Between 1901 and 1913 the Pittsburgh Pirates spent their spring training weeks in Hot Springs Arkansas preparing for each upcoming season. The team trained and played its exhibition games at Whittington Park springtime home to several other teams including the Brooklyn Dodgers. This postcard featuring Pittsburgh Hall of Famers Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke flanking an unknown third player exemplifies all the excitement of spring training. The happiness in their faces as they horse around for the cameras is a stark contrast the the majority of photos depicting the two Hall of Famers. Perhaps that's why this postcard was initially auctioned as part of Honus Wagner's personal belongings when parts of his estate were sold several years ago. The medicine ball in the background tipped us off that the photo was likely taken during spring training but it was our stadium expert Tom Daley who was able to quickly identify the ballpark as Whittington Park based on the grandstand behind home plate and the trees on the hill beyond the third base line. The postcard which is postally unused and displays wonderfully appears in EX condition save for handwriting on the bottom of the image identifying the players. Despite this handwriting we are unable to identify the player in the center (we are fairly certain he is not Whitey Alperman as some have speculated). The uniform could be a Brooklyn or Pittsburgh uniform (the Pirates players had uniforms with a "PBC" logo on the left sleeve). Regardless the photo is easily our favorite item in this auction - a picture of three pro ballplayers (including one of the greatest ever) hamming it up for the camera smiling in anticipation of the upcoming season truly demonstrating their Love of the Game. NOTE: Extensive research coupled with help from Todd Schultz Mark Fimoff and a bunch of the great folks on the Net54 message board have helped us isolate this postcard to March of 1911. The gentleman in the center of the photo is Pittsburgh alderman and police magistrate Louis Alpern. You can read about our research and see some of the supporting photographs and newspaper articles on our blog. Click here for the article.