Wednesday, September 4, 2013

THIS SURE AIN'T THE "BOYS OF SUMMER" HERE: 1972 TOPPS KEN ASPROMONTE

A card that has always piqued my interest because of the background in the photo is the 1972 Topps card (#784) of Indians manager Ken Aspromonte.
You see, I'm born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, just like he was, and I swear to you that it looks like the old neighborhood during Autumn behind him. I can't explain it, and I do know I don't have much to go on in that image, but damn if I don't see "home" there.
Now, I'm sure Topps didn't go and have Ken dress up in his Cleveland best during the off-season while he was back home so they could snap a shot of him for a baseball card. But I must ask, where on earth WAS this photo taken?
It was a late-series card, but does that play into photo-location probabilities here?
He seems to be standing somewhere where there are private homes and bare trees in the middle of November, like on some residential street.
It's not a Spring training facility down South or some picture of him during a regular season game in some Major League ballpark. Not even close.
This really is a unique image for a baseball card because of what the background depicts. It has "Fall" written all over it and I love it!
Does ANYONE know anything about this image? I'm dying to know what this was about.

Where was this shot taken? And when?

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