Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Vintage backgrounds: Where is Tom Egan?

 There's a lot going on Tom (or Tommy, as he signed his name) Egan's card. There are a few fans in the stands, the gates probably just recently opened. There's a notice on the dugout wall, another Angel lounging on the steps. There even appears to be some bunting on the fence near the dugout. But where is this?

Egan is wearing his home uniform. In 1966 the newly renamed California Angels opened Anaheim Stadium. However, this doesn't really look like Anaheim Stadium. Also, why does Egan, who had only played in the majors with the Angels in 1965 and 1966, have his cap airbrushed? Perhaps, then, this is 1965, when the team was known as the Los Angeles Angels, and Topps airbrushed out the LA from his cap. But the Angels played in Dodger Stadium this year, and this certainly isn't Dodger Stadium.

I think this is actually Yankee Stadium! The colors and shape of the dugout match the old Yankee Stadium more closely than either LA ballpark, I think. In 1965, Egan was an 18-year-old "bonus baby" who had to spend the season on the major league roster. Perhaps while in Yankee Stadium early in the year the Angels (or Topps) decided to take some photos of their new player and put him in the home whites even though they were on the road. The Angels actually played the Yankees at home in the first week of the season, but later in April the Yankees opened their home schedule against the Twins and Angels; perhaps the bunting was still up for opening week.

1 comment:

  1. I have nothing to add to this, but am surprised, and a little disappointed, that know one else has chimed in to confirm or correct your suspicions; as these the kind of things that baseball card nerds usually live for.

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