Standard Catalog Update: 1961-65 Wilson Meats

In a blog entry on Feb. 22, I reported the discovery of a Wilson Meats premium picture of Frank Howard with the Washington Senators.

This is what was printed at the time . . . 

Until the report of a Wilson Meats premium picture of Frank Howard as a Senator was received from veteran vintage collector Larry Serota of Florida, it was assumed from the known checklist that these were strictly a 1961 issue.

The presence of Hondo in a Senators uniform has to be attributed to his time with Washington 1965-71.

Previously all known Wilson Meats premiums depicted players who were with the L.A. Dodgers or L.A. Angels in 1961.

This is the introduction I wrote for the Wilson Meats issue in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards some years ago:

It is likely these 5-1/2"x 8-1/2" photos were prepared for promotional appearances by players on behalf of the meat company. The player name and sometimes team name appears at the bottom of the photo and the sponsor's message appears at the bottom, "Courtesy of WILSON & CO., Inc., Fine Meat Products." Backs are blank. The pictures are often found with player autographs, another indicator of their use at personal appearances.


Larry has now added a couple of more additions to the checklist, and I found one of my own while poking around the internet.

New to the checklist are pose variations of Frank Howard (portrait and batting) as a Dodger,
Ron Perranoski pose variations (dark background, light background), Maury Wills, Ed Roebuck, both Dodgers and Bill Moran, Angels.

The lack of a team name printed on the Roebuck premium makes me wonder if it was issued in 1963 or 1964, after Roebuck had been traded to the Senators on July 30, 1963.

With these additions, I'd rework the checklist as follows . . . 

1961-65 Wilson Meats 

Ron Fairly, Dodgers
Gil Hodges, Dodgers
Frank Howard, Dodgers (batting)
Frank Howard, Dodgers (chest-up portrait)
Frank Howard, Senators
Ted Kluszewski, Angels
Bill Moran, Angels
Ron Perranoski, Dodgers (dark background)
Ron Perranoski, Dodgers (light background)
Ed Roebuck, Dodgers
John Roseboro, Dodgers
Maury Wills, Dodgers

I'd say chances are good this checklist will continue to expand with new discoveries.

Check back tomorrow to see a couple of newly reported Jackie Robinson items.