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Autographed Baseball Books
11 Lots
 Lot 137. Jackie Robinson Signed Copy of Wait Till Next Year: The Jackie Robinson Story. Carl T. Rowan wrote this 339-page story of Robinson’s life and career. Recipient of numerous writing awards, he was perhaps the most widely recognized African-American journalist of the 20th century. The 1960 book, written with Robinson, is illustrated with more than 20 photos. The stated first printing hardback is vg-ex with somewhat blunted corners on the boards. The price-clipped dust jacket, which has an excellent photo of Robinson on the cover, is vg-ex with minor writing in the upper right of the front cover. Robinson signed the flyleaf. The signature is an umimprovable 10. Above the autograph, Robinson penned a three-sentence appreciative note to “Brooks” and dated it “9-1-60.” Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962. He passed away in 1972. In 1997, Acting Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig ordered the retirement of his No. 42 by every major league team. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $932.
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 Lot 138. Eliot Asinof Autographed First Edition of Eight Men Out. In 1963, after painstaking research, Asinof published the definitive history of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. In 302 pages, he reconstructs scenes from the scandal and provides insights concerning the players and those surrounding them. Hall of Fame Detroit outfielder Hank Greenberg called the book “unquestionably the finest book on baseball ever published.” The first edition hardcover has light stains throughout the black portion of the boards. The interior is complete and clean with an owner’s name on the flyleaf. The dust jacket is vg. Asinof, who also wrote the screenplay for the film Eight Men Out, signed the title page with a solid gem mint 10 signature in ballpoint. Asinof passed away last year. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $218.
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 Lot 139. Eliot Asinof Signed Copy of Bleeding Between the Lines. Known best as the author of Eight Men Out, Asinof humorously and angrily tells the story of a lawsuit filed against him by David Susskind’s Talent Associates. In 1976, Susskind sued Asinof for $1,750,000 in damages in relation to Susskind’s plans for a television adaptation of Asinof’s book on the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Bleeding offers a behind-the-scenes view of big-time television. The lawsuit also serves as a backdrop for Asinof to take the reader on an insightful, delightful autobiographical journey in which he recounts stories of his career in the minor leagues, his service in World War II and his blacklisting in the 1950s. Asinof and Hank Greenberg served together during the war, and a young corporal named Dashiell Hammett worked for him at an Alaskan outpost, Adek Island in the Aleutians. This copy of the 1979 book is a stated first edition, which Asinof signed on the title page. His signature is a 10. The book and dust jacket are ex-m. Asinof passed away last year. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $50.
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 Lot 140. Sandy Koufax Autographed Autobiography. Koufax placed a gem mint 10 signature on the flyleaf of the 1966 book simply titled Koufax. He wrote “Best Wishes” above. Below, an owner of the book wrote “This Book belongs to” and added his name. Written with the assistance of Ed Linn, the book is vg-ex with two tape marks on both the front and back endpapers. The dust jacket is complete, stained and g. Authenticated by Keavin Keating.
Winning Bid $148.
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 Lot 141. Scarce Signed First Edition Copy of Willie Mays: My Life In and Out of Baseball. While the book itself is common, copies autographed by Mays are not. In this copy, Mays signed the first title page and added “Best Wishes” above. The signature is personalized to “Vernon.” His signature is large and mint 9. The 1966 book is a stated first edition, 320 pages, vg-ex in a price-clipped vg dust jacket that has chips along the top back. There is a separate, lengthy inscription to Vernon from another individual on the flyleaf. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $75.
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 Lot 142. Fear Strikes Out First Edition Autographed by Jimmy Piersall and Al Hirshberg. Scarce stated first edition hardback from Little, Brown and Company with signatures of Piersall and his co-author on the blank page following the title page. Both are gem mint 10s personalized to “Ed & Eileen” by Piersall. Published in 1955, the book chronicles Piersall’s personal turmoil from his youth through his mental breakdown and recovery during the 1952 baseball season. Vg-ex book with light to moderate foxing on the boards a price-clipped ex dust jacket with light sunning on the spine. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $163.
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 Lot 143. Bill Veeck Boldly Signed Copy of Veeck as in Wreck. Veeck’s signature on the flyleaf is large and strong, an unimprovable 10. Holtzman Press produced this premium leather-bound copy of the book in 1962. It features red and blue covers with gilt lettering. It is ex-m to nm with one stubbed corner and is without a dust jacket as issued. Veeck was baseball’s premier promoter, and a maverick as well. He died in 1986, five years before his election to the Hall of Fame. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $61.
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 Lot 144. Book Signed by Arch Ward – Father of the All-Star Game and Rockne PR Guy. Ward autographed the title page of the 1951 softcover The New Chicago White Sox. Focusing on the 1940s and 1950, the book provides an insightful history of the ChiSox. Nevertheless, Ward himself may be more interesting than the book. Sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, he created Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, the All-American Football Conference, the College All-Star Game and the Golden Gloves amateur boxing tournament. He also is credited with being the first to handle publicity for Knute Rockne – when he was a student at Notre Dame. Ward’s autograph is a fountain pen mint 9 to gem mint 10 on the title page of the book, which is an apparent first edition, vg-ex and contains many photos. Ward was only 58 when he passed away in 1955. Scarce book that is extremely scarce with Ward’s autograph. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $100.
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 Lot 145. Milwaukee’s Miracle Braves Signed by the Author, Spahn, Mathews and O’Connell. Tom Meany, known as “Baseball’s Boswell,” wrote this 241-page book, which chronicles the first season (1953) of the former Boston Braves, newly relocated to Milwaukee. Warren Spahn (died 2003), Ed Mathews (d. 2001), Danny O’Connell (d. 1969) and Meany (d. 1964) autographed the flyleaf. Their signatures are 10s. The book, an apparent first edition published in 1954 by A. S. Barnes, is vg-ex, as is the dust jacket. The O’Connell autograph alone sells for about $100. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $138.
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 Lot 146. The Detroit Tigers with Signatures of Heilmann, Gehringer and Lieb. Published in 1946, this is the “Putnam” history of the Tigers. What makes it especially valuable is a loose page autographed by the author, Frederick G. Lieb (died 1980), and two Tigers Hall of Fame players, Harry Heilmann (d. 1951) and Chas. Gehringer (d. 1993). The signatures are bold 10s. Heilmann’s autograph is comparatively scarce and is offered for $1,000 or more. He died in 1951, a year before his election to the Hall of Fame. Ty Cobb led the campaign for his induction. Heilmann was one of the top hitters of any era. He ranks 11th in career average at .342, won four A.L. batting titles, collected 2,660 hits and drove home 1,539 runners. His autograph could be matted for display. The book is ex in a vg-ex dust jacket with corner on the flaps clipped. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $354.
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 Lot 147. Bill Veeck, 5 More Signatures in The Go-Go Chicago White Sox. Published in 1960, this apparent first edition traces the history of the White Sox and centers on the pennant-winning 1959 season. The author, Dan Condon, signed the flyleaf, along with Hall of Fame executive Bill Veeck, Sherm Lollar, Dick Donovan, Bill Pierce and Jim Rivera. The autographs are 10s. Condon personalized his signature. The 220-page book is illustrated with photos and contains a foreword by Veeck. Ex book, vg dust jacket. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $113.
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