1937-39 Wheaties, Mobil Oil, and Goodrich Radio Photos

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Wheaties, Mobil Oil, and Goodrich Radio Appreciation Day/Night Team Photo Premiums
Year	1937-39
Size	8″ x 10″
Images	Black and White
Type	Miscellaneous
Number in Set	9 (?)

1937-39 Wheaties, Mobil Oil, and Goodrich Radio Appreciation Night Team Photo Premiums Overview

From 1937-1939, Wheaties, Mobil Oil, and Goodrich teamed up to sponsor several team photos for minor league baseball teams that were distributed as stadium giveaways on their Radio Appreciation Days/Nights. Wheaties was a sponsor on all of them, but Mobil Oil and Goodrich were on only some. Some also included smaller, local sponsor names.

These promotions continued in the 1940s and 1950s (with some having different sponsors) but are not recognized here because they are considered after the pre-war era as defined by this site.

One minor note is that, while the 1937 and 1938 Tulsa Oilers photos are listed in the checklist below, they do not including the Radio Appreciation mention on the photo. They are included here, however, because they similar in appearance to the team’s 1939 issue and could have been for a Radio Appreciation promotion, too. Like the others, the name and picture of the radio announcer are prominently displayed.

The photos have different designs but are all generally similar in appearance. They picture a team in black and white with the player names printed on them. As sponsors, Wheaties and Mobil Oil are both mentioned as well. Finally, because these were for radio appreciation night, they always included the picture/name of the team’s radio announcer.

While minor league collectibles, these are highly desirable because several players made it to the majors. Some collectors consider these rookie or pre-rookie cards of sorts.

The 1938 Minneapolis Millers team photo is the most popular of the series in terms of key players. Hall of Famer Ted Williams is included in that picture prior to starring with the Boston Red Sox in 1939. In addition, Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese is pictured on the 1939 Colonels photo. Reese would make his major league debut in the following season with the Brooklyn Dodgers as a 21 year old rookie. Finally, the 1937 Columbus photo includes Hall of Famer Enos Slaughter and Phil Rizzuto is pictured on the 1939 Kansas City Blues photo.