Can Anyone ID These Cardinals?

by holden on Jan 17, 2007 1:15 PM EST Comment 9 comments

At the 0:03 mark of this video, there's some historic footage of some Cardinals (seemingly goofing around) in pregame exercises. Does anyone know who these Cardinals are? I thought possibly members of the Gas House Gang -- the footage is definitely pre-1941, because the hats do not have the "SL" or StL" on them.

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it's definitely the Gas House Gang

the guy on the left throws left-handed; that means is probably ripper collins or ernie orsatti, the only two southpaws in the everyday lineup. the guy in the middle might be frankie frisch; he's the tallest guy in the frame, and frisch (at 5'11") was one of the tallest guys on the team.

by lboros on Jan 17, 2007 1:38 PM EST reply actions

guy in the middle might also be

dizzy dean; he was 6'2"

by lboros on Jan 17, 2007 1:39 PM EST up reply actions

thanks lb

Someone just posted this on another site where I saw the question in the first place:

From left to right, I believe the three players to be:

First baseman James Anthony "Ripper" Collins, 5-9, 165 pounds, lefty -- known to be one of the ringleaders of the Gang and one of the few lefties on the squad. I did my best to match up his face with a 1934 Goudey card, and I think it's him.

Third baseman Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin, 5-8, 170 pounds, righty -- "The Wild Horse of the Osage" and also well-known as one of those prone to antics before the games. Martin was known for his muscular frame, and although it could also be Joe "Ducky" Medwick, the relative height compared to Collins makes me think it's Pepper; and

Pitcher Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean, 6-2, 180 pounds, righty -- always known as ready to get in on a gag or on camera. Although the face is difficult to make out, the player's height rules out almost everyone else.

by holden on Jan 17, 2007 1:53 PM EST up reply actions

now that i look at it again

i'll change my opinion and agree that the guy on the far right is the tallest ---- and therefore possibly dean. the GHG also had a tall catcher (spud davis, 6'1"), but as the commenter above notes, dean was more likely to mug for the cameras.

as for the guy in the middle, it's got to be pepper martin. after all, those guys are playing a variant of "pepper," the old-timey reflex drill, and that's the derivation of his nickname ---- he was an expert pepper player.

by lboros on Jan 17, 2007 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

That's definately Pepper....

I know that for sure.

by Brock20 on Jan 17, 2007 10:49 PM EST up reply actions

There used to be a longer clip

that was run as part of the Cardinals' TV "intro"... while I couldn't "freeze" the YouTube clip to get a good look at the three players, I seem to recall the longer clip featured "Pepper" Martin in the middle, flanked by "Ripper" Collins and "Ducky" Medwick.

I am not at all sure that the third guy in the "pepper" game was Medwick... but I think I would have remembered if the third guy was "Dizzy" Dean! I Could Be Wrong (tm), however...

The Gas House Gang would be a treat to modern, TV-intensive baseball... not only did they feature the Globetrotter-like "pepper" game, but Martin also was part of a country/western band called the "Mudcats"... made up entirely of players on the team. (Collins played the jug!) The band's "Mudcats" shirts featured the Birds on the Bat, but with "Mudcats" written where "Cardinals" usually appeared.

Of course, FOX would either be delighted or appalled with what their microphones picked up when 2B/Manager Frankie Frisch and/or SS Leo Durocher got into an argument with an umpire... definately Not Safe For Work! <grin>

"A man should live forever, or die trying." -- Mike Callahan

by The Ol Goaler on Jan 19, 2007 10:27 AM EST reply actions

No Pepper Games!

Cheers

by Alxfritz on Jan 23, 2007 4:23 AM EST up reply actions

This might help.

by Zubin on Jan 21, 2007 6:22 AM EST reply actions

Funny Pepper martin Story:

Doug Feldmann, author of Dizzy and the Gashouse Gang, tells the following story about Martin:

As he made the switch to third base later in his career, he began to develop a sore back. Knowing this, opposing teams began to bunt on him incessantly. This continued until he became so angry he called time-out in the middle of a game, and called first baseman Rip Collins to the pitcher's mound for a conference.

"Ripper," he said, "the next time those bastards bunt, forget about the bag and back up the runner. I'm gonna plunk him right in the noggin."

And sure enough, the next opponent to bunt dropped like a ton of bricks about two-thirds of the way down to first, the victim of a rocket shot to the head that came from across the infield. Word soon after spread around the league about the fate of would-be drag bunters in Sportsman's Park, and the strategy ceased to exist.

by Zubin on Jan 21, 2007 6:28 AM EST reply actions