Clyde Milan, Washington Senators, 1911
Image Source: Charles Conlon, Detroit Public Library, Ernie Harwell Sports Collection.
Image Subject: Washington Senators outfielder Clyde Milan standing on field, gloved hand raised. Location of the image is Hilltop Park, home of the New York Highlanders, predecessor to the New York Yankees. The Charles Conlon image has a notation on the back indicating the image is from 1907, but I suspect the true date is 1911. Based on the Baseball Hall of Fame ‘Dressed to the Nines’ the uniform most closely matches that displayed for the 1911 Washington Senators.
Fun Fact: Jesse Clyde Milan (pronounced MILL-in) greatest fame came as a base stealer. Due to his speed, Senator’s owner Clark Griffith claimed Milan played centerfield shallower than any man in baseball. His speed on the base paths helped him earn the nickname “Deerfoot’. Clyde Milan is also known for his connection to Senators’ pitcher phenom Walter Johnson.
In the summer of 1907, Senator manager Joe Cantillon dispatched injured catcher Cliff Blankenship to Wichita with orders to purchase Milan’s contract, then go to Weiser, Idaho, to scout and possibly sign Walter Johnson. In later years Clyde loved to relate Blankenship’s remarks during his contract signing:
“He told me that he was going out to Idaho to look over some young phenom. ‘It looks like a wild goose chase and probably a waste of train fare to look over that young punk,’ Blankenship said.” Milan cost the Nats $1,000, while Johnson was secured for a $100 bonus plus train fare.
Milan and Johnson had a lot in common: They were the same age, they both hailed from rural areas and they were both quiet, reserved, and humble. Naturally, they became hunting companions and inseparable friends, and eventually they became the two best players on the Senators team.
“Take Milan and his roommate, Walter Johnson, away from Washington, and the town would about shut up shop, as far as base ball is concerned,” wrote a reporter in 1911.
Painting Detail: Printed on 13” x 19” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Finer details were made using Prismacolor pencils.
Acknowledgement: Clyde Milan, Tom Simon; an article written for the Society for American Baseball Research