In 1907, the New York Highlanders (the forerunners to the Yankees) finished the season with a 70-78-4 record, which placed them fifth in the American League standings. The team played its home games at Hilltop Park in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan and was managed by Hall of Fame player/manager Clark Griffith. This lot offers a 9” wide by 7” high sepia tone print of members of the team wearing street clothes. The photo is mounted on a black board that measures 11.25” wide by 8.25” high and its condition is good. The resolution of the print is extremely sharp. Notable figures in the photo include Griffith positioned next to Hall of Fame right fielder Willie Keeler (back row, far right) and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher Jack Chesbro (front row, far right). Griffith was inducted into Cooperstown as a “Pioneer/Executive” by the Old Timers Committee in 1946, while the 5’4” Keeler (nicknamed “Wee Willie”) was a steady batsman who collected 2,932 hits prior to his HOF induction, which took place in 1939. Though he was one of the smallest players in MLB history, he swung one of the heaviest bats (46 ounces). Chesbro, who was nicknamed “Happy Jack,” registered 198 victories during his 11-year career. His most impressive season occurred in 1904 when he pitched a league-leading 454.2 innings of work for the Highlanders on his way to posting a 41-12 record. Chesbro was inducted into Cooperstown as a player in 1946 by the Old Timers Committee. But the most prominent figure in this photo is Branch Rickey. The man who would one day orchestrate Jackie Robinson’s historic breaking of MLB's color barrier in 1947 was himself a player who competed for four seasons in the Majors. His only season with the Highlanders took place in 1907; he’s shown standing (with both hands in his pockets) next to Griffith. Rickey was inducted into Cooperstown in 1967 as a “Pioneer/Executive” by the Veterans Committee.