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 Roberto Clemente at Wrigley Field in 1964. This photo is on display in the Baseball Hall of Fame exhibit 'Picturing America's Pastime' |  Don's photos were featured in numerous articles and covers for Jet, Ebony and Sport magazines, including several on Dick Allen. Allen was a fan of Don's work and autographed several photos |  Sandy Koufax won the Cy Young Award 3 times, when there was only 1 award for both leagues. He pitched 4 no-hitters and 1 perfect game. Koufax helped the Dodgers win 4 World Series, including the 1959 series against the White Sox |
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 Hank Aaron was a 25x All-Star who led the league in home runs and RBI's 4x. He broke Babe Ruth's career HR record of 714 and his final 755 was not surpassed until Barry Bonds |  Ty Cobb once said of Eddie Mathews - "I've only known 3 or 4 perfect swings in my time, this lad has one of them" |  Cubs dugout with Billy Williams, Ernie Banks and Lou Brock in the early 60's |
 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier as the first Black player in MLB in1947, when he won Rookie of the Year. Here he is as an analyst for ABC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts in 1965 at Wrigley Field |  HOF pitcher Jim Bunning was a 9x All-Star, and pitched a no-hitter and a perfect game. Bunning is the only MLB HOF player to also serve in the US Senate |  HOF Giants pitcher Juan Marichal, who once threw 237 pitches in a 16 inning win against Warren Spahn, winning 1-0 on a Willie Mays HR. Marichal was the 3rd Latino inducted into the HOF, after Clemente and Al Lopez. He grew up in the Dominican Republic playing with the Alou brothers (Felipe, Matty and Jesus), and they all ended up playing together with the Giants |
 HOF Braves pitcher Warren Spahn. He was a 21x All-Star and holds the record for most wins by a left hander (363). He was on the losing end of a 16 inning duel with Juan Marichal |  Jim Maloney, after pitching a no-hitter at Wrigley on Aug. 19, 1965, a 10-inning game where he threw 187 pitches. Just 2 months earlier he had a hitless game broken up in the 11th inning. He threw his 2nd official no-hitter in 1969 |  Al Lopez as White Sox manager. He played and coached over a period of 5 decades, and was the 2nd Latino inducted into the HOF, after Roberto Clemente |
 1967 World Champion Cardinals at Wrigley. Curt Flood, Roger Maris, Orlando Cepeda and Lou Brock |  Yankee catcher Elston Howard, the first Black Yankee player. Early in his career he played in the Negro Leagues with the Kansas City Monarchs under Buck O'Neil, where he roomed with Ernie Banks for one year |  Lou Brock came up with the Cubs in 1961. Despite good power, his lack of hitting led them to trade Brock to the Cardinals in 1964. Don helped Lou find his first apartment when he came to Chicago |
 Dodgers Maury Wills, John Roseboro and Junior Gilliam at the batting cage |  Willie Mays played in 24 All-Star games, tied with Hank Aaron and Stan Musial for the most played. He also won 12 Gold Glove awards |  HOF pitcher Bob Gibson played all 17 seasons with the Cardinals. He won 2 World Series and 2 Cy Young awards. As was the case of a number of ballplayers, Gibson played with the Harlem Globetrotters for a period before focusing on baseball |
 Bill White, Ken Boyer and Stan Musial at batting cage in Wrigley |  Buck O'Neil with Ernie Banks, in June, 1962, on his first day as the first Black coach in MLB. Ernie had played for Buck in the Negro Leagues, and was the first Black player on the Cubs. He was the first to win consecutive NL MVP awards |  Player and manager Frank Howard was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1960. Here he is hitting batting practice at Wrigley Field |
 White Sox players Fred Talbot, Eddie Fisher and Jim Landis in 1964 |  Reggie Jackson with hitting instructor Joe Dimaggio |  Curt Flood challenged MLB’s reserve clause in 1969, when he was traded to the Phillies for Richie Allen, with a lawsuit advocating for free agency, for which he was blackballed from MLB. Flood was also a painter who often discussed art with Don before games |
 Rocky Colavito had 11 consecutive 20 HR seasons, exceeding 40 3 times. He also surpassed 100 RBI 6 times. Here he is at Comiskey Park, with Dick McAuliffe. Rocky liked this 'candid' photo |  Don's cover photo of Vida Blue in 1972. After his Cy Young and MVP performance in 1971, he had a salary dispute and held out for part of '72 and was relegated to the bullpen for the World Series |  Dodgers dugout with Don Drysdale, Pee Wee Reese and Don Zimmer |
 Tony Taylor, who played for 19 years, started his career with the Cubs in 1958 |  Joe Gaines, Frank Robinson and Vada Pinson in the dugout at Wrigley. Robinson was the first Black manager in MLB. At McClymonds HS he played baseball with Pinson and Curt Flood, and basketball with Bill Russell, who would become the first Black to coach in the NBA |  Hank Aaron shot by Don which appeared in the book 'The Last Hero - A Life of Henry Aaron' |
 Roberto Clemente was one of the most electric players in baseball. He won 4 NL batting titles, 12 Gold Gloves and was part of 2 World Series champions. He got his 3,000 hit in his last at bat. When he died in a plane crash in Dec '72, MLB bypassed the 5 year waiting period to induct him into the HOF, the first Latino to be inducted |  Roger Maris is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961. But he was AL MVP in '60 and '61, a 7x All-Star and part of 3 World Series championship teams with the Yankees and Cardinals |  Leo Durocher, as a coach with the Dodgers in the early 60's, before he became manager for the Cubs. He was part of 4 World Series championship teams in his career. Durocher was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 |
 Sandy Koufax after giving up a home run at Wrigley Field |  'Mr October' Reggie Jackson. At an NSCC event when Don's son went to get this photo autographed, Reggie remarked "I really got all of that one" |  Cubs player and broadcaster Ron Santo was a 9x All-Star and 5x Gold Glover. He was inducted to the HOF by the Golden Era Committee. The Santo family has been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for many years. Don contributed a photo each year for the auction |
 Oscar Gamble was another player discovered by Buck O'Neil. Despite limited playing time over 17 seasons, he hit 200 HR's in 4500 at bats. His Afro was very noticeable, like Darnell Hillman's in the NBA |  Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest players to play the game, despite injuring his knee on a fly ball hit by Willie Mays in the 1951 World Series, his first season, and never fully recovering. He was a 20x All-Star, 3x MVP and part of 7 World Series championship teams. Don shot this photo at Comiskey Park in August 1968, in his last appearance in Chicago |  Don drove Jackie Robinson to downtown Chicago after the game to get a tie for a dinner that evening. He had a difficult time squeezing into the VW Beetle |
 Stan Musial on Stan Musial Day at Wrigley Field, with Chicago broadcaster Jack Brickhouse |  Pitcher Eddie Fisher was another of the knuckleball specialists with the White Sox in the 60's, playing several years with Hoyt Wilhelm. Traded to Baltimore, Fisher was part of the 1966 World Series, but did not appear in any of the four games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Jim Palmer, Wally Bunker, and Dave McNally all pitched complete games, and the team needed only one relief appearance, provided by Moe Drabowsky |  Nellie Fox spent most of his HOF career with the White Sox. The 12x All-Star was AL MVP in 1959 when the Sox won the pennant |
 Richie (later Dick) Allen was NL Rookie of the Year in 1964 with the Phils. Despite that and 2 All-Star appearances, his relationship with the Philadelphia fans was strained due to their abusive behavior. When he demanded a trade, they sent him to the Cardinals before the 1970 season. Even this deal caused controversy since the Cardinals Curt Flood refused to report to the Phillies as part of the trade. (Flood then sued baseball in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the reserve clause) |  Ron Fairly was a versatile player in his 21 seasons, 12 of them with the Dodgers where he won 3 World Series. He went on to become a broadcaster for several decades |  Vada Pinson had 4 200+ hit seasons, batting over .300 each time, and was awarded 2 Gold Gloves. Pinson attended McClymonds HS in Oakland, along with MLB stars Frank Robinson and Curt Flood. Bill Russell also attended McClymonds at that time |
 Steve Carlton was the first to win 4 Cy Young awards. He is 2nd all-time in strikeouts by a left-hander and has the 2nd most wins by a lefty |  Willie Davis was a speedster who stole 20+ bases 13 times and won 3 Gold Gloves |  Willie Mays and Ernie Banks at the annual Diamond Dinner at the Chicago Palmer House |
 Buck O'Neil as Cubs coach during warmups |  Frank Robinson was the first Black manager in MLB (1975). He was also the only player to win MVP in both NL and AL. Robinson attended McClymonds high school and played basketball with Bill Russell, who became the first Black coach in the NBA |  Hoyt Wilhelm, known for his knuckleball, played for 10 teams over his career, including the Sox and Cubs. Wilhelm was nearly 30 years old when he entered the major leagues, and pitched until he was nearly 50. He retired with one of the lowest career earned run averages, 2.52, in baseball history and was inducted into the HOF |
 Pete Ward, Eddie Fisher and JC Martin arguing a call at the plate |  Billy Williams, reporter notes showing Cubs lineup |  Cesar Cedeno's 17 year career included 5 Gold Glove awards and 4 All-Star appearances |
 Fergie Jenkins won 20 or more games 6 straight seasons for the Cubs. In 1971 he became the first Cub pitcher and first Canadian player to win the Cy Young award. He also became the first Canadian inducted into the HOF. Jenkins, like Bob Gibson and some others, played for the Harlem Globetrotters in the off-season for several years |  Randy Hundley-Joe Torre |  Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda, Matty Alou |
 Pete Rose was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1963. He is the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), singles (3,215), and outs (10,328). He is ineligible for the HOF due to gambling on baseball games |  George Altman played briefly with the Kansas City Monarchs before being signed by the Cubs on Buck O'Neil's recommendation. Don played basketball with him against the Globetrotters |  Rico Carty, one of the first Dominican players, won the NL batting title in 1970 |
 Koufax Photoshop montage of 3 of Don's Koufax shots |  Detroit's Norm Cash at Comiskey Park. He made his MLB debut in 1958 for the White Sox, later going to the Tigers. He was the AL batting champ in 1961 |  Billy Williams was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1961. The HOF outfielder was a 6x All-Star, and won a batting title in '72. Don always got Billy's attention by calling 'Whistler', which is where Williams was born |
 Willie Davis and Tommy Davis (not related) |  Manager Chuck Tanner greeting Dick Allen in the dugout. In Allen's first year with the Sox (1972) he won the AL MVP award |  Wilbur Wood, a knuckleball specialist, joined the White Sox and Hoyt Wilhelm in 1967. His durability allowed his to set a MLB record of 88 games pitched in a season, and he was also the last pitcher in American League history to win and lose 20 or more games in the same season (24-20 in 1973) |
 Larry Doby was the 2nd Black to break the color barrier, after Jackie Robinson, and the first in the American League. He was also the first to go directly from the Negro Leagues to the Majors. Doby was also the 2nd Black manager, after Frank Robinson, when he became manager of the Chicago White Sox in 1978 |  Vida Blue was part of the Oakland A's dynasty that won 3 straight World Series in the 70's. He won the American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971 |  Ron Santo signing autographs at Wrigley |
 Catcher Randy Hundley was known for his defensive abilities and leadership of the Cubs in the late 60's. He was behind the plate for no-hitters by Burt Hooton and Milt Pappas in 1972 |  Maury Wills was the first to steal 100 bases, in 1962, when he broke Ty Cobb's record with 104 steals. He was the NL MVP that year |  Buck O'Neil, the Soul of the Negro Leagues, was made famous in Ken Burns 'Baseball' series. He played and managed for many years with the Kansas City Monarchs. He became a scout and then the first Black coach in MLB when the Cubs hired him. In 1990, O'Neil led the effort to establish the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City, and served as its honorary board chairman until his death |
 Red Schoendienst was a 2nd baseman, manager and coach. He was a 10x All-Star, and part of 5 World Series championship teams, all of which were won in 7 games. He was inducted into the HOF by the Veterans Committee. This photo was taken at Wrigley circa 1962 |  Playing for the SF Giants, Felipe Alou was joined by his brothers Matty and Jesus in the outfield in 1963, the only all-brother outfield to date. In 1966 he finished 2nd to Matty in the NL batting race. As manager in 2005, he was also joined by his son Moises |  Lou Brock joined the Cardinals in 1964 and helped them to the World Series championship, and again in 1967. An 8x stolen base leader, his single season and career steals records were only later surpassed by Ricky Henderson. He also surpassed the 3,000 hit mark in his career |
 Cubs Banks and Williams, with Cardinals Flood, watching George Altman in the batting cage at Wrigley |  Twins pitcher Camilo Pascual was known for his curveball, and led the league in strikeouts 3 times. The HOFer was a 7x All-Star |  Dick Allen was traded to the Sox for Tommy John in 1972. He was the AL MVP that year, and the AL HR leader twice with the Sox, including hitting 2 inside-the-park home runs. Allen is one of the most popular subjects of Don's sports photography |
 Ken Hubbs was Rookie of the Year in 1962, being the first rookie to win a Gold Glove. He died in a plane crash in February 1964. Ron Santo and Ernie Banks were among his pallbearers |  St Louis 'Gashouse gang' pitcher Dizzy Dean was the last NL pitcher to win 30 games in 1934. The HOFer went on to a broadcasting career. Here he is interviewing Billy Williams |  Dave Nicholson and Ron Hansen |
 JET cover photo by Don |  Eddie Mathews is the only person to play for the same franchise in 3 cities (Boston, Milwaukee, Atlanta). His HOF career included 2 NL home run titles, and his career HR total of 512 is tied with Ernie Banks. Mathews was featured on the first edition of Sports Illustrated in 1954. He was also the Braves' manager when Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run in April 1974 |  Orlando Cepeda and Tim McCarver |
 Ernie Banks with his dad on Ernie Banks Day at Wrigley Field on Aug. 15, 1964 |  Ken Boyer Boyer was a 7x All-Star, NL MVP in 1964, and a Gold Glove winner five seasons. His MVP season batting .295 with 185 hits and leading the NL with 119 runs batted in helped the Cardinals to the World Series title. He hit over .300 for five seasons and hit over 20 home runs 8 times |  Dick Groat was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1960 after winning the batting title with a .325 average for the World Champion Pirates. He played college basketball at Duke, and one season in the NBA. Groat was the first person inducted into the College Basketball and Baseball HOF's |
 Dick Allen taking a break in the dugout |  Jackie Robinson was UCLA's first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football, and track,including an NCAA championship in the long jump. Here he is with Ernie Banks - both men started their careers with the KC Monarchs |  Dean Chance won the Cy Young Award in 1964, when there was only one award for both leagues. This was part of a string of 5 consecutive years where a Los Angeles pitcher won the award, the others being Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax. Chance also threw a no-hitter in 1967 |
 Harmon Killebrew started his career with the Washington Senators, who later moved to Minnesota. The HOFer hit 40+ home runs 8 times, winning the AL HR title 6 times. He was a 13x All-Star. In 1966, he, Tony Oliva and 3 other Twins hit 5 home runs in a single inning, 3 of them off Catfish Hunter |  Cards at batting cage |  HOFer Jim "Catfish" Hunter was an 8x All-Star and 5x World Series champion with Oakland/KC and the Yankees |
 Jim Maloney after his 10-inning no-hitter against the Cubs at Wrigley |  Cardinals razzing Cubs manager Leo Durocher |  Tony Oliva played his entire 15-year career for Minnesota. He was AL Rookie of the Year in 1964, won 3 batting titles, had a career batting average over .300 and was on 2 World Series championship teams. He is one of the best players who has not made the HOF |
 Ernie Broglio with the Cardinals, before the infamous 1964 Lou Brock trade. He led the NL in wins in 1960, and the trade was considered a 'steal' for the Cubs at the time, though he had started to suffer arm troubles |  HOFer Johnny Bench won the NL Rookie of the Year in 1968, and led the 'Big Red Machine' to 2 World Series championships in the 70's, while winning 10 Gold Gloves and appearing as an All-Star 14x |  Billy Williams with catcher Dick Bertell |
 Chuck Tanner played for 8 years, including with the Cubs. At Milwaukee, he hit a home run on the first pitch of his first career at-bat. Tanner also managed 4 teams, leading the Pirates to the World Series championship in 1979 |  Tim McCarver and Bob Gibson |  Bert Blyleven was a HOFer who helped the Pirates and Twins to World Series victories |
 Hank Aaron in the locker room. Don said Aaron was always a sharp dresser. Some of the black ballplayers would go watch the Harlem Globetrotters games when they were in town |  Reggie Jackson was a 14x All-Star who lead the AL in home runs 4 times. He was part of 5 World Series Championship teams |  White Sox 3rd baseman Pete Ward. After a year with Baltimore, the Orioles traded him, future Hall of Fame pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm, shortstop Ron Hansen and outfielder Dave Nicholson to the White Sox for shortstop and future Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio and veteran outfielder Al Smith |
 Greg Luzinski is a Chicago native, playing his first game for the Phillies at 19. He later played for the White Sox, and was the Designated Hitter of the Year twice |  JET cover photo by Don |  Lou Brock crossing the plate |
 Braves teammates Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews in the dugout at Wrigley |  Bill Madlock won 4 batting titles, the first one being with the Cubs. He came to the Cubs in a trade with Texas for Fergie Jenkins and replaced Ron Santo at 3rd. Madlock is one of only three right-handed hitters to have won multiple NL batting titles since 1960, Roberto Clemente having also won four and Tommy Davis having won back-to-back titles in 1962 and 1963 |  Ken Holtzman started and ended his 15 year career with the Cubs. He pitched 2 no-hitters. He was also part of the Oakland Athletics team that won 3 straight World Series in the 70's |
 Willie Davis caught in Cubs rundown |  Oakland's Dave Duncan and Rollie Fingers in the dugout at Comiskey Park |  Buck O'Neil at Wrigley Field |
 'Sweet Lou' Piniella won the AL Rookie of the Year award, and in 16 years won 2 championships with the Yankees. As a manager, he was Manager of the Year 3 times, and won the World Series in his first year with Cincinnati |  Tommy Davis won 2 consecutive batting titles '62-'63, the only Dodger to ever win one. With speedsters Willie Davis and Maury Wills batting ahead of him, he batted in a league leading 154 runs in 1962 |  Frank Howard |
 Cardinals dugout with Groat and Flood |  Sal Bando and Reggie Jackson |  Sox Joe Cunningham and Nellie Fox |
 A young Frank Robinson |  Ken Hubbs in the early 60's |  White Sox relievers Eddie Fisher and Don Mosse in the dugout |
 Ernie Banks, Buck O'Neil and George Altman |
Don Sparks Photography
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