thepologrounds

George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "first five" inaugural members.

Bill Edwards here is William Hanford "Big Bill" Edwards (1877 –1943) an American football player who played guard for the Princeton Tigers football team of Princeton University from 1896 to 1899 and member of the College Football Hall of Fame (Class 1971). The "mascot" is named Raymond Kelly. The date of the photo October 7, 1924 was Game 4 of the World Series at the Polo Grounds. Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 08 Oct. 1924. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1924-10-08/ed-...) www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NY1/NY1192410070.shtml

The Evening Star identifies the boy as Raymond Kelly, mascot for the NY Giants. Actually, Raymond Kelly (1918-2001) was the Babe's personal mascot. That probably wasn't as creepy as it sounds. www.nytimes.com/2001/11/14/sports/ray-kelly-83-babe-ruth-...

Thanks Dean Z and Seuss.. We'll add Raymond Kelly's name to the catalog record.

1914 New York Giants season
www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4559865

Good chance this is Lew McCarty when he was playing for Brooklyn

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_McCarty

Thanks jessamyn west, we'll update the catalog record.

John Francis Hylan www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6233903

The curved detail on the top edge of the wall places Mayor Hylan at the Polo Grounds, as he poses prior to throwing out a ceremonial first pitch. (See comment by Jon (LOC P&P) below). The date inscribed (in reverse) on the bottom of image reads "10/6/24," which would make the occasion Game 3 of the 1924 World Series, between the New York Giants and Washington Senators. The first game of the series to be played at the Polo Grounds. The Giants would defeat the Senators that day, by a score of 6-4, but the Senators would ultimately win the World Series (their first World Series Championship) in seven games. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_World_Series

Thanks TVL1970. The New York Times article published on October, 7th, 1924 says Hylan posed for the photographers with a ball, but didn't actually throw it.