These two photographs are of a fishing outing in which Virgil Barnes, of Jackson County,Kansas, participated.
The details of the photos were not recorded. However, Barnes was a pitcher for the New York Giants in the 1920s and the photos are believed to have been made during spring training in Sarasota, Florida, between 1924 and 1926. Besides Barnes, the only other individual identified is George "High Pockets" Kelly, the Giants' first baseman.
Virgil Barnes was a right-handed pitcher who played seven complete seasons at the major league level, primarily for the New York Giants. He had 61 major league wins, with a career ERA of 3.66. His best year was 1924, when he had an ERA of 3.06 and a record of 16-10. Barnes made World Series appearances in 1923 and 1924, including the starting assignment in Game 7 of the 1924 World Series.
Barnes was born in Ontario, Kansas, in 1897 and was raised in the nearby town of Circleville. During his major league years, Barnes lived during the off-season in rural Jackson County with his wife Della and their two children. In the mid-1930s, the family moved to Wichita, where Barnes lived until his death in 1958.
Barnes' older brother Jess also was a major league pitcher for several years. Two younger brothers, Charles and Clark, received tryouts with major league teams, but they did not make their rosters.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Virgil Barnes on a fishing outing in Sarasota, Florida - Virgil Barnes is pictured on the right, holding a fish. Looking on from the background is George "High Pockets" Kelly. (*11)