Found this at an antique / flea market type show yesterday in Columbus, Ohio. I have learned there is a connection with Agathon Steel in Massillon, Ohio. I just missed the panoramic team photo by a few minutes, Oh well. Measures 12" x 20" and is on thin smooth glossy type paper. The buyer said he bought it at a garage sale where it came out of a basement.

George Textor played in the Federal League with Indianapolis and Newark. Shovlin played in the majors also...probably some of those other guys too. My guess is a well paid semi-pro team.

Very neat item btw. Where'd you find it?

I have never heard of the team, but it appears as though it was a barnstorming troupe of major leaguers. I see Fred Bratschi, Frank Snyder, Earl Moesely, Harry Pearce, George Textor, Red Bluhm, and John Shovlin.

I live near Massillon. I believe that the Agathons were part of the old "Midwest League," which was an "Industrial" League - but the owners of the teams aggressively recruited well-known players to be on the teams, making it kind of an outlaw league. Until a few years ago, there was still an Agathon Field in Massillon, my son played there several times.

Shovlin! Shave those sideburns!

You guys probably already know this, but as a Tax Attorney I will throw a little history out there to show why so many major leaguers could be on a steel companies roster.

In the late 1910's and early 1920's Steel Companies started abusing a law which provided for a direct tax deduction for a companies contributions for "Recreation" to try and promote healthy and happy employees. However, instead of building gymnasiums for their employees and promoting fitness, they spent all the money building huge baseball fields, paying former professional players HUGE salaries (more than actual major leaguers in many instances) and taking it all off their books as recreation deductions. This lasted until the mid 1920's (I want to say 1926 but dont quote me on that) when the government made it illegal to cicumvent the intent of the law in this way and it basically stopped overnight.

I used to own a letter which had some great content in relation to the end of this period of Steel Company teams but dont have a scan of it anymore. Players were being paid more than they did as bonafide major leaguers after their careers were done by "working" in the steel mills for the Baseball team.

Anyways, with that historical context, I would be willing to bet this is a Steel Company team with some high salaried and very happy former major leaguers on the tax free payroll!

Rhys Yeakley