Who Am I? & The Dedication & Re-creation of Butterball Field

[Zvon]

This one might not be fair because you can't really see his face. But he has been named in this thread so I'll throw it up. Played for the Mets. According to the caption to this photo, which I've learned in many instances can be wrong with these online photo places, this is that ex-Met player pitching batting practice for the Dodgers in 1973. Who is he? His name is in this thread somewhere.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Glass and Tug McGraw at some other cage near a tall conical structure.

Glass and McGraw were photographed on the same day, probably no more than minutes apart. In both photos, the cage door is open at the precise same angle; there's the same rock/object on the ground at the same location near the cage door; and there's the same streak in the sky, maybe from an airplane.

[Edgy MD]

I'm pretty sure the object is a glove. I'd say that the jetstream could be from a different plane on the same route. But there's also the same pair of figures over the shoulder. I'd guess that these guys posed pretty much consecutively.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: "Like I can't do whatever Sadecki can do"!

This card always had me wondering. Why is the background at an angle? If Tom was leaning, why straighten him out?

[Zvon]

When I'm making the cards I usually end up searching for pics. Now I look to see if the spot is around. I usually run into one. Or two or three.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: John Glass and Tug McGraw at some other cage near a tall conical structure. Glass and McGraw were photographed on the same day, probably no more than minutes apart. In both photos, the cage door is open at the precise same angle; there's the same rock/object on the ground at the same location near the cage door; and there's the same streak in the sky, maybe from an airplane.

That is an incredible observation. Yep, same jet trail, people,...they must have lined up for the spot.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The Hammer, the stands, the cage, The Sadecki Spot and the clubhouse, all in one shot.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Tracy Stallard (1964) on the the Butterball Botz diamond before the cage was built. It's the same diamond that includes the Sadecki Spot. You can tell by the parking lot behind the fence. Therefore, the cage was built after the Spring of 1964 but no later than 1967, the last year when Westrum would have been in St. Petersburg with the Mets. The Mets replaced the back fence, too -- maybe because the old fence could not have provided proper support for the cage.

I'm gonna call that particular diamond Butterball Field.

[Guest themetfairy]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: The Hammer, the stands, the cage, The Sadecki Spot and the clubhouse, all in one shot.

John Milner.

I recognized him even without you giving away his nickname.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: This one might not be fair because you can't really see his face. But he has been named in this thread so I'll throw it up. Played for the Mets. According to the caption to this photo, which I've learned in many instances can be wrong with these online photo places, this is that ex-Met player pitching batting practice for the Dodgers in 1973. Who is he? His name is in this thread somewhere.

That doesn't look like anything like Chris Cannizzaro but he was the only one-time Met on that team. Valentine was on the Angels in '73. I wonder if the Dodgers would've retired Gil's number had they remained in Brooklyn?

[Met Hunter]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: This one might not be fair because you can't really see his face. But he has been named in this thread so I'll throw it up. Played for the Mets. According to the caption to this photo, which I've learned in many instances can be wrong with these online photo places, this is that ex-Met player pitching batting practice for the Dodgers in 1973. Who is he? His name is in this thread somewhere. That doesn't look like anything like Chris Cannizzaro but he was the only one-time Met on that team. Valentine was on the Angels in '73. I wonder if the Dodgers would've retired Gil's number had they remained in Brooklyn?

Tom Paciorek was on that team too. Doesn't look like him either.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Met Hunter wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: This one might not be fair because you can't really see his face. But he has been named in this thread so I'll throw it up. Played for the Mets. According to the caption to this photo, which I've learned in many instances can be wrong with these online photo places, this is that ex-Met player pitching batting practice for the Dodgers in 1973. Who is he? His name is in this thread somewhere. That doesn't look like anything like Chris Cannizzaro but he was the only one-time Met on that team. Valentine was on the Angels in '73. I wonder if the Dodgers would've retired Gil's number had they remained in Brooklyn? Tom Paciorek was on that team too. Doesn't look like him either.

I forgot about Paciorek. Can you blame me?

[batmagadanleadoff]

This 1966 Topps photo of Larry Milller is the earliest dated photo in this thread showing the cage at Butterball Field. There's also an undated photo of Wes Westrum near that cage. Westrum was with the Mets from 1964-1967.

I think that this is further proof that the cage wasn't there in 1962 and that the Mets eventually renovated that field. Otherwise, we would've found at least one picture of a Stengel era Met by that cage. There's an overabundance of Stengel era Spring Training Mets photos.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Yogi by the stands. Some pole sticking out of the ground, just like in the Milner picture a few posts above this one.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Yogi by the stands. Some pole sticking out of the ground, just like in the Milner picture a few posts above this one.

Are the stands the same in both photos? What about the clubhouse in the background?

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: The Hammer, the stands, the cage, The Sadecki Spot and the clubhouse, all in one shot.

Wow. And the stands. Excellent Milner pic.
The poles behind him. They look like they are part of a fence, but I can't see the fencing part. In any case, why would a fence be there? If Milner is off to the side of the Clendenon corner that fence pole is an accident waiting to happen.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: This one might not be fair because you can't really see his face. But he has been named in this thread so I'll throw it up. Played for the Mets. According to the caption to this photo, which I've learned in many instances can be wrong with these online photo places, this is that ex-Met player pitching batting practice for the Dodgers in 1973. Who is he? His name is in this thread somewhere. That doesn't look like anything like Chris Cannizzaro but he was the only one-time Met on that team. Valentine was on the Angels in '73. I wonder if the Dodgers would've retired Gil's number had they remained in Brooklyn? Tom Paciorek was on that team too. Doesn't look like him either. I forgot about Paciorek. Can you blame me?

The caption says it's Chris Cannizzarro. I figure the odds of it being correct, especially with the fact he played there then, is 75%. Some of these captions at the photo agencies are all fkd up and wrong more than I ever would have expected. They're are always trying to pass off 73 post season photos as '69 WS pics.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Tracy Stallard (1964) on the the Butterball Botz diamond before the cage was built. It's the same diamond that includes the Sadecki Spot. You can tell by the parking lot behind the fence. Therefore, the cage was built after the Spring of 1964 but no later than 1967, the last year when Westrum would have been in St. Petersburg with the Mets. The Mets replaced the back fence, too -- maybe because the old fence could not have provided proper support for the cage. I'm gonna call that particular diamond Butterball Field.

ha, I like this^.

Yep, and the water on the left.
If I know the Mets they just added the middle fence beam for more support, as opposed to buying a whole new fence. Come on. Its the Mets. Yep, probably when they added the cage of mysterious doings, because I'm still not sure what they do in there. Has to be hit I figure. Looks kinda tight for that though.

[Zvon]

Not sure. Roger Craig possibly at Butterball Field.

[batmagadanleadoff]

themetfairy wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: The Hammer, the stands, the cage, The Sadecki Spot and the clubhouse, all in one shot. John Milner. I recognized him even without you giving away his nickname.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Zvon wrote: Not sure. Roger Craig possibly at Butterball Field.

That's Craig. That's Butterball Field. And in my next coupla posts, I'm gonna prove that the 1962 version of Butterball Field underwent renovations, including a back and side fence change and a cage addition .... and that The Sadecki Spot is located on Butterball Field. The same Butterball Field that Roger Craig is photographed at, above.


This is so exciting. I can't wait.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Here's Jim Hickman at Butterball Field (c. 1962). It's the original field,without the cage, and with the original taller back fence that doesn't have that horizontal middle beam/pipe/bar/whateveryoucallit dividing the back fence in half, more or less.



There's a water fountain that we're seeing for the first time, back and to the left of Hickman. Back and to the left. Back and to the left.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Here's Dick Young ('64) sitting by the water fountain. A lot of the shrubbery that was once behind him is now gone. The area behind Young is now a paved parking lot.

[batmagadanleadoff]

And here's Ron Swoboda (1967) at the renovated Butterball Field, cage included. The water fountain ties the old and new versions of the field.


Who am I extra credit. This question is worth two 2 two clapping gifs. Who's giving Ron batting tips?

Bob Shaw, the cage and the water fountain. In this photo and the one above, you can even see the telephone wires extending from the telephone pole that's coming out of the top of Seaver's head in the The Man From Topps shot previously posted.


More from the Swoboda batting tips session. A better shot of the cage.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'm giving myself one of these clappers.

[batmagadanleadoff]

The water fountain in badge man silhouette.

[batmagadanleadoff]

This photo is supposedly from 1964. If so, it's the earliest dated photo of the cage.

[Zvon]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: This is so exciting. I can't wait.

lol, we are nutz. But this is exciting. After seeing the first pic I thought "how can he know thats a water fountain? Looks more like a bird bath." But the other pics show it is for a fact.

These are fantastic finds bats. I have no idea who the guy with Rocky is. Looking at TUMD for a possible name I'll take a crazy wild guess with Peter LaMotte, team trainer. No pic of him there.
That's Young with his typewriter? He's as crazy as us. Guess its not too strange though. These days he'd have his laptop. He was ahead of his time and obviously a serious writer.

I'm pretty sure I have a shot of Casey sitting on one a those benches.

The water fountain, the benches, the clubhouse, parking lot and water, fence and cage. That little corner of the world is getting bigger.

[batmagadanleadoff]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Here's Dick Young ('64) sitting by the water fountain. A lot of the shrubbery that was once behind him is now gone. The area behind Young is now a paved parking lot.

That's the Mets 1964 Media Guide on the ground next to Young.

[batmagadanleadoff]

"I got naming right dibs on that water fountain. It first appeared in this thread in one of my photos".