7 1950s Pirates Vintage Photos – Groat, Rickey, Klu, Murtaugh, Swan Lake(?!) and More.
Lot 396. 7 1950s Pirates Vintage Photos – Groat, Rickey, Klu, Murtaugh, Swan Lake(?!) and More. Photos from various news services make up this black & white collection. 1. Branch Rickey, Pirates chairman, with Bob Friend and Dick Groat, titled “Sage Advice,” 7” x 9”, March 29, 1957 from World Wide Photo, caption attached to the back, which has a World Wide Photo stamp. Some light-to-moderate creases. The caption describes Rickey as “a grand old man of the game” with “one of the keenest minds in baseball” and “father of the game’s farm system.” 2. Danny Murtaugh as successor to Bobby Bragan as manager of the Pirates, three images, 8” x 10” with caption, Aug. 5, 1957, Associated Press Wirephoto stamp on the back, several relatively light horizontal creases. Subsequently, Murtaugh led Pittsburgh to World Championships in 1960 and 1971. 3. Don Hoak diving for a Don Blasingame grounder, 8” x 10” sepia photo, Aug. 20, 1959 caption and an AP Wirephoto stamp on the back, 1.5” tear at the top, light creases plus one moderate and one heavy crease toward separate corners. 4. Ted Kluszewski, 7” x 10” sepia photo including a caption as part of the photo, June 18, 1959, AP Wirephoto, several light creases. Three images show Klu scoring while colliding with Chicago Cubs catcher Sam Taylor. 5. Dale Long, 6” x 8” borderless photo, June 5, 1956, AP Wirephoto stamp and caption on the back, small light creases, one moderate. The photo commemorates Long’s record-setting performance between May 19 and May 28, 1956. In that period, he hit a home run in eight consecutive games, a record since tied by Ken Griffey, Jr. and Don Mattingly. Long played first base for the Pirates from 1955-57. 6. Bob Skinner and Ed Bressoud, 7” x 9” including caption, June 11, 1958 UPI Telephoto, blank back, a couple of minor, very light creases. Giants’ second baseman Bressoud receives the ball as Skinner slides toward second base. 7. A United Press Association 7” x 9” photo from March 11, 1956, with an attached caption headlined “Can This Be ‘Swan Lake’.” The photo has several minor creases. With Roy Welch, a Pirates coach, leading them, players “perform pirouettes with grace during the morning session of calisthenics” at spring training in Fort Myers, FL. The players shown appear to include Curt Roberts, Vernon Law and Danny Kravitz. A United Press Association stamp is on the photo’s back. Winning Bid $40.
