Lineup card photomatch for Ripken's record-setting game

[Topnotchsy]

A few months ago, a collection which came from former Orioles bench coach (amongst other roles) Chuck Cottier hit the auction block. The lineup cards were from the 1995 season, when Ripken tied and set the all-time consecutive games streak.

The lot indicated that the lineup cards were likely used for 'internal purposes' (whatever that means) based on the fact that the collection had home Orioles lineup cards for both home and away games. I imagine another factor they considered may have been the fact that another lineup card from the record setting game sold a few years back at Robert Edward Auctions and originated from Pitching Coach Mike Flanagan's personal collection.

Given the provenance of where the lineup cards came from (Cottier) and the fact that it seemed clear that Cottier was the one who wrote the lineup cards out (both record setting lineup cards had the same handwriting and it matched the other 50+ in this collection), I had a feeling that the listing might not be fully accurate. I also knew that managers and teams often did not follow exact protocol on lineup cards. I've seen lineup cards that say Spring Training used during the regular season, and ones with the wrong year or team printed on it.

Yesterday, with the help of an individual who does photomatching, I was able to confirm that my lineup card (and not the one that was sold at Robert Edward Auctions) was on the wall during the record-setting game. The image that I matched against is literally titled "Baltimore Orioles Manager Phil Regan in Dugout Checking... News Photo" so there's no question where he is when he is examining the lineup card.

My suspicion is that the lineup card that Robert Edward Auctions sold was from the bullpen. This fits the fact that Flanagan was the pitching coach. In the past I bought a collection of 2003 World Series lineup cards that came from the Marlins pitching coach. He had called them dugout lineup cards but I was able to determine with a high degree of certainty that they were from the bullpen. I assume these were similar.

Note that the image in the dugout was before the lineup card was marked up. The match is the shape and placement of the letters. (The examples are cases where REA's one looks different enough to be very confident).

Sorry for the long post, but really happy to have been able to make this determination.
Attached Images

 

[WizardofOz1982]

That's a fantastic find and great detective work.

 

[gt2590]

AWE-some!

 

[Pinbreaker]

Throughout the game, the players on the card get lined out as other players come in.

Also, do both dugouts get a lineup card?

 

[Topnotchsy]

That's a fantastic find and great detective work.

Thanks! It was really helpful that a picture of Regan looking at the lineup in high resolution was available for the game. I don't think that those kinds of images are common.

AWE-some!

Thanks!

Throughout the game, the players on the card get lined out as other players come in.

Also, do both dugouts get a lineup card?

In general the players are marked off as they leave the game. The dots at the end of the name indicate where the batting order is up to at the end of an inning (I think they leave a circle at the end of the inning and fill it in the next inning, so that they know which circle matters. I am not sure whether they mark the last batter to hit or the one who is up next.

They do have a lineup card in each dugout, though it is highly unlikely the opposing team would have it written up by Cottier. The manager, bench coach or someone in a similar role usually writes it up. (Occasionally you find copies with a different handwriting on the same physical lineup card for the two opposing teams. I don't know whether the managers (or someone else) occasionally fills out the lineup card with the opposing team, so each writes in their players, or if it is two people on the same staff.

 

[Topnotchsy]

Throughout the game, the players on the card get lined out as other players come in.

Also, do both dugouts get a lineup card?

(Edit, thought I had not replied and then realized I had replied, but this reply includes more info so leaving it)

Randomly came across this thread and saw your questions now a year later.

In general, they cross out the player who comes out of the game and insert the new name, though not every dugout stays entirely on top of the changes, and some have different approaches to tracking changes.

At this point, the standard set-up is a large lineup card like this in each dugout which includes both team's lineups listed on them. And there is also usually a copy hanging in the bullpen.

The original 'lineup card' or 'batting order card' was used in order to establish the official order since the rules state that the batting order must be formally established before a game. There are smaller versions of the lineup card that exist going back to the 1930's (and evidence that lineups were written and given to the umpire earlier than that.

Over time it became standard for each manager to give the umpire a copy, keep a copy and give the opposing manager a copy. For many years (from around 1960-2005, though the exact years varies by team) teams used carbon pads so the manager could write the lineup down once and generate the 3 copies.

I've attached a pair of lineup cards from my collection which date back to 1933. In the game HOF Earl Averill hit for the cycle, Jimmie Foxx had 2 hits, and each team had a HOF manager who signed their lineup card.