On Further Review

Those Comiskey Park snapshots I bought last week aren’t from the “1930s,” despite what the listing on eBay said.  No, a closer look shows they’re from 1939, and sometime before August 14^th.

How do I know?  Well, for openers, the S-O-X uniform has blockier lettering than was used earlier in the decade; the new uniform debuted in 1939.  Then there’s something else I missed the first time around, the absence of light standards in any of the pictures.  The first night game at Comiskey Park took place on August 14^th, a 5-2 win against the St. Louis Browns.  In fact, I’d go so far as to date the pictures date to May.

How do I know?  By checking the all-time list of Yankee players by number.  It pains me to say that it looks like Clare was right.  The one player whose number is showing had to be #25, pitcher Wes Ferrell; nobody wore #29 for New York that season.  It’s even possible the day in question is May 8^th.  Ferrell only appeared in three games for the Yankees that year, including a 5-3 complete game loss at Comiskey Park.  So, there you have it, mystery more or less solved.  Who says a Ph.D. in American history doesn’t come in handy?