This auction features lots from the Lou Gehrig collection including: 1) A 1926 New York Yankees team signed baseball with 27 signatures including Gehrig, Ruth, and Lazzeri in near mint condition. 2) A 1927 photograph of the Yankees infield signed by Gehrig, Lazzeri, Koenig, and Dugan that is in mint condition and considered one of the finest autographed pieces from the Yankees. 3) Lou Gehrig's personal 1928 World Series wristwatch commemorating the Yankees championship that year in near mint condition.

1. Heritage Signature® Auction #7037
Vintage Sports Collectibles
Featuring: The Lou Gehrig Collection
August 4, 2011 | Chicago
LIVE AUCTION Signature® Floor Session PRELIMINARY LOT VIEWING
(Floor, Telephone, HERITAGE Live!,™ Internet, Fax, and Mail) Heritage Auctions, Dallas • 17th Floor
3500 Maple Avenue • Dallas, TX 75219
Muvico Rosemont 18
9701 Bryn Mawr Ave. • Rosemont, IL 60018 Monday, July 25 – Thursday, July 28 • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT
Thursday, August 4 • 8:00 PM CT • Lots 80001–80103 LOT VIEWING
The 32nd National Sports Collectors Convention
Please note that space within the auction room is Rosemont, IL
limited, with reservations granted on a first response Wednesday, August 3 • 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM CT
basis. Attendance requires a $100 charitable donation Thursday, August 4 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT
to The Ronald McDonald House of Chicago. Dinner and
cocktails will be served prior to the start of the auction. View lots & auction results online at HA.com/7037
BIDDING METHODS:
LOT SETTLEMENT AND PICK-UP Bidding
Lots will be available for pick up at the Heritage Bid live on your computer or mobile, anywhere in the world,
Auctions corporate booth on the floor of the during the Auction using our HERITAGE Live!™ program at
National Sports Collectors Convention. HA.com/Live
Lots will also be available for pick up:
Friday, August 5 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT Live Floor Bidding
Saturday, August 6 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM CT Bid in person during the floor session.
Sunday, August 7 • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CT
Live Telephone Bidding
After 12:00 PM CT on Sunday all lots will be returned Phone bidding must be arranged on or before
to Dallas and will be available for pickup starting Wednesday, August 3, by 12:00 PM CT.
Wednesday, August 10th by appointment only. Client Service: 866–835–3243.
Extended Payment Terms available. Email: Credit@HA.com Internet Bidding
Internet absentee bidding ends at 10:00 PM CT
Lots are sold at an approximate rate of 50 lots per hour, but it the evening before each session. HA.com/7037
is not uncommon to sell 35 lots or 75 lots in any given hour.
This auction is subject to a 19.5% Buyer’s Premium. Fax Bidding
IL Auctioneer license: Robert Korver 441001421; Mike Sadler 441001478; Fax bids must be received on or before Wednesday, August 3, by
Samuel Foose 441001482; Scott Peterson 441001659; Jacob Walker
441001677; Bob Merrill 441001683; Chris Dykstra 441001788; Heritage
12:00 PM CT. Fax: 214–409–1425
Numismatic Auctions, Inc. 444000370.
Mail Bidding
Mail bids must be received on or before
Wednesday, August 3.
Phone: 214.528.3500 • 800.872.6467
Fax: 214.409.1425
Direct Client Service Line: 866.835.3243
Email: Bid@HA.com
This Auction is presented and cataloged by Heritage Auctions
© 2011 Heritage Auctioneers & Galleries, Inc.
21813

2. Sports Department Specialists
Steve Ivy
CEO
Co-Chairman of the Board
Chris Ivy Derek Grady
Director of Sports Auctions Vice President
Jim Halperin
Jim Halperin
Co-Chairman of the Board
Co-Chairman Mark Jordan Peter Calderon Mike Gutierrez
of the Board
Consignment Director Consignment Director Consignment Director
Greg Rohan
President Jonathan Scheier Chris Nerat Lee Iskowitz
Consignment Director Consignment Director Consignment Director
Paul Minshull
Chief Operating Officer
Consignment Directors: Pete Calderon, Derek Grady, Mike Gutierrez, Lee Iskowitz,
Chris Ivy, Mark Jordan, Chris Nerat, Jonathan Scheier
Cataloged by: Peter Calderon, Chris Nerat, Jonathan Scheier
Todd Imhof
Executive Vice President

3. Dear Fellow Sports Collector,
It was Heywood Broun, esteemed journalist and member of the famous Algonquin Round Table, who wrote, “Sports do
not build character. They reveal it.” While we might take issue with the first half of the statement, the second is clearly
true. Had Lou Gehrig instead been the captain of a fishing boat, surely no rough seas would have kept him at harbor.
Bobby Jones, the ultimate sportsman on the links, was equally noble in the courtroom as one of Augusta’s leading
attorneys. And poor Shoeless Joe, born with far more talent than good sense, may well have fallen in with a bad crowd
on the streets of Greenville had he never left home for the Majors. Though each charted his own unique path to the
pantheon of sport, it was their humanity that ultimately made them larger than life.
Today each iconic athlete straddles the line between fact and folklore, and as the last few surviving eyewitnesses to
their brilliance pass away, the equation will shift even further to the latter. The incredible artifacts of these lives you’ll
encounter on the pages that follow become all the more important with each passing year, and we here at Heritage
see it as a tremendous privilege to play a part in their history. There are lessons to be learned from each and every lot,
whether as inspiration or cautionary tale, or something in between.
It should quickly become apparent, as you page through this catalog, that this is no ordinary auction. Through a
combination of hard work and the occasional blessing of good fortune, our staff here at Heritage has assembled an
unprecedented assortment of the greatest treasures of American sports. These are not just mementos of our greatest
athletic figures, but key relics from their definitive moments. Consider just the game used bats—we have Joe Jackson’s
fabled “Black Betsy.” We have Jackie Robinson’s lumber from the first integrated All-Star Game in 1949. We have
Roberto Clemente’s bat from his first World Series victory in 1960. And we have one of the first twelve Louisville
Sluggers issued to Derek Jeter as a member of the New York Yankees.
Though the contents of this auction span a wide array of sports, collecting disciplines and estimate ranges, this is the
theme we have aspired to maintain throughout—the best, the first, the last, and the only.
Bidding for this auction, as always, is possible by Internet, telephone, mail and fax. But we hope that we’ll see many
of you during Wednesday 8/3 and Thursday 8/4 previews at our corporate booth (number 814) at the National Sports
Collectors Convention in Rosemont, and then for the Live Auction at the Muvico Theaters across the street from the
convention center on Thursday night. As always, we close with a word of gratitude to the consignors who made this
auction possible, and to the bidders who will give these treasures a new home. Thank you for putting your trust in us,
and for helping to establish Heritage as the World’s Largest Collectibles Auctioneer.
Sincerely,
Chris Ivy
Director of Sports Auctions

4. Prices realized from our
April 2011 Signature Auction
VIN TAGE SPORTS COLLEC TIBLES AUC TION
NOVEMBER 11, 2011 | DALL AS | LIVE & ONLINE
1916 D381 Ferguson
Bakery Walter Johnson
SGC 30 - Newly 1909-11 T206 Sweet
Discovered and Only Caporal Eddie Plank SGC
Copy Known 50 VG/EX 4
Sold For: $8,962 Sold For: $83,650
1954 Hank Aaron Game Worn
Milwaukee Braves Rookie Jersey
Seeking consignments. Sold For: $167,300
Significant Cash Advances Available.
1947 Ted Williams Triple Crown Season Game Used Vault Marked Bat
Sold For: $72,675
1955 Topps Sandy Circa 1950 Charles
Koufax #123 PSA NM- “Kid” Nichols Single
MT+ 8.5 Signed Baseball
Sold For: $5,676 Sold For: $53,775
TX & NY Auctioneer license: Samuel Foose 11727 & 0952360. Heritage Auction Galleries CA Bond #RSB2004175; CA Auctioneer Bond: Leo Frese #RSB2004176. These auctions are subject to a 19.5% buyer’s premium.

5. The Top Reasons that you can TRUST in
your Relationship with Heritage
Trust our STRENGTH:
Heritage enjoys more than $100 million in assets and over $50 million in equity and owners’ capital.
Trust our LEADERSHIP:
Privately owned and led by the same executive team for more than three decades.
Trust our EXPERTISE:
Heritage actively recruits the hobby’s best minds to ensure that your treasures are
properly identified, appraised and marketed to their fullest benefit.
Trust our TRANSPARENCY:
No hidden reserves. No hidden fees. All results are available forever in our Auction Archives.
Trust our MARKETING:
More than $7 million spent annually to aggressively advertise in top trade publications. Mainstream
press coverage in CNN, Sports Illustrated, Investor’s Business Daily and many more.
Trust our SECURITY:
In knowing that each of our 45,000+ consignors have been sent their auction settlement checks in full and on time, without exception.
Trust our RESULTS:
Heritage has established World Record prices for many of the premier pieces in the hobby. Heritage routinely outperforms
typical “market values” at auction, assuring the highest possible financial return for your consignment.
Trust our TECHNOLOGY:
An IT department staff of more than 30 has allowed Heritage to develop proprietary software such as HERITAGE Live!TM* bidding and
MyWantlist™ that helps to keep Heritage at the forefront of the hobby.
Trust our EXPOSURE:
A bidder-member audience of more than 500,000 and web marketing campaigns that generate more than 360,000 web visitors per
month to our award winning website HA.com ensure that your consignments are receiving the best exposure in the industry.
Trust our REPUTATION:
In addition to working with the families of some of the greatest names in sports,
Heritage has sold collections on behalf of the DEA, IRS, and FBI.
Annual Sales Exceed $700 Million | 600,000+ Online Bidder-Members
3500 Maple Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75219 | 800-872-6467 | HA.com/Guitar
D A L L A S | N E W Y O R K | B E V E R LY H I L L S | S A N F R A N C I S C O | PA R I S | G E N E VA

6. “You have to get
knocked down to
realize how people
really feel about you.
I’ve realized that more
than ever lately.”
—Lou Gehrig

7. The Lou Gehrig Collection
T
he six lots that lead off this 2011 Platinum Night auction derive from what is
unquestionably the most significant hobby find of the year, a small archive of
mementos saved by the famed New York Yankees first baseman and left to our
consignor’s family after the passing of Lou’s mother Christina Gehrig. The Lou Gehrig
Collection is remarkable not just in the importance and desirability of its contents, but also in
the remarkably pristine condition of its individual pieces, illustrative of the same manner of
care and consistency that earned Gehrig a Cooperstown plaque and his “Iron Horse” moniker.
While the most valuable and historic pieces within the collection are featured within this
August 2011 auction, there will be more to come in our November 2011 Signature auction
and in various Sunday Internet auctions in the fall. Heritage is honored to occupy this small
portion of the timeline of these important relics, and we have every confidence that our
winning bidders will show this collection the same loving care that it has enjoyed since its
days in Lou Gehrig’s trophy room.
7

8. 80001
1926 New York Yankees Team Signed Baseball from
The Lou Gehrig Collection, Finest Example Known
Though the 1925 campaign, by virtue of his 126 appearances, is considered Lou Gehrig’s rookie season, the following year is recalled as the
young infielder’s first great one. The native born New York slugger would almost double his run production for the 1926 season, beginning
a remarkable streak of triple-digit RBI tallies that would only end with the year of his tragic farewell. The 1926 campaign would likewise
provide Gehrig with his first taste of October baseball, the only Fall Classic which would conclude joylessly for him.
Provided is a spectacular relic from that pivotal season of Lou’s storied career, likely signed during the Bombers’ World Series meeting
with the St. Louis Cardinals, as indicated by the short panel’s “American League Champions 1926” notation. This same faultlessly bold
black fountain pen ink supplies twenty-seven autographs from the Bronx’ fourth pennant winners, notably Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri, Combs,
Pennock, Hoyt, Shocker, Collins, Koenig, Dugan, Meusel, Jones and many more. Not a single signature suggests a hint of its advanced age,
averaging a stunning 9/10. All stamping remains equally unscathed from time’s ravages, with the pale horsehide’s creamy tone the only
variation from its original state. Unquestionably one of the finest 1926 Yankee balls by virtue of aesthetics alone, and the undisputed champ
with the added provenancial appeal as Gehrig’s personal model. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
8

10. 80002
1927 New York Yankees Infield Signed Photograph
from The Lou Gehrig Collection, PSA Mint 9.
Though this infield unit remained unchanged from second baseman Tony Lazzeri’s 1926 rookie season until Joe Dugan’s departure for the
Boston Braves at the close of 1928 World Series, we are definitively able to peg this image to the center of that three-year span. Advanced
baseball photography hobbyists will recognize the image as part of a famous Yankee Stadium photo shoot dating to the storied Murderer’s
Row season of 1927, when the man at far left earned his first MVP Award and World Championship ring. Already a spectacular artifact free
of any consideration of provenance, this 6.5x8.5” photograph is further enhanced by its status as the Iron Horse’s personal keepsake, one of
the six featured lots within this “Platinum Night” auction from The Lou Gehrig Collection.
Our catalog imagery tells no lies—the black fountain pen signatures of Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Mark Koenig and Joe Dugan survive
with the same 9/10 boldness with which they were originally applied, and the photo itself likewise presents flawlessly. An “International
Newsreel” stamp appears on verso, as do the remnants of the paper caption. Unquestionably one of the finest and most desirable
autographed pieces to derive from baseball’s greatest team, and from its noblest servant, no less. Full Grading LOA from PSA/DNA, Mint
9. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
10

12. 80003
1928 Lou Gehrig’s New York Yankees
World Championship Wristwatch
If one were to imagine a hypothetical standardized test for institutions of higher
baseball learning, the following question might appear within:
Babe Ruth is to Lou Gehrig as the 1927 New York Yankees are to _________.
The proper answer: the 1928 New York Yankees.
Allow us to explain. Babe Ruth and the ‘27 Yanks effectively enjoy a mythical status
among collectors and historians alike, representing the pinnacle of individual and
team brilliance respectively. In the absence of either, the exploits of Lou Gehrig and
the 1928 Yankees would assume that abandoned mantle, as each still stands head
and shoulders above the remainder of the competition.
As the Hall of Fame first baseman had done in the fabled 1927 campaign, Gehrig took
the top rung of the American League ladder for RBI’s again in 1928, a fact made the
more astonishing when considering the frequency with which the Babe had cleared
the bases immediately prior to Gehrig’s plate appearances. Yet Gehrig remained
shackled to his perception as the Babe’s sidekick. Lou put it best when he quipped,
“I’m not a headline guy. I know that as long as I was following Ruth to the plate I
could have stood on my head and no one would have known the difference.”
But as the Babe brought pure, unbridled joy to the Golden Age of the Yanks, Lou supplied the grace and nobility, so Heritage is humbled by
the opportunity to present to the collecting community one of the most important Championship awards ever made available for sale, the
wristwatch earned for Lou Gehrig’s extraordinary service in capturing the New York Yankees’ third World Championship.
A true masterpiece of art deco timepiece design, the presented Hamilton “Yankee Piping Rock” watch is intensely coveted for more
than simply its relevance to baseball’s greatest age/hero. The design is considered the crowning achievement of the period’s leading
manufacturer of timepieces, and has been widely reproduced in more recent decades. But advanced watch collectors are well aware that
the original production was limited only to players and staff of the 1928 Yankees, signifying an original population of fewer than three
dozen. Of this population, fewer than five have surfaced in the collecting hobby. “Holy Grail” terminology is bandied about far too often in
the cataloging of collectibles, but is fully appropriate in this instance.
Much like its original owner, the timepiece exudes a dignified and unassuming countenance, certainly a far cry from the gem-encrusted
monstrosities of modern Championship jewelry. Roman numerals adorn the black circular bezel, set upon a fourteen karat white gold case
still linked to its original leather bands. The wear on the band recalls the circumference of Gehrig’s wrist to this day. Skillfully engraved on
the left edge of the case is the owner’s identification: “Henry L. Gehrig.” But the aesthetic climax appears in the design engraved upon the
verso of the case, an eagle clinging to a shield and crossed bats situated amidst text reading, “Yankees, 1928 World Champions.”
The watch is not currently operational, but we have no reason to believe that its ticking pulse could not be revived by an expert in the field.
For collectors in the watch field, we supply the following technical details as provided by our resident timepiece department head Jim Wolf:
movement grade 979, nineteen jewels, serial number 2903640. The original records of the Hamilton Finishing Department indicate that 979
movements with serial numbers from 2903001 and 2904000 were delivered between 10/27/28 and 12/18/28, perfectly matching post-Series
production. The condition is exactly as one would desire—clearly worn and cherished by its presentee, but free of anything which could be
characterized as damage. The extraordinary convergence of historical import to both baseball and timepiece collectibility seems perfectly
appropriate here, mirroring the partnership between Ruth and Gehrig that set the Murderer’s Row-era Yankees in a league of its own.
Starting Bid: $5,000
12

14. 80004
1934 Tour of Japan Team Signed Cigarette Lighter
Baseball from The Lou Gehrig Collection
We all know that smoking is dangerous, but the true vintage baseball fan must still show the
addiction some grudging gratitude. Without the siren’s song of nicotine, the hobby would lack its
greatest trading card era, and Honus Wagner wouldn’t be its million dollar baby. But of course it
was the Babe’s ubiquitous cigar that fueled his early demise from throat cancer, and we’d bet his
personal example of this unique Tour of Japan keepsake is the worse for wear because of his habit.
The Iron Horse, on the other hand, was at most a casual smoker, and the evidence survives in the
remarkable condition of the offered lot. This specially crafted keepsake from baseball’s most
noteworthy foreign excursion exhibits a stunning absence of handling, the lighter forgotten
for decades within its original, included box.
It’s interesting to note that this is a baseball specially made for its service as a
cigarette lighter, a fact made apparent when viewing the extra wide sweet spots of
the sphere. One side sprouts the lighting mechanism, its wick still a virgin white.
The bottom bears a tiny handwritten “G,” designating the lighter for Gehrig. The
four panels bear spectacularly preserved signatures from the following:
Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Connie Mack, Lefty Gomez, Earl Averill,
Charles Gehringer, Moe Berg, Earl Whitehill, Joe Cascarella, Frank Hayes, Clint
Brown, Bob Schroeder, Rabbit Warstler, John Quinn, Doc Ebling, Bing Miller.
An unknown hand has penned “1934 Oriental Tour” on one panel, and “All
American Baseball Team” on the opposing side. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA
from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
14

16. 80005
1934 Lou Gehrig Tour of Japan Game Worn Uniform
Representing the highlight of what is unquestionably the most significant hobby
find of this young decade, the presented uniform ends a widely debated mystery and
brings this Platinum Night auction squarely into the crosshairs of the hobby’s most
serious and advanced uniform collectors. Only a tiny handful of uniforms from the
game’s most noteworthy foreign excursion have been unearthed in the seventy-five
years since Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx and about a dozen other American Tourists steamed
back to our shores, the Babe’s commanding more than three quarters of a million
dollars in a 2005 auction. But even before Ruth’s personal model established its
mark as the highest price ever paid at auction for an exhibition baseball uniform,
hobbyists wondered where, and if, Lou Gehrig’s might be found.
It was not Moe Berg-inspired intelligence gathering that led Heritage to this buried treasure, but rather a simple telephone call from the
son of a serious ex-girlfriend of the legendary Yankees first baseman who had almost become Mrs. Gehrig before Eleanor took the job.
Despite their fractured romance, this ex remained close with Lou and the Gehrig family, a bond that survived past her former love’s tragic
1941 death and until Lou’s mother herself passed away in the 1950’s. This special friendship is documented in Christina Gehrig’s will,
which provides for a college fund for our consignor and stipulates that a portion of her famous son’s belongings be left to her.
For over half a century this uniform, and the five other “The Lou Gehrig Collection” lots likewise listed within this Platinum Night auction,
resided in the familial home of Gehrig’s ex, its residents largely unaware of the historic and monetary value stored in the attic. Though
the Iron Horse had twice barnstormed the United States with the Babe in the late 1920’s, and participated in the original 1931 Japanese
Tour, there is little question but that the 1934 Baseball Tour of Japan was his most important exhibition. The same could be said of the
1934 Tour’s relevance to baseball history at large, as Major League Baseball continues to reap Asian talent from the seeds sown those many
decades ago. While Gehrig’s noble and unflinching service to the New York Yankees will always make us think of him first in pinstripes,
the grey flannel of the presented uniform could effectively be argued to have even greater relevance as a representation of history’s most
consequential road team.
Like the owner of baseball’s second-longest consecutive games streak himself, the uniform is an absolute miracle of survival, effectively
unchanged since its Depression-era service short of the slightest hint of toning to its paler identifiers. Not a moth hole or distracting stain
is to be found, and the patriotic red, white and blue piping that adorns the sleeves and button path exhibits none of the typical fraying. The
chenille “All Americans” circular patch remains firmly affi xed over Lou’s indomitable heart, with smaller patches balancing the design
at each sleeve. The red and blue felt number “4,” which would soon become the first retired from Bronx service at Gehrig’s heartbreaking
farewell, commands the verso. Artfully chain stitched at interior collar is a scripted “Gehrig,” the proper period “Spalding” label to its left.
The matching pants continue the theme, with not a thread or button out of place. The rear interior waistband mirrors the interior collar
of the jersey, with an embroidered “Gehrig” and “Spalding” manufacturer’s label applied. Please note that the matching cap is presented
as its own lot immediately following the uniform. A photocopy of Christina Gehrig’s will, with redacted names, will be included in the lot.
Graded MEARS A10. LOA from MEARS, A10. LOA from Heritage Auctions.
Starting Bid: $75,000
16 See: Video Lot Description

18. 80006
1934 Lou Gehrig Tour of Japan Game Worn Cap
Both literally and figuratively the crowning finale of the full Tour of Japan uniform listed in the preceding lot, this deep navy cap
represents the first known survivor from the famed 1934 Tour. It joins just two other Gehrig hats, both Yankee models, to have been placed
upon the hobby’s auction block in the past dozen years, the scarcest of all Gehrig uniform components.
While modern Major League caps are maddeningly indistinguishable from those available to the general populace, such was not the case
in the pre-war era, and certainly not for this historic barnstorming excursion. As if the provenance of its pairing with Gehrig’s jersey and
pants from the Tour were not enough, the interior leather headband is artfully embroidered “7 1/8 L. Gehrig.” A patriotic white and red
embroidered “US” appears above the visor, with a red button at the peak. The cardboard interior of the brim has stiffened with age but
remains unbroken, as could be reported of the interior headband. Only a small scattering of moth holes at front must be noted as liabilities,
discounting the apparent light sweat staining of the interior. A truly marvelous relic from the final days of the Ruth/Gehrig age. LOA from
Heritage Auctions.
Starting Bid: $12,500
18

20. 80007
Circa 1900 Adrian “Cap” Anson Signed Baseball
Though this rookie with the 1871 Rockford Forest Citys would prove to be baseball’s first great star and the founder of the 3,000 Hit Club,
Anson remains one of the toughest autographs to locate on the defining tool of his trade. While his post-baseball employment in Chicago
city government has provided the hobby with more autographs than just about any other 19th century star, the amount of Cap Anson
autographed horsehide to have reached the hobby could be counted on Mordecai Brown’s pitching hand.
This Official National League baseball convincingly presents as a six-figure single, but we must report that the jet black side panel
signature was enhanced by an early owner. The experts at PSA/DNA also make note of signature removals throughout, though we can
detect no instances of this with the naked eye. An ancient coating of shellac accounts for the tobacco shade of the toning. Despite any
shortcomings, the key, undisputed fact that this is a genuine Cap Anson signed baseball should not be dismissed. For all but the smallest
fraction of a percentile of collectors lacking Anson in their Hall of Fame or 3,000 Hit collection, this may well be the only opportunity to
change that status. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.
Starting Bid: $2,500
20

22. 80008
1914 Boston “Miracle Braves” Team Signed
Baseball from the George Tyler Estate
Arguably the most inspirational lot in this Platinum Night auction, the presented team signed sphere would serve well as a reminder
to never give up, even if the odds seem hopelessly stacked against you. The 1914 Braves knew the feeling well, marking the nation’s
anniversary on July 4th at the bottom of the National League rankings, a full fifteen games out of first place. Approaching the midpoint of
the season, it appeared that merely repeating their fifth place finish in 1913 was an optimistic goal.
But instead the Braves strode into the most torrid pace in professional baseball history, claiming victory in seventy of their final
eighty-nine games to finish a full ten games ahead of the second place New York Giants in the National League pennant race. The utter
domination would continue through the World Series, where the Braves swept the Philadelphia Athletics in four games, marking the
unceremonious end (with some help from the rogue Federal League) to Connie Mack’s first great dynasty.
Just a small handful of team signed baseballs from this remarkable chapter in baseball history have survived to see the dawn of the
twenty-first century, and here we offer the finest yet encountered, consigned by the family of star pitcher George Tyler. The ONL (Tener)
sphere is autographed by twenty-eight comeback kids, most boldly by Hall of Famer Rabbit Maranville, whose seventy-eight RBI’s led the
offense. Fellow legend Johnny Evers is here as well, along with the full starting line-up of Gowdy, Schmidt, Deal, Gilbert, Mann, Connolly,
starting pitchers Rudolph, Strand, Tyler and manager George Stallings. All listed names are readily legible, with signature boldness
ranging from 1.5/10 to 7/10. Any condition issues must be forgiven in light of the tremendous scarcity. A remarkable new hobby “find” makes
its debut in this Platinum Night auction. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
22

24. 80009
Circa 1915 Eddie Plank Single Signed
Baseball, Only Example Known!
He learned his trade on the blood-soaked grounds of America’s most hallowed battlefield, fashioning his slab of baseball immortality with
a sidearmed curveball that earned him 326 Major League victories. The third winningest southpaw of all time behind Warren Spahn and
Steve Carlton, “Gettysburg Eddie” is best recalled for his fourteen seasons of service to the first great Philadelphia Athletics dynasty. Just
eight and a half years after pitching his last game, Plank fell victim to a fatal stroke at age fifty, ensuring that his signature would remain
one of the most challenging of all twentieth century stars.
But while Plank is a rare sight in any autograph format, he has only been encountered one time in single signed baseball format. You’re
looking at it. To be fair, the leather that comprises the skin of the baseball did not begin life in its current spherical format, but was instead
a leather satchel once belonging to the star lefty, who wrote his name as a means of identification. This story was confirmed to us by Steve
Grad at PSA/DNA, who saw the signature before its transformation soon after the collector purchased it from the Plank estate.
The deeply toned leather competes with the black fountain pen ink for contrast, but the autograph would likely rate a 5/10 on a white ball.
It is still instantly apparent and legible against the dark background, and quibbles over condition or the somewhat rudimentary stitching
that binds the leather around the guts of a genuine baseball are silly considering the singular nature of the piece. The experts at PSA/DNA
likewise confirm that they have never seen another Plank single, so this offering represents the definitive “now or never” moment. Bid
accordingly. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.
Starting Bid: $12,500
24

25. “The greatest pitcher I ever saw was Eddie Plank.
He had everything. But most of all, he had brains.”
— Ty Cobb

26. 80010
Late 1920’s Lou Gehrig Single Signed Baseball
The New York Yankees has supplied the sporting world with true icons of the game ever since Babe Ruth took up Big Apple residence at the
start of the 1920 season. Derek Jeter today carries the mantle he inherited from Mantle, who took it from Joe DiMaggio, who singled and
doubled off Cleveland’s ace Bob Feller to extend his hitting streak to nineteen on June 2, 1941, the day the great Iron Horse drew his final
breath. Surely, after Jeter’s pinstriped deuce joins the rest of the gang in Monument Park, there will be another. Love the Yankees or hate
them, the magic is undeniable.
But in that elite brotherhood memorialized beyond the center field fence of the new Stadium, Lou Gehrig commands a certain reverence
that even the Babe, the Clipper and the Mick cannot. Gehrig had been the antithesis of the prima donna athlete, quietly brilliant in the
shadow of the game’s greatest figure, unfailing in his fidelity to his team and the simple dignity of his labors. For fourteen seasons, Gehrig
never called in sick, playing through broken bones and concussions which many today believe served a significant role in his fatal illness.
Taken far too soon, and perhaps never fully appreciated during his life, Gehrig provided the hobby with just a tiny fraction of the single
signed spheres produced by his rotund slugging cohort. Ruth singles outnumber Gehrigs by a factor of one hundred, and solo Gehrig
spheres predating the Babe’s Bronx departure in 1934 are all but non-existent. But here we find the definitive example.
The elegantly scripted side panel signature appears in ideal unpersonalized format, retaining a boldness rated a solid nine on a ten point
scale. The Official American League ball is only lightly and evenly toned between its red and blue stitching, the bold “E.S. Barnard”
presidential stamping limiting its possible vintage to the span between 1927 and 1931. It is a baseball artifact at once unassuming and
brilliant, and, as such, a fitting tribute to its creator. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $7,500
26

28. 80011
1923 Christy Mathewson Single Signed Baseball
In the rough and tumble Dead Ball Era of our national pastime, when the sport was populated by brawling drunks and illiterate
farmhands, Matty was recognized almost as much for his gentlemanly comportment as he was for his remarkable Hall of Fame abilities.
As commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis famously eulogized the fallen baseball hero, “He was an inspiration to everybody, and may
we have more of his kind.” The 373-game winning right-hander autographed this Official American League (Johnson) ball just two years
before his untimely demise, the delayed result of a World War I gas attack.
This early passing, and the eight and a half decades that have since elapsed, have conspired to deny the collecting hobby of all but a
meager few autograph exemplars, particularly on the hide of a baseball. In fact, fewer than five Matty singles have been offered by major
auction houses in the past dozen years. This is perhaps the finest of that skimpy bunch, providing a boldly penned sweet spot signature
which survives at a conservative 7/10. Surface abrasions, likely the result of years rolling around in a dresser drawer, represent the entirety
of condition problems, and make it difficult to discern the month of the date penned by Big Six beneath his autograph: “— 30, 1923.”
It should go without saying, of course, that such deviations from perfection must be forgiven in light of the tremendous scarcity, and our
catalog imagery should clearly indicate that the signature remains bold and unmistakable. A rare opportunity for the advanced single
signed baseball collector, and one which is unlikely to be repeated in the near future. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James
Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $5,000
28

29. “You can learn little from victory.
You can learn everything from defeat.”
— Christy Mathewson

30. 80012
1926 Hughie “Eeh Yah” Jennings
Single Signed Baseball
Though Jennings is best recalled in baseball history for his comical stork-legged pose and battle cry of “Ee-Yah,” his was a life steeped in
shared tragedy. A bean ball during his playing career and and a 1911 automobile crash from a bridge each left Jennings teetering for days
at the brink of death. Best man at his dear friend John McGraw’s wedding in 1897, he likewise served as a pallbearer at the young bride’s
funeral just two years later. It is widely theorized that this physical and emotional trauma, paired with the stress of taking the managerial
reins of the New York Giants when McGraw himself fell ill, caused the nervous breakdown which rendered Jennings unable to report to
1926 spring training and ultimately contributed to his 1928 demise.
Jennings’ health had apparently shown temporary improvement by June 5, 1926, when he appeared at the Polo Grounds to watch the
Giants, with McGraw back at the helm, win a one-to-nothing pitchers’ duel over their rival Brooklyn Dodgers. From this contest derives
one of the rarest and most coveted singles Heritage has yet offered, a spectacular ONL (Heydler) sphere gorgeously inscribed by the Hall of
Fame manager:
Best wishes from Hugh “Eeh-Yah” Jennings, New York Base Ball Club, June 5, 1926.
Jennings remains one of the toughest challenges for collectors of 20th century Hall of Fame singles, and the 8.5/10 black fountain pen ink
utilized here establishes the presented example as the finest of that microscopic supply. The addition of Jennings’ famous nickname and
closing notation only enhances its tremendous appeal. The ball itself is attractively toned with minor handling which causes no detriment.
We expect intense interest in this offering, so bidders are advised to prepare for a battle. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James
Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $5,000
30

32. 80013
1947 Babe Ruth Single Signed Baseball
Spectacularly preserved OAL (Harridge) sphere is consigned to this Platinum Night auction by the gentleman who acquired it personally
from the Babe on August 5, 1947 in Indianapolis, where the faltering Ruth was attending an American Legion baseball game in which our
consignor was a participant. Now eighty-one years old, the owner reports that the ball was placed in a box in a cedar chest and essentially
forgotten for six decades, and we can find no physical evidence that would suggest otherwise.
Ruth’s blue fountain pen sweet spot signature registers at a remarkable 9/10, placing the baseball in the top percentile of all known
examples. The pale horsehide has mellowed perhaps half a shade from its original starkness to a creamy vanilla tone, and the factory
stamping exhibits considerable fading but is still easily recognizable as official American League issue. The search for any spotting,
scuffing or other signs of age proves futile.
Babe Ruth single signed baseballs have been the hobby’s most consistent performer for well over a decade, but the truly elite examples
have seen their values expand exponentially. Every good baseball autograph collection begins with a Ruth single. A truly great one begins
here. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. Letter of provenance from consignor.
Starting Bid: $5,000
32

34. 80014
1951 St. Louis Browns Team Signed Baseball
with Eddie Gaedel, Bill Veeck
When Browns owner Bill Veeck got the impression that the diminutive Gaedel might be tempted to swing at a pitch, he warned the
three-foot seven inch batter that he had taken out a million dollar insurance policy on his life, and that he would have a rifle’s crosshairs
trained upon him from the stadium roof should the bat leave his shoulder. Little Eddie would take Veeck’s warning to heart, drawing
the most famous four-pitch walk in Major League history, stopping twice on his jog to first base to bow to the crowd’s standing ovation.
American League president Will Harridge was not quite so amused, accusing Veeck of making a mockery of the game and immediately
voiding Gaedel’s contract. Veeck responded with a threat to demand a ruling on Yankees shortstop and MVP Phil Rizzuto, requiring a
determination as to whether Scooter was “a short ballplayer or a tall midget.”
Today Gaedel’s autograph is considered the most coveted rarity of all post-war Major Leaguers, with just a handful of examples surfacing
in the hobby market. Here we find the only known team ball, autographed August 19, 1951, Gaedel’s single day of Browns service. His black
fountain pen ink signature rates 7/10 on the side panel of the presented OAL (Harridge) sphere, joined by twenty other Browns including
Veeck (later signature), Taylor (twice), Tobin, Long, Kennedy, Hogue, Garver and Young. Quality averages 7/10. Scuffing underneath the
signatures strongly suggests this was a ball actually used in that famous game, ratcheting up the appeal of a ball with no lack thereof. Full
LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
34

36. 80015
1952 New York Yankees Team Signed Baseball with
Joe DiMaggio & Marilyn Monroe, Kissed by Marilyn!
The presented Official American League (Harridge) baseball lived a dream
shared by countless millions of red-blooded American males, smooched by the
definitive blonde bombshell at the height of her Hollywood fame. If the vintage
horsehide is still weak at the knees from the experience, however, it doesn’t show
it, surviving with impressive strength to challenge for the title of most desirable
post-war signed baseball on earth.
We begin with the ideal sweet spot pairing of Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe,
whose romance and brief 1954 marriage established the pair as American
history’s most famous couple. Joining the iconic lovebirds are twenty-six
signatures from the World Champion 1952 Yankees, notably the rare rookie-
format Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Mize, Billy Martin, Allie
Reynolds, Gene Woodling and more. A pair of secretarial Casey Stengel signatures
appear as well. Signature quality averages 7/10 with none dipping more than a
point below.
The Mick finds even more reason to enjoy the 1952 season, inheriting not just
DiMaggio’s coveted center field position in the Bronx, but also the good fortune
to appear on the sphere’s western panel, where Marilyn’s red lipstick kiss is
instantly apparent.
Exceptional provenance enhances the monumental appeal, as a pair of included
photographs document the ceremony during which the baseball was presented.
The ball was one of fifteen gifted to the victorious squad of a 20th Century Fox intramural softball league. Each team was represented by
a studio star for its mascot, and it was the Marilyn team that took home the 1952 Championship. One photo finds the team posing with Ms.
Monroe, each holding his baseball. A second pictures the wives, one of whom is the consignor of this lot. Also here is a February 1953 issue
of Movies Magazine, which features the latter photo with the caption, “Guests at the only party Marilyn has given in her new home were
the wives of the fi fteen 20th Century film cutters. They won the studio’s softball championship and were on Marilyn’s team.”
Experienced Heritage clientele will recall the May 2006 Signature Auction in which the World Record for autographed baseballs was
crushed with a $191,000 result for a baseball autographed by Joe and Marilyn. Adding joint sweet spot placement, a lipstick kiss from the
prettier half of the couple, and the World Champion 1952 Yankees as well, this baseball should separate the men from the boys when the
bidding war begins. Photographic documentation. Letter of provenance from consignor. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James
Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $5,000
36 See: Video Lot Description

37. “It was better than
rooming with Joe Page.”
— Joe DiMaggio,
on the topic of
his marriage to
Marilyn Monroe

38. 80016
1961 New York Yankees Team Signed
Baseball, PSA NM-MT+ 8.5
Featuring a hard-slugging duo as sweet as the candy that shared its nickname, the 1961 Yankees and their fabled M&M boys stand in
baseball history among the greatest of pinstriped editions. The Mick himself put it best when he told a reporter, “The best team I ever saw,
and I really mean this, was the ‘61 Yankees. I never got to see the ‘27 Yankees. Everyone says that was the greatest team ever, but I think
it would’ve been a great series if we’d have had the chance to play them.”
If Murderer’s Row would have presented a formidable challenge for the Kennedy-era crew, there could be few if any 1961 team signed
spheres that could compete with the listed representation. The experts at PSA/DNA clearly agree, assigning matching grades of 8/10 on
their painfully strict scale for both the autographs and the baseball itself, the ideal OAL (Cronin) variety. Their half point addition for
“visual appeal” completes the scoring.
Twenty-six bold blue ballpoint autographs adorn the pale, blemish-free horsehide, with not a single instance of the clubhouse signatures
which plague most Yankee balls from the era. Mantle and Berra share sweet spot duties, giving way to a World Championship cast of Maris,
Ford, Howard, Richardson, Lopez, Terry, Blanchard, Skowron, Kubek, Boyer and more on the adjoining panels.
Unquestionably one of the finest autographed pieces of any format to derive from this hair-raising (and, for Maris, hair-losing) chapter of
Yankee history, the presented baseball makes its first hobby appearance on the Golden Anniversary of its birth. Full Grading LOA from
PSA/DNA, NM-MT+ 8.5. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $3,750
38

40. 80017
1984 Ronald “Reagan Reagan”
Single Signed Baseball
A sibling squabble erupted earlier this year within the Reagan clan as the family and the nation recognized what would have been
the hundredth birthday of the former President and towering icon of the modern American conservative movement. Biological son
and namesake Ron Reagan wrote in his biographical My Father at 100 of his concerns that his father’s mental faculties had begun to
betray him years before the news of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis had been made public. Of the elder Reagan’s October 1984 Presidential
debate with Walter Mondale, Ron wrote, “My heart sank as he floundered his way through his responses, fumbling with his notes,
uncharacteristically lost for words. He looked tired and bewildered.” Adopted son Michael Reagan took to the Internet with his response,
“Ron, my brother, was an embarrassment to his father when he was alive and today he became an embarrassment to his mother.”
With this utterly unique offering, Heritage presents an artifact which could be considered supporting evidence in Ron’s case. It is one
of twelve baseballs delivered to our consignor by the White House, a favor for a Republican Party donor who was involved with a youth
baseball league. Eleven of the baseballs came back to our consignor properly signed, but this one stood out from the pack. In black ink far
too bold to be denied, the President had mistakenly signed “Reagan Reagan.”
The allegation that our Commander in Chief may have been battling dementia in the midst of his Presidency is a serious one, and let there
be no mistake that Heritage makes no judgment in the matter. But even as a mere curiosity, absent any troubling context, it’s a thoroughly
unique Presidential artifact worthy of attention. Reagan single signed baseballs are rare and desirable in any format, and this oddest of
variations provides the boldest sweet spot signature we’ve ever encountered. An unknown hand has adorned the northern and southern
panels of the non-official sphere “USA Sunbelt Champions 1984,” the baseball team for which the dozen balls were autographed. Mild
foxing on the eastern panel remains clear of the signature and there is no other writing on the ball. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA
from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
40

41. “I wouldn’t even complain
if a stray ball came
through the Oval Office
window now and then.”
— Ronald Reagan

42. 80018
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates Panoramic Photograph
from The Paddy O’Connor Collection
It’s an image which may be familiar to some collectors, though the same could not be said of the format. This marvelous shot of the 1909
World Champions was reproduced on paper for several varieties of supplements originally issued with periodicals of the day, but the hobby
always wondered when (and if) an original photograph might surface. Heritage Auctions is pleased to report that the wait has ended.
This flawlessly preserved specimen derives from the personal collection of back-up catcher Paddy O’Connor, who stands fifth from left with
his teammates before a darkened vista of the newly constructed Forbes Field grandstand. The lower central caption, “Pittsburgh Base Ball
Club, National League Champions 1909,” and the photographer’s marking “R.W. Johnston Studios of Pittsburgh Sep-1909,” would indicate
that this image was captured very shortly before the historic clash of Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb in the 1909 World Series.
We find the Old Dutchman standing third from right, joined by fellow future Hall of Famers Fred Clarke at far right and Vic Willis at dead
center of the line-up. The image measures 9x31”, housed in its original frame bearing an ancient label from a framing shop in Springfield,
MA, the town where O’Connor is buried. The entirety of condition flaws is represented by a half-inch indentation at Dots Miller’s wrist, an
issue which falls well clear of derailing our NRMT-MT+ rating.
Starting Bid: $2,500
42

44. 80019
1911 Addie Joss Benefit Game Panoramic Photograph
Those who joined us for our October 2005 Signature auction were surely struck
by the $90,000 price realized for Frank “Home Run” Baker’s personal copy of this
remarkable panoramic photograph. A quick check of the auction results database
confirmed everyone’s suspicions-it was indeed the highest price ever paid for an
unsigned sports photo. And this makes perfect sense.
Consider the factors that propel such a piece to the pinnacle of sports photography
collection. First, of course, is the exceptional collection of talent captured on
film. No fewer than nine Hall of Famers are pictured among the thirty-seven
uniformed ballplayers: Cy Young (in his twenty-second and final season), Napoleon
Lajoie, Walter Johnson, Bobby Wallace, Frank “Home Run” Baker, Sam Crawford,
Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, and Ty Cobb, who appears third from the right in
borrowed Indians gear, his Tigers uniform still in his luggage which never made
it off the train. And, of course, we cannot forget the great “Shoeless Joe” Jackson,
essentially a rookie having played in only thirty games prior to this season. Each
and every one of these legends, appearing in uniform in a period photograph,
commands tremendous attention from collectors. But a congregation of Dead Ball
gods such as this could only have happened on this single day, July 24, 1911, as the
Cleveland Naps took on the best in the American League in what could justifiably
be called the first All-Star Game. It was the tragic death from meningitis of Hall of
Fame pitcher Addie Joss that brought the best in the game to League Park, the only time prior to the birth of the modern All-Star Game in
1933 that so many different Major League uniforms shared a single diamond.
Next, we must remember how very rare this photograph was, even in 1911. The technology used to print these very special images was
particularly expensive, and the run was very limited as a result. Each of the players pictured would have received a copy, and then a very
small assortment of executives and VIP’s. That is all.
Finally, only a year from the centennial of this historic baseball event, just a tiny handful of the original small supply still exists. Vintage
photography has so many enemies-water damage, tearing, creasing, Spring cleaning, you name it. The overwhelming majority of these
prints have long ago found a final resting place in the landfill, leaving he who can boast of one in his collection in truly elite company.
And no collector could possibly set himself further apart than with the ownership of this, undoubtedly one of the finest examples of a
Joss panoramic photo on earth. The only condition issues worthy of note are represented by an irregularly shaped area of emulsion loss
(approximately the size of a silver dollar) at upper left and an area of damp-staining at far right. Neither of these concerns infringe upon
the player images, leaving the prime focus unencumbered by any distractions. Vintage tape on verso appears to be the result of an ancient
and long-lost framing job, as there are no tears to repair nor a single crease to reinforce. We encourage serious bidders to examine our
enlargeable images online which will present the most accurate assessment of condition. Dimensions are 8x40”.
Starting Bid: $5,000
44

46. 80020
1924 Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, John McGraw Signed
Large Photograph Presented to Jack Dempsey
Participants in our inaugural “Platinum Night” auction at last year’s Baltimore National will recall the incredible Christy Walsh Collection
that anchored the event, comprised of rare and important artifacts from the estate of the first sports agent. We have “The Christy Walsh
Syndicate” to thank for this remarkable keepsake as well, a splendid oversized photograph gifted to the reigning Heavyweight Champion of
the World, the legendary Jack Dempsey.
Experienced collectors will recognize the image, or at least similar shots featuring Walsh’s stable of sports stars typically found posing
at the outskirts of a World Series contest. This illustrious crew stands shoulder to shoulder before the start of the Series which would
ultimately earn the great Walter Johnson his sole World Championship. He and fellow Washington Senator Nick Altrock appear in their
home whites in the shot, joined by Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, John McGraw, George Sisler and Christy Walsh in civilian garb. Each subject has
applied a black fountain pen ink autograph at the lower edge, none dipping below a boldness of 8/10. Only Altrock’s surname is visible,
suggesting that the matting job hides some edge damage—the image has not been examined outside of the frame. Some creasing along
the upper edge, where “To Jack Dempsey = ‘Champ!’” is scripted in white paint, is apparent at certain angles to the light, but does little to
distract. Otherwise the image presents very well.
The photo is matted and framed to 20x23”, with a sticker on verso identifying the piece as a former lot in the famous 1999 Barry Halper
auction. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $5,000
46

48. 80021
1925 Washington Senators
Team Signed Panoramic Photograph
In baseball history, there were few more daunting shark tanks in which to swim than the American League of the 1920’s. If the Murderer’s
Row-era Yankees didn’t get you, Connie Mack’s second great Athletics dynasty would. It’s actually no small surprise that two of the three
American League flags earned during six decades of consistent mediocrity in our nation’s capital would come during this age of Junior
Circuit brilliance. Pictured is the team that repeated as AL Champs the season after Walter Johnson earned his sole Fall Classic victory,
appearing upon this marvelous oversized panorama certainly manufactured in strictly limited quantities for players and VIP’s.
Twenty-eight team members appear before a packed Griffith Stadium grandstand, each subject applying his signature to his respective
image. Most notable are Walter Johnson (8/10), Sam Rice (5/10), Goose Goslin (7/10), Bucky Harris (9/10), Stan Coveleski (2/10), Muddy
Ruel (4/10), Tom Zachary (8/10), Joe Judge (7/10), Everett Scott (10/10), Roger Peckinpaugh (7/10), Al Schacht (9/10), Nick Altrock (8/10).
Tate, Marberry and Jeanes have been deemed secretarial. The photo measures 10.5x18.5” and is housed in its original wood frame which
expands the total dimensions by two inches on each side. Original lot sticker from the famous Barry Halper auction of 1999 remains affi xed.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
48

50. 80022
1929 Philadelphia Athletics
Team Signed Panoramic Photograph
Highly collectible and capable of realizing prices approaching $3,000 in its unsigned state, this glorious panorama first offered in the
famous Barry Halper sale takes on an elephantine appeal with the addition of twenty-seven autographs, representing almost every last man
pictured, all the way down to the young mascot that kneels at center. Only Harold Ehmke is absent, suggesting that this may have once
been the personal possession of the 1929 World Series Game One starter.
Those familiar with the composition of this squad, prominent in any educated discussion of the all-time greatest teams, will be intimately
familiar with the cast of characters: Mack, Foxx, Cochrane, Collins, Grove, Simmons, Bishop, Dykes, Earnshaw, Miller, Boley and Haas.
The signature quality ranges from a perfectly respectable 6/10 to a flawless 10/10, with each entirely legible and all but a few falling quite
comfortably into the 8/10 to 10/10 range. The photograph itself measures 7x30” in its original frame and exhibits none of the creasing
or staining typical of large vintage photos, save for the smallest defect at the easternmost edge, clear of Earle Mack’s body. The photo is
housed in what we believe to be the original frame, measuring 12.5x35.5”. An absolute dream piece for the uncompromising collector.
Starting Bid: $3,750
50

52. 80023
Circa 1930 Babe Ruth Signed Oversized Photograph
“I swing big, with everything I’ve got,” the Babe once famously reported. “I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can.” A
continuation of that oversized theme survives here in the form of a rare and eminently desirable original 11x14” photograph of Ruth and his
sidekick Lou Gehrig, autographed by the former in bold blue fountain pen ink.
This charming spring training shot is particularly appealing for a few reasons. Perhaps most notably, the vastness of this vintage print is
quite rare for pre-war photography, derivative of an expensive process which would suggest the photo was created for a recipient of some
notoriety. The few similarly large examples we’ve seen from Ruth have borne personalized inscriptions, as is the case with most Ruth
signed photos of any scale. But the Babe adds only a “Best wishes from” salutation to his signature here, establishing this as the first
oversized Ruth signed photo we’ve ever encountered lacking an identified beneficiary.
While condition problems seem to gravitate to oversized vintage photography, this specimen bucks the trend admirably, with not a single
visual distraction worthy of note. An investment-quality piece for the collector who understands what a special opportunity this offering
represents. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
52

54. 80024
1933 Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig Signed Photograph.
Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, as first baseman Lou Gehrig and outfielder Babe Ruth find themselves in the unfamiliar role of
“little guy” when standing next to their hulking Red Sox counterparts Smead Jolley and Dale Alexander. This great Yankee Stadium shot is
clearly meant to be a “study in sluggers,” as Jolley and Alexander would end the 1933 season in second and third place for the Sox with nine
and five long balls respectively. Ruth and Gehrig would combine for sixty-six.
Obviously it’s the men in pinstripes who steal the show here, and their Yankees uniform is noteworthy as the majority of Ruth/Gehrig
signed photos derive from their barnstorming tours rather than their shared Bronx tenure. Ruth and Alexander provide signatures rating
9/10 and 10/10 respectively, while the pair of first basemen are a couple shades lighter at 7/10. The 7x9” image exhibits a degree of handling
wear, with tack holes at the corners, some damage at lower right, and scattered bends and ripples, but nothing which negatively affects the
autographs or the photo’s central focus. Vintage tape on verso repairs minor tears at lower edge. News service stamping on verso dates the
image to April 13, 1933, opening day at Yankee Stadium and most likely the day Ruth and Gehrig received their 1932 World Championship
rings. Photo derives from the Jolley estate. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
54

56. 80025
1939 Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction Class
Signed First Day Cover, PSA/DNA Mint 9
The identity of a sleepy little town in upstate New York was transformed forever on June 12, 1939, the day the ribbon was cut at the newly
founded Baseball Hall of Fame on the shores of Lake Otsego. Though Cooperstown had enjoyed some limited fame with its controversial
proclamation as baseball’s birthplace, never had the eyes of the nation been so keenly focused upon the leafy hamlet until the day that
the greatest living ballplayers convened to receive the game’s highest honor. This exceedingly rare first day cover, affi xed with four newly
released three-cent stamps commemorating baseball’s centennial, bears the postmark of that historic date and is autographed by the
iconic eleven known to history as the Hall’s inaugural class:
G.C. Alexander, Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Larry Lajoie, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker,
George Sisler, J. Honus Wagner and Cy Young (twice).
Joining this elite brotherhood are the signatures of ruling Commissioner of Baseball and future Hall of Famer Kenesaw Mountain Landis,
and an unidentified signature notated “PM,” ostensibly the postmaster of Cooperstown. It should be noted that United States Postmaster
General James A. Farley was in attendance this day, but the signature is clearly not his. All signatures retain every last degree of
boldness they enjoyed upon their initial application, with mild toning of the envelope’s glue the only possible stone to throw. We couldn’t
imagine a finer surviving specimen, and PSA/DNA bolsters this opinion with its Mint 9 rating, a grade rarely delivered by the service’s
exacting experts. One of the most important and desirable autographed pieces in the hobby, a granite cornerstone for the finest of private
collections. Encapsulated PSA/DNA Mint 9.
Starting Bid: $10,000
56

58. 80026
1939 Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction
Class Signed Program.
Extraordinary autograph display is as regal as they come, both in terms of the personnel represented and the magnificent black fountain
pen exemplars each provided to a witness of the June 12, 1939 opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Whether by
chance or pure stroke of genius, the lucky attendee for the celebration of Baseball’s Centennial chose the rear inside cover of his Doubleday
Field program to present to the honored legends for signing, creating the finest aesthetics imaginable for these “cornerstone” enshrinees.
From top to bottom, we encounter the following:
Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Connie Mack, George Sisler, G.C. Alexander, Tris Speaker, Babe Ruth, Cy Young, J. Honus
Wagner, Larry Lajoie.
It must be noted that the front and rear cover of the program have become detached from the spine, leaving the eventual new owner with
the choice of either submitting the cover for a rather simple restoration and reaffixing, or to mat and frame the signed page for greater
enjoyment. Our instincts would lead us to the latter. The signed page exhibits some chipping along the right edge, some inconsequential
toning and mild creasing. Our catalog imagery should properly indicate that the distraction is minimal at best. The program is otherwise
complete and free of any flaws of note. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $6,250
58

60. 80027
1939-43 Mel Ott Game Bat Signed by
1945 New York Giants Team
Important artifact dates to the year the high-stepping Giants slugger made the 500 Home Run Club a trio, the last complete season
posted by the Hall of Fame outfielder. The signature model Hillerich & Bradsby’s labeling actually dates the lumber to the 1939-43 era,
but somehow the bat was spared the trauma of duty in the hands of the Manhattan long ball artist, instead enjoying a relatively peaceful
slumber before being passed around the Giants dugout during the closing days of the Second World War.
Ott himself is most prominent among the extraordinarily bold black fountain pen signatures that adorn the barrel, joined by fellow future
Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi and notables Nap Reyes, Adolfo Luque, Van Mungo, Bill Jurges, Phil Weintraub, Buddy Kerr, Johnny Rucker,
Bill Voiselle and more. None of the twenty-seven signatures dips below 9/10 in strength.
The bat is crafted from thirty-four ounces of blonde ash and measures thirty-five inches, perfectly matching Ott’s factory ordering records
for the period. PSA/DNA has assigned the bat a grade of GU5, the highest possible rating for a bat lacking game use. LOA from PSA/DNA
(bat). Full LOA from PSA/DNA (autographs). Full LOA from James Spence Authentication (autographs).
Starting Bid: $2,500
60

61. Every time I sign a ball, and there
have been thousands, I thank my
luck that I wasn’t born Coveleski
or Wambsganss or Peckinpaugh.
— Mel Ott

62. 80028
1940 Joe DiMaggio Signed Uniform Player’s Contract
A batting crown (.381 average) and an American League MVP Award in 1939 provided the superstar center fielder with no shortage of
leverage for negotiating a salary for 1940, and here we find Joltin’ Joe agreeing to the sum of $32,500. Sure to thrill even the most casual of
baseball fans, this Uniform Player’s Contract assures the Hall of Fame legend’s services to the New York Yankees for the 1940 season, one
in which he would again top the American League with a .352 batting average while driving in over 130 runs. DiMaggio initials the first
page to assert his acceptance of the salary figure, then signs a complete “Joseph DiMaggio” autograph on the second page, adding his “2150
Beach St.” address. The contract exhibits original storage folds, and twin punch holes for filing, but otherwise exhibits no condition issues
of note. One of the most important documents from this American icon to reach the auction block, for the serious collector and baseball
historian. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
62

64. 80029
1943 Babe Ruth Signed Fielder’s Glove
with Extraordinary Provenance
Ever since young New Yorkers clambered to the railing of the Polo Grounds to
meet the newly arrived Boston transplant in 1920, the autograph of Babe Ruth
has reigned as the most popular in the collecting hobby. But as the Babe’s fame
and belly swelled throughout the course of his professional career and beyond,
his head never grew to match. He remained one of the most approachable
athletes in history, and the most generous of signers. It is only due to the
massive demand that Ruth’s signature maintains a lofty price tag, as signed
baseballs, photos and album pages survive as the most common of pre-war
players.
There are exceptions, however, to the theme of availability, and we encounter
an example here, one of just two Babe Ruth single signed gloves to appear
within a major auction in the past decade. We can only hypothesize as to the
glaring scarcity of signed gloves, but one can assume that the high cost relative
to balls and photos played a role. One could also imagine that a number of
signed gloves have indeed existed, but the call of the sandlot proved irresistible
for most young owners, dooming the signatures to the brutality of play.
Young Jim Headley was clearly not your typical youngster, however, a fact borne
out by his incredible dedication to the sale of war stamps as a carrier boy for the
Akron Beacon Journal newspaper. As an included photocopy of a May 22, 1942
issue of the paper indicates, Headley was one of the boys responsible for selling
well over four million war stamps, outpacing every other newspaper in the
country of a comparable size. The prize for the boys’ patriotic dedication was a
June 23, 1943 celebration at the Cleveland Public Auditorium where Babe Ruth,
Jim Cagney and other celebrities would applaud their efforts.
An included 8x10” photo from that event provides ironclad provenance, with a beaming young Jim looking on as Babe Ruth autographs his
Pinky Higgins endorsed glove manufactured by local Cleveland sporting goods retailer “The Newman Stern Co.” The black fountain pen
signature aligns perfectly to the photo, mellowed to some degree over the passing decades but still readily legible from any reasonable
viewing distance. Finally, we have Jim’s ticket for admittance to the show, bearing a vintage ink notation on verso that reads “Jim went to
Cleveland with Mr. Chapes of Beacon Journal Wed 25, 1943, reward for selling 58,091 10 cent defense stamps. Came home with a B.B.
mit (sic) autographed by Babe Ruth.”Now the pride and joy of a patriotic young man can elevate your Ruth collection to a place only a tiny
handful could reach. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $5,000
64

66. 80030
1940’s Baseball Stars Multi-Signed Glove
with Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio
Extraordinary relic was the pride and joy of young Jan Dolcater, a resident of
Tampa, Florida who took advantage of Major League Baseball’s annual southern
migration to compile one of the most impressive rosters of autographs we’ve
yet encountered. While there is a percentage of lesser names among the
forty-seven signers, Dolcater was clearly a discerning young man
when it came to his glove, choosing his targets wisely. The Hall
of Fame is disproportionately represented, with thirteen now
immortalized in Cooperstown bronze:
Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams,
Warren Spahn, Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Ernie
Lombardi, Hank Greenberg, Bob Feller, Stan
Musial, Hal Newhouser, Bill McKechnie, Bucky
Walters.
Other notables include: Johnny Pesky, Johnny
Sain, Marty Marion, Harry Brecheen, Dom
DiMaggio, Al Schacht, Tom Henrich, Birdie
Tebbetts.
While any single item blessed by the touch
of so many diamond legends is worthy of
attention, the unique medium of a baseball
glove sets this specimen apart—almost
never do signed gloves of this vintage surface.
Perhaps even more noteworthy is the simply
spectacular condition of the piece, providing
boldness of 8/10 or better for each of the forty-
seven autographs without exception. Full LOA from
PSA/DNA.
Starting Bid: $2,500
66

68. 80031
Circa 1950 Bud Abbott & Lou Costello Signed
“Who’s on First?” Photograph
A roster comprised of the most unusually named ballplayers in the game’s history served as the premise of the canonical comedy
routine that stands to this day as the defining work of Abbott and Costello’s partnership. One might reasonably assume, therefore, that
photographs such as the presented example are widely available, but that assumption is negated by the fact that this is the first signed
photograph of the routine to reach the major hobby auction block in the past dozen years.
The few autographed items relating to this side-splitting battle of wits between a befuddled prospective ballplayer and the quirky team’s
manager are typically vinyl recordings of the routine, though a signed baseball did emerge eight years ago, realizing a price just short of
$8,000 at auction. From a display standpoint, this relic has all the others beat. The black fountain pen signatures of each comedian waver
a point at most from perfection, and the 7x10” image likewise provides no cause for complaint. A charming and quite possibly unique
piece of pure, unadulterated Americana, sure to charm generations to come. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence
Authentication.
Starting Bid: $2,500
68

69. Costello: St. Louis has a good outfield?
Abbott: Oh, absolutely.
Costello: The left fielder’s name?
Abbott: Why.
Costello: I don’t know, I just thought I’d ask.
Abbott: Well, I just thought I’d tell you.

70. 80032
1960 Mickey Mantle 300th Career Home Run Baseball
On the twenty-first anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s brave and
heartbreaking farewell, fellow pinstriped legend Mickey
Mantle again made Independence Day a memorable one
for Yankees fans, taking Washington Senators pitcher Hal
Woodeshick deep in the first inning at Griffith Stadium.
The blast would establish Mantle as the first switch hitter
to summit the 300 home run plateau, and the eighteenth
slugger in Major League history to accomplish the feat.
The home run would prove to be one of forty at the close of
the 1960 season, the last that Mantle would top American
League long ball artists.
The Mick was able to retrieve the historic sphere after it
hurdled the outfield wall, and years later he would donate
it to the Little League Museum in Baxter Springs, Kansas,
just fifteen miles from his Joplin, Missouri childhood
home. There it joined other Mantle artifacts including his
Gold Glove Award, 500th home run baseball, 1000th RBI
ball and first career home run baseball. A pair of photos
of that museum display is included in this lot, along with
an enlarged copy of the newspaper coverage of the game.
After years of display, the museum deaccessioned the
Mantle material and it was sold at public auction in early
1997.
Over a decade later, the 300 home run ball reappears in this Platinum Night Auction. The baseball has developed an amber hue over the
passing half century, and a distinctive tape stain crosses the hand applied “300,” perfectly matching the image from the Baxter Springs
display. Ironclad provenance, milestone cachet and derivation from the hard-slugging height of the M&M era? What could be better? Photos
from Mantle museum display.
Starting Bid: $2,500
70

72. 80033
1972 Roberto Clemente Signed Personal Check
The tragic Hall of Famer’s autograph could not be considered “common” in any format, but collectors of signed checks have been bedeviled
for decades by the scarcity of these official documents. Perhaps two or three will change hands at auction each year, but here we encounter
the finest of that supply, Clemente’s blue ink rating a stellar 10/10 on a check free of any folds, tears or stains.
The date of “May 10, 1972” and the “Atlanta Motor Hotel” stamped payee correspond, as expected, to the last of a two-game series at the
Braves’ Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Seventy dollars is paid from the star outfielder’s “Mellon National Bank and Trust Company,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania” account.
Clemente led the unsuccessful Pirates charge this day, going three for four with a double in the eight to four defeat. Just eight months
later, the newly initiated member of the 3,000 Hit Club would perish at sea, bringing an end to one of the game’s most brilliant careers, and
securing Clemente’s status as one of the toughest autographs of post-war Hall of Famers. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James
Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $1,500
72

74. 80034
1972 Roberto Clemente 3,000th Hit Full
Ticket, Only Known Example
It’s hard not to believe in fate, in the benevolence of the Baseball Gods, when considering that the noble Clemente recorded his 3,000th
career hit during the last of his 2,433 regular season games. Just three months later his airplane, loaded with supplies for the victims of a
Nicaraguan earthquake, would fall into the sea, ending the life of one of the few athletes truly worthy of the label of “hero.”
Stubs from this otherwise inconsequential game—the Pirates had long since locked up the National League East to ultimately finish
eleven games ahead of the second place Cubs—rarely surface at public auction. Heritage realized a price of $4,182 for a stub in May 2005,
one of just four to pass through our offices. But this is the first full ticket from that contest known to exist, and there’s no reason to think it
won’t be the last as well.
The untorn ticket which would have supplied the owner with a third row view of history exhibits mild bending but none of the typical
staining or tearing found in period paper. PSA encapsulation of this exceedingly rare relic provides both protection and unquestioned
authenticity.
Starting Bid: $2,500
74

75. “If I could sleep, I could hit .400.”
— Roberto Clemente

76. 80035
1980’s Mickey Mantle Signed Index Cards Lot of 100
The legendary Yankee once joked that he expected the following response from St. Peter when he encountered him at the Pearly Gates of
Heaven: “Sorry Mickey, but because of the way you lived on Earth, you can’t come in. But, before you leave, would you autograph these
baseballs for Him?”
And if death is anything at all like life, you can bet that Mickey remains hunched over cartons of baseballs, wrist cramping, back stiff,
signing away. Autograph shows served as Mantle’s main source of income for the last decade of his life, and while the huge demand for his
signature is still not entirely satisfied, a Mickey Mantle autograph could not be considered “rare” under the strict definition of the term.
There are a few exceptions to the rule, however, and perhaps the most glaring of them is presented here. Mantle signed baseballs and
photos are everywhere. Bats and jerseys are less common but still readily available. But Mantle signed index cards exist in the thinnest of
populations. In fact, this presentation of 100 represents, by far, the largest assembly we’ve ever encountered.
Each blank card measures 4.5x6” in size and bears a flawlessly rendered black ballpoint ink signature from the iconic center fielder. None
falls below 9/10 in strength, and all cards are free of creasing, tearing or staining. The winning bidder will effectively control the market on
Mantle signed index cards, creating a unique opportunity for dealers and investors alike. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James
Spence Authentication.
Starting Bid: $3,750
76

78. 80036
1988 “The 500 Home Run Club”
Original Artwork by Ron Lewis.
The hundreds of signed prints created from this work has made the image one of the most recognizable in the hobby and established this
as unquestionably the most famous work from Ron Lewis’ sizable catalog of sports-themed art. “The Original Eleven,” as they are typically
called, mix magic and mastery as each appears in his youthful prime and most memorable uniform style against a backdrop of the old
Yankee Stadium. While reproductions number in the tens or hundreds of thousands, there is only one original work, and this is it.
The massive 30x57” acrylic on canvas was commissioned prior to the famous Atlantic City summit of the game’s greatest living sluggers,
where they joined forces to create some of the most popular signed collectibles in the modern hobby. The expanded dimensions of the
original provides stunning detail lost in the conversion to smaller prints—even the facsimile signatures on the Louisville Sluggers are
handled with exacting care. Individually, each of the eleven portraits is sure to impress fans of photorealistic artwork—together, the effect
is mesmerizing.
When it comes to investing potential for fine collectibles, one-of-a-kind status and universal recognition will always take you far, and the
offered lot is the definition of each. Mint condition. Interested bidders be advised—you’ll need some serious wall space for this enormous
eye-catcher! Third party shipping required.
Starting Bid: $18,750
78

79. Standard size poster is pictured for scale.
It is not included in this lot.

80. 80037
1998 Joe DiMaggio, Study for “Yankee Clipper”
Original Artwork by LeRoy Neiman
The pose will be instantly recognizable to any student of the legendary sports artist’s work, as well as most fans of the late, great Joe
DiMaggio, who signed boatloads of the lithograph printed from Neiman’s “Yankee Clipper” original. This brightly colored pastel on artist’s
paper represents one of the final steps in the evolution of Neiman’s famous work, and a comparison to the later oil on canvas with reveal
the identical positioning of Joltin’ Joe and his famous swing, the yellow bursts of spectators and the deep navy of the stadium structure.
Neiman autographs and dates the image “LeRoy Neiman ‘98” at lower center, and identifies the work “Joe DiMaggio, Study for ‘Yankee
Clipper’” at lower right. The image area measures fifteen inches square, tastefully matted and framed to final dimensions of 28x28”.
This is one of two Neiman originals presented within the Heritage “Platinum Night” auction. Though this most famous artist ever to
work in the sporting realm is notoriously prolific, his iconic images are intensely coveted are fiercely pursued when made available. We
expect investment-minded bidders to be keeping close watch on this offering. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence
Authentication.
Starting Bid: $10,000
80

82. 80038
1875 Prescott & White CDV Hartford Dark Blues
SGC 80 EX/NM 6 – Newly Discovered Example!
Nestled in between a pair of musty pages of a literary volume, an account of the battles of the Civil War, comes one of the more surprising
new discoveries of recent years—a very rare, fresh and seemingly uncirculated CDV of the 1875 Hartford Dark Blues (or Blue Stockings),
a card that features one of the more significant players of the 19th century in pitcher William “Candy” Cummings (1848-1924). Cummings
(pictured in the back row, center) is given credit for inventing the curveball, now standard issue in the arsenal of every Major League
pitcher.
The invention helped earn Cummings a place in Cooperstown among men who claim membership in the Hall thanks in part to his
innovation. His role of president of the International League (the first minor league) cements his status as a true baseball pioneer.
Photographic images of Cummings are almost non-existent. This CDV represents the only photo of Cummings made available during his
baseball career. The Dark Blues finished second in 1875, bolstered by a career season for Cummings who went 35-12 with an eyebrow
raising 1.60 ERA.
The first ‘75 Hartford Blues CDV’s known portrayed the team in front of a blank, lifeless backdrop. In the Heritage Signature sale of April
2009 we offered the first known copy upon which the team is shown inside an elegantly decorated room, resulting in a aristocratic aura
worthy of the now historic team. Of the handful of examples that have been made available at auction or that rest in private hands, this is
only the second copy to offer this photo treatment. The team is posed in full uniform with a few holding a tool of their trade. An array of
caps is dispersed as decoration.
This example is the second to earn a SGC 80 EX/NM 6 assessment, thanks to the fragile but loving pages. The photo is virtually mint. The
image offers string detail quality and contrast. The thin card mount is 4.125x2.5” with barely discernable edge wear and one tiny surface
“dot” on the obverse, which is all that keeps this amazing find from being the finest technically graded copy recorded to date. Hardly a
second thought would be given had the label read “84 NM 7.”
The flat black reverse surface is as perfect as one could dream from a 135+ year old artifact. The bottom area offers completely legible
“Prescott & White” and “Hartford” gold metallic text identifying the photographer and studio location. A truly stunning card and a
significant addition to the hobby collective.
Starting Bid: $5,000
82

84. 80039
1888 N403 Yum Yum Tobacco Roger Connor,
Redemption Back SGC 60 EX 5
The most challenging and rewarding genre of baseball card collecting is the rarified world of the late 19th century. Presented is a key
card from series known as N403 or the Yum Yum Tobacco, an issue considered tremendously rare even by Victorian-era standards. Little
is known about the endangered Yum Yum beyond the Chicago, IL derivation from August Beck & Co., but there is no mystery about the
extreme rarity. We do know there are over fifty subjects cataloged, with only a total of eighty-six cards graded by both of the most widely-
utilized third-party grading services.
Why these treasured collectibles are so exceedingly difficult to find seemingly rests with a redemption offer advertised on the backs of a
percentage of cards from the N402 Yum Yum Actress edition. To date no baseball subject carried this rare reverse treatment. Until now...
Offered for the first time at auction is an extremely rare N403 Yum Yum of early home run king and Baseball Hall of Famer Roger Connor,
featuring an August Beck & Co. verso with the Yum Yum redemption offer. Roger Connor (1853-1931) was the premier slugger of his era.
His 138 career home runs over eighteen seasons set the benchmark which stood until a man named Ruth raised the bar to seemingly
astronomical new heights. Connor was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee in 1976, and is noted for
clubbing the very first grand slam in Major League Baseball history.
The offer on verso of this intense rarity reads, “SMOKE and CHEW ‘YUM YUM.’ Upon the return of 100 of these Photographs, we will send
you by mail one Elegant Japanned Tin Patent Folding Lunch or Picnic Box. AUG. BECK & Co. Chicago, Ill.” Never before has this offer been
seen on the back of a baseball subject, and is very possibly the explanation why these cards are so rare. The card has been graded SGC 60
EX 5. A very attractive high-end example, this is the second-finest copy known of a total population of only three. The card offers strong
photo quality and light signs of wear at the corners. The back has some light soiling which is quickly overlooked for the all-important Yum
Yum back stamp. A quality example of a major 19th century Hall of Famer from one of the rarest baseball card releases. Without question,
this is a card that would fittingly serve as the crowning touch to any advanced vintage card collection.
Starting Bid: $7,500
84

86. 80040
1909 E95 Philadelphia Caramel Christy Mathewson
SGC 88 NM/MT 8 – The Finest Example Known!
This simply stunning artifact earns high marks in each and every category of judgment (except spelling!), beginning, of course, with the
identity of the man it honors. The inaugural class Hall of Fame pitcher is captured just before the apex of his storied career, framed against
a vibrant vista of gold and green. His face conveys the look of determination that would earn him a third place tie with G.C. Alexander on
the career victories chart.
Joining the most famous (Wagner, Cobb, Plank) and infamous (Merkle, Cicotte) ballplayers of the age, Matty stands as one of the key
components from the twenty-five card issue, though this particular representation stands as the finest example of the 185 total cards
graded by both SGC and PSA combined. A pair of 80 EX/NM 6 examples are the second-finest recorded. The centering is testament to fine
American engineering, the colors have retained their rich vibrancy and the surfaces are beyond compare. Razor-sharp corners indicate a
lonely life free from human touch. It’s simply one of the finest examples from the E95 Philadelphia Caramel edition, and from most other
“E” class promotions as well. A tempting target for the most discriminating of collectors.
Starting Bid: $6,250
86

88. 80041
1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson PSA EX-MT 6
A Connecticut arms laboratory recorded Walter Johnson’s fastball at 134 feet per second, the equivalent of ninety-nine miles per hour.
Somehow the lanky farm boy was able to generate this velocity with a smooth side-armed motion that baffled and certainly terrified
opposing batters. New York Highlanders outfielder Birdie Cree provided his own methodology for handling Johnson’s speed: “When you see
the arm start forward, swing.”
Johnson was a tall and unassuming sight on the mound, belying his dominating game. His 3,500+ strikeouts and 417 victories places
the Big Train in the rarest of company. When Walter Johnson appears in a tobacco or candy card promotion, he is always among the key
subjects pursued by passionate card enthusiasts, as much now as he assuredly was back in the day. He is without a doubt a key name in the
T204 Ramly series, his card solid in its ranking high within the top 100 of the entire hobby. The offered example has every qualification
sure to entice and satisfy the most condition-conscious hobbyist.
The T204 edition utilizes an elegant and refined design to which few if any other sets can compare. The presented specimen registers
at PSA EX-MT 6, the condition ranking surpassed just three times in PSA population history. These fragile 2.25x3” pieces of paper are
particularly prone to damage, and the noted gold-metallic ink is as condition-sensitive as it is attractive. The borders and corner tips barely
show any roughness, with wear largely confined to the top most layers. The vertical centering is barely 1/32” from the utmost in precision.
Each corner tip ends at a sharp point, a pair of which some may feel are above the EX-MT assessment. The obverse is free of all stains and
scuffing, leaving Johnson’s portrait to bask in full unqualified adulation. Without question this is a high-end copy and one which may merit
a resubmission for a potential upgrade.
Starting Bid: $8,750
88

89. “That young fellow is another Cy Young.
I never saw a kid with more than he displayed.
Of course, he is still green, but when he has
a little experience he should be one of the
greatest pitchers that ever broke into the game.”
— Addie Joss, on Walter Johnson