I certainly remember Tom Hilgendorf, but probably only from my card collection. Here, Tom is in a pose similar to ones I remember doing on Little League picture day, and ones my kid does in pee-wee. Tom had a rubber arm and noodle neck in 1964-65. Pitching 19 innings in 110 degree heat? What about the humidity? I'm sure it was about 95%. Like Mickey Lolich, Tom is a switch hitting pitcher. Hmmm, I'm only at card 13, so we'll see if this is rare. Perhaps a label for switch hitters would be appropriate. Tom is in serious danger of pulling his stirrups up so tight that there will be daylight at the narrow part of his ankle. That's the way we did it in senior Little League. We even slit the stirrup and inserted elastic to get that thin stripe look, with no solid.
Cartoon: Hey, Tom can sure make a hand saw hum with the head of that hammer. Look at the sound waves coming off that thing! Yet another off season activity that today's contract might limit?
Ballpark background: It looks here like the Oakland Coliseum. Tom is wearing the Indians' gray uni's, so this isn't Cleveland. The metal bleacher sections with two groups of seating per section (center aisle) is consistent with Oakland. At the top of the picture over Tom's left shoulder is a small triangle of white. The center field gate is open and there is a concrete ramp leading up from it to the outside (the Coliseum playing surface is below ground level). There's also a distance mark on the left-center field fence, and quite a bit of real estate between Tom and the foul line. This all adds up to Oakland. Tom is near the stands on the first base line.
I like your labels ideas, including the World Series ring label. Another blogger kept track of players who became managers later. I am looking forward to following as your blog progresses through the first year of cards I bought seriously as a kid (1973 was just an appetizer).
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