to get an advantage by sizing up the pitcher during warm ups but also features two Chicago White Sox legends, Billy Pierce and the catcher Sherm Lollar. Pierce is so underrated because he toiled for years for a team that was always a contender but would get overshadowed by the powerhouse that was the Yankees. Many feel that he should be in the Hall of Fame and his numbers support at least a discussion on this topic. Lollar was a baseball lifer who put in eleven years with the White Sox and had a seventeen year career in the majors all together.

Comiskey park was originally built by Charles Comiskey (who was known as the Old Roman) and was dubbed the Baseball Palace of the World at the time it was built. The old ball park would open in July of 1910 and host All Star games, World Series games, concerts, boxing matches and even some tent revivals and circus events. And lets not forget that the Black Sox of 1919 used this park as their home field in which they conspired to throw the World Series of that year.

I had the pleasure of attending many gmes at this ball park and always loved the right history that came along with it. I remember looking out towards the outfield walls with those arched window areas and realizing that those arches I was sitting in front of were the same arches that I saw in vintage photos of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig. The history of this place could not be overstated and I was sad to see it go.

I hope you enjoy today's photo of the day.

sox_zps00b88b19.jpg


A photo to show you how the ball park really looked in the daylight!!
White-Sox-Comiskey-color-061213_zpsbf9e71bd.jpg
 

scotty216brs

Active member
Apr 15, 2012
3,524
16
MA
Absolutely love the angle of that shot. I also love the man himself, Teddy Ballgame....so I'd say you picked a good picture for today! :)

Never really checked out Pierce's stats until now, solid career. I'm surprised he never got more than 2% HOF vote.
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
Absolutely love the angle of that shot. I also love the man himself, Teddy Ballgame....so I'd say you picked a good picture for today! :)

Never really checked out Pierce's stats until now, solid career. I'm surprised he never got more than 2% HOF vote.

Billy Pierce pitched during a time in which he was shrouded by some of the best pitchers in the game, ever. With Spahn, Koufax, Gibson, Drysdale, Ford and so many more, it was east to overlook this guy. Pierce was easily the White Sox best pitcher for years and seemed to be always matched up against the other teams ace and would hold his own each time. He really does deserve some consideration for the hall but it seems time has just passed him by.

On a side note, Billy Pierce is one heck of a great guy and is a willing TTM signer. I had the pleasure of meeting him many times and always has time for the fans.
 

joey12508

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
38,467
16,123
Winterfell
Great picture. I look forward to your post. I apreciate your effort i know things come first besides cardboard, thanks
 

MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
Love both pics- Ted of course and the aerial shot of the park gives a great perspective of the size of the park. The scoreboard also tells such a story for that moment in time. It's a little blurred with my old eyes so great sleuthing [MENTION=2958]383astro[/MENTION].......
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
Love both pics- Ted of course and the aerial shot of the park gives a great perspective of the size of the park. The scoreboard also tells such a story for that moment in time. It's a little blurred with my old eyes so great sleuthing @383astro.......

It is interesting that you mention the size of the park as when I went to Comiskey I always thought it was a huge, cavernous place to see a baseball game in. As mentioned, I loved the incredible amount of history found within it's walls but I always thought the park was just huge. I mean, the dead center field wall, when they didn't put the temporary wall out there was in excess of 440 feet and only a few ballplayers (Ruth, Foxx and some others) hit a ball that far. But what struck me when looking for other photos of the old Comiskey is how small it appeared when compared to the new ball park that was built right across the street.

oldandnewcomiskeypark1991-uscellularfield_zpscc38cfaf.jpg


While looking for photos yesterday my memory was shaken when I saw a picture of the old McCuddy's tavern being torn down. The image of this place being ripped apart by a bulldozer is startling as it also represents another piece of history that is lost forever. McCuddy's stood right across the street from the old Comiskey, right outside the right field gate. Literally, stumbling distance from the ball park. You could fall off one of McCuddy's bar stools and fall into Comiskey, that is hos close it was to the ball park. Why you ask anyone should care about a small, dumpy 90 year old tavern being torn down? McCuddy's was the place where baseball was lived, breathed and understood. Not only did Charles Comiskey, Bill Veeck, Carlton Fisk and thousands of others who made their living in the game spend time there, this is where the legend of Babe Ruth grew. Ruth would make a regular habit of running across the street to McCuddy's and grabbing a dog and a beer between games of a double header. Legend has it that he would even run over there between innings and have more than a few beers. McCuddy's was where the legend of Babe Ruth gained some traction and never looked back.

McCuddysStreetShotTG_zpsb3951856.jpg

comiskey11_zps0ca805c1.jpg
 

raddison1972

Member
Jan 4, 2013
63
0
Pearland, Texas
Great thread guys, and brings back great memories. I saw my first Major League game at Comiskey back in 1981 and many more before it was demolished. I recall my Grandfather and actual father who had split when I was 2 came to town to take my brother and I to the game, they were so excited and said they had great seats. When we sat down we were behind a huge steel girder painted with about 20 coats of green!

Many other memories, but will share two. A Jose Canseco roof shot in late 1985. Silence in the stadium, but we both stood and clapped as it was stunning to see some unknown guy (little did we know then) hit a line drive roof shot. The other one was when I took my Grand Mother in 1990. It was the last season for the park and we both wanted to go before the year was over. She grew up near Bessemer, Alabama and wanted to see Bo Jackson so we picked a Royals game. Unfortunately Bo didn't start, but did pinch hit late in the game. The White Sox won and Thigpen broke the single season saves record that day. Neither my Grand Mother or I knew about this until they started going crazy on the field and announced it in the stadium.

Thanks for sharing the picture and sparking some great memories!

Ryan
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
Great thread guys, and brings back great memories. I saw my first Major League game at Comiskey back in 1981 and many more before it was demolished. I recall my Grandfather and actual father who had split when I was 2 came to town to take my brother and I to the game, they were so excited and said they had great seats. When we sat down we were behind a huge steel girder painted with about 20 coats of green!

Many other memories, but will share two. A Jose Canseco roof shot in late 1985. Silence in the stadium, but we both stood and clapped as it was stunning to see some unknown guy (little did we know then) hit a line drive roof shot. The other one was when I took my Grand Mother in 1990. It was the last season for the park and we both wanted to go before the year was over. She grew up near Bessemer, Alabama and wanted to see Bo Jackson so we picked a Royals game. Unfortunately Bo didn't start, but did pinch hit late in the game. The White Sox won and Thigpen broke the single season saves record that day. Neither my Grand Mother or I knew about this until they started going crazy on the field and announced it in the stadium.

Thanks for sharing the picture and sparking some great memories!

Ryan

Thanks for the great memories of Comiskey. I remember seeing a roof shot by Ron Kittle there once and the thing I remember, like you, is the silence of the stadium when we all realized what we saw. I think in this case we were all woken up from our amazement by the exploding scoreboard!!!
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top