Lot 595. Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberto Clemente Books. For the Pittsburgh fan. 1974 first edition, Who Was Roberto: A Biography of Roberto Clemente by Phil Musick, ex+ book and dj. Few sportswriters have ever brought more talent to a keyboard than Musick. 1990 first edition, The Pittsburgh Pirates by Bob Smizik, ex-m book, dj. Nicely illustrated history.
Winning Bid $20.
Lot 601. The Detroit Tigers by William M. Anderson Signed by Kaline, Gibson, Others. This 1992 oversized coffee table book is attractive in every way. It is full of vintage images, and it is ex-m inside a similar dust jacket. What makes it even better is that our consignor obtained the autographs of the author and seven Tigers: Tom Monaghan, the team’s owner, Al Kaline, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Jim Northrup, Dave Rozema, Dan Petry and Willie Horton. The autographs are all 10s on the title page or the facing page.
Winning Bid $45.
Lot 602. Autographed Copy of Rowdy Richard by Dick Bartell. Subtitled A Firsthand Account of the National League Baseball Wars of the 1930s and the Men Who Fought Them, this book received favorable reviews when it was published in 1987. The first edition book is ex-m, and so is the dust jacket. In a career that spanned 1927-43, Bartell played shortstop for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York and Chicago in the NL and Detroit and New York in the AL. An outstanding fielder and .284 lifetime hitter, he nevertheless was traded frequently because of his fiery personality, which teams typically could handle for only two or three years. He died in 1995. Bartell signed the front end-page. The signature is a solid personalized 10, and he added “With my best wishes.” The personalization could be matted out.
Minimum Bid $20.
Lot 604. Signed First Edition of Player-Manager by Lou Boudreau, Ed Fitzgerald. When this book was published in 1949, Boudreau was at the peak of is career. During the fairytale 1948 season, serving as the Indians’ manager and playing shortstop, he batted .355, hit 18 homers, drove in 106 runs and scored 116. His skills on the field and in the dugout led Cleveland to its first World Championship since 1920. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 1970. Boudreau and Fitzgerald signed the half-title page along with Gene Bearden, a rookie pitcher who won 20 games in the regular season and then won one game and saved one in the World Series. The book is vg-ex, and the dust jacket, vg. The signatures are mint 9s to gem mint 10s. Fitzgerald was the assistant managing editor for Sport magazine, not the catcher. Boudreau died in 2001, and Bearden in 2004.
Winning Bid $35.
Lot 605. 3 Signed Autobiographies - Boudreau, Kell and Minoso. Excellent reading, and great autographs too! 1. Covering All the Bases, 1993, mint book. The dj is technically ex due to tear on rear, but the front displays much better. The signature of Lou Boudreau on a blank page behind the front end-page is a gorgeous 10. 2. I’m George Kell, 1998, mint book, nm dj, 9-10 George Kell signature on the blank page behind the front end-page. 3. Just Call Me Minnie, 1994, nm book, ex-m dj, bold Minnie Minoso mint 9 signature on the front end-page. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $50.
Lot 606. 4 Signed Hardback Baseball Books – Durocher, Richardson, Kaline, Etc. Three of the books are autobiographies. 1. The Bobby Richardson Story, 1965. Bobby Richardson signed the first blank page, and his signature is a 10. The owner’s stamp is also on the page. Ex-m book; the dust jacket is torn along the bottom front. 2. Nice Guys Finish Last by Leo Durocher and Ed Linn, 1975, ex-m book and dj except for a remainder mark along the book bottom. Bold gem mint signature on the dedication page. 3. Jocko by Jocko Conlan and Robert Creamer, 1967 first edition, ex book, ex-m dj. Conlon signed the half-title page “Jocko” and added 1967. The signature is a 10, and personalized. 4. The American Diamond by Branch Rickey and Robert Riger, 1965 first printing. Gorgeous oversized hardback, ex-m book, vg-ex dj. Riger (pers.) signed on the first blank page. The signature is a 10 dated 1969. In the personalization, Riger calls Rickey “a marvelous man.”
Winning Bid $125.
Lot 607. Bob Feller Autograph, Books, Periodicals and Advertising. The signature of the Hall of Fame pitcher is on the dust jacket of Pitching to Win (How to Pitch) by Bob Feller, 1952, vg-ex book with owner’s name inside the front cover, vg+ dj that has a couple of stains along the spine and looks much better than the grade indicates. Feller’s signature is a bold 10. 2. Bob Feller’s Strikeout Story, 1948 Bantam paperback, ex-m. 3. How to Improve Your Baseball, 1957 Motorola softcover with 80 pages full of step-by-step illustrations. Vg-ex. 4. Nov. 1951 Baseball Magazine with Bob Feller cover. Inside is an article entitled “Best Rookies of 1951” and featuring Mickey Mantle, vg-ex. 5-14. Full-page magazine ads, average size of 10” x 14”, including Vitalis, Ward’s Cake, General Electric, Gillette (half page), Virginia Feller and the kids in a Betty Crocker ad and five different Wheaties ads including one ad with Bob in Naval Uniform and a two-page spread. There is also a half page Wheaties newspaper ad along side an unrelated comic strip. Overall ex-m.
Minimum Bid $25.
Lot 608. Al Kaline Autographed 1973 Biography. Al Kaline and the Detroit Tigers, 1973, apparent first edition. Warm, 271-page biography of “Mr. Perfection” by Hal Butler. Ex-m copy with the owner’s name inside the front cover; vg-ex dj. Kaline signed the front end-page. The signature is personalized to “Fred,” and Kaline added “Best Wishes Always.” His signature in felt-tip or fine sharpie is a bold 10. The personalization could easily be matted out if someone wanted to display the signature.
Winning Bid $20.
Lot 609. Signed Copy of Red Smith’s Out of the Red. Smith, who passed away in 1982, was one of the most popular and widely read sports columnists of the 1950s-70s. The Notre Dame graduate was the first sportswriter to win the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. This 1950 book, illustrated by Willard Mullin, contains 112 columns Smith wrote beginning in 1945 for the New York Herald Tribune. In it, he covers a broad range of sports and athletes - fly fishing, Joe DiMaggio, horse racing, Rocky Graziano, the Olympics and Army vs. Notre Dame football. The book is a stated first edition, vg-ex with relevant articles glued inside the front and back covers. The dust jacket has a chip out of the lower left front; otherwise, vg. Smith signed the front end-page, which has another signature below. Smith’s signature is nm-m 8 and could be isolated for framing. MB $ 1. The wit and wisdom of Yogi Berra in paperback by Phil Pepe. Berra signed on the contents page in black ink. The book is ex. The signature is a 10. 2. Out of the Red in hardback by Red Smith. Smith signed on the first blank inside page. His signature in blue ballpoint is a 9. This first edition copy is vg-ex with a f-g dj. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $35.
Lot 610. Judge Landis and 25 Years of Baseball Signed by J.G. Taylor Spink to Harry Caray! Kenesaw Mountain Landis was baseball commissioner 1920-44, and Spink was publisher of The Sporting News 1914-62. Both men were strong-willed, and they often clashed in a test of wills. Spink once called Landis “an erratic and irresponsible despot.” Landis called Spink a “swine.” In writing the Landis biography, Spink had the last word. In general, the book is considered to be evenhanded. Landis signed the front end-page of the book. It is inscribed “To Harry Caray, My friend with all good wishes.” He signed “J. G. Spink” and added “June 12 – ’47.” The signature is a large, bold 10. Spink died in 1962. After his death, the Baseball Writers Association of America initiated the J. G. Taylor Spink Award in his honor. The award is given annual for meritorious service to baseball through print coverage. Caray, of course, is the beloved broadcaster who joined the Cardinals in 1945 and then spent much of his career with the Cubs. The book is ex and the dust jacket is g-vg with chips to the lower front. Here is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the biography of the Landis signed by a major baseball force to one of America’s best-known broadcasters!
Winning Bid $185.
