Early Don Cardwell Autograph

[Benjamin Grimm]

This e-mail was sent to the UMDB mailbox today:

Hello I have a very rare Team Photo of the 1954 Pulaski Appalachian League baseball Team. This was the first team Don Cardwell played for. My Mom who passed away two years ago worked at the concession stand here at the ballpark in Pulaski and had all of the players to sign it. Don signed it also. I may sell it if somebody would give me a good price. My neighbor is an appraiser, collector and seller and wants it so bad he can't stand it. But he only offered me 100.00 for it. I know he would get more than that for it. Anyway Don played here first in 1954 at Calfee Ballpark in Pulaski where I'm at. If you know anybody interested PLMK. Thanks.

The writer is referring to the Pulaski Phillies, of Pulaski, Virginia, a Class D team in the Appalachian League. Cardwell was 18 years old that year. The Pulaski Phils won 67 games and lost 46 that year. The only other future big-leaguer on the team was Marshall Renfroe, who pitched two innings for the San Francisco Giants in 1959.



Calfee Park opened in 1935 and was renovated in 2015. It's still in use, as the home of the Pulaski River Turtles, in whatever has become of the Appalachian League.



If anyone is interested in finding out more about this photo, I can put you in touch with its owner. I don't know much about collectibles anymore, but I have a hunch that it's probably not worth a whole lot more than the $100 she was offered.



https://www.oursportscentral.com/graphics/pictures/lg20190906-414354.jpg>

[Edgy MD]

Calfee Park, Under Construction Since 1933!

[kcmets]

My guess is they should take the $100 and run.

[roger_that]

I wondered if there were any other future MLBers on that roster, but apparently https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=ce7ac6cehttps://www.baseball-reference.com/register/team.cgi?id=ce7ac6ce the only such teammate was the immortal Marshall Renfroe. The manager, and catcher, was G. Triandos, but it was the wrong G. Triandos, George, and not Gus, who I assume were related. George Triandos, incidentally, seems still to be on this side of the grass at age 93: https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=triand001geohttps://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=triand001geo Maybe he'd be interested in putting in a bid.