Lot 1. Tommy John California Angels Home Uniform. Traded to the Angels in August 1982, John pitched for the Anaheim team until June 1985. Offered here is a complete uniform, including a jacket. Manufactured by Wilson, the size 46 jersey has an embroidered tag for 1984. Nm. The pants have a stitched label inside with John’s uniform number, his inseam length and “85.” Red stirrups and red and white Converse shows are part of the uniform, as well as a beige and red undershirt. All show good use. The hat, which shows substantial use, has John’s No. 25 on the underside of the bill. The Angels’ jacket has “TJ” on the manufacturer’s label inside; nm-m. No other Angels’ jersey is in the collection. At the request of the winning bidder, John will autograph the cap, jersey, pants, shoes and jacket. In addition, he will personalize the jersey autograph and add up to five notations. This is a rare collectible from one of the best left-handed pitchers in major league history and an excellent candidate for eventual enshrinement at Cooperstown. Comes with a letter signed by John.
Winning Bid $1,735.
Lot 2. CORRECTED DESCRIPTION: Thurman Munson’s Catcher’s Mask and BATTING Helmet from His Final Season. PLEASE NOTE: This is a corrected description. In the original, we described the helmet as one that Munson wore for catching. That description was incorrect. Munson wore this helmet while batting. IT IS HIS BATTING HELMET FROM HIS FINAL MAJOR LEAGUE SEASON. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE ERROR. As described below, Yankees' equipment manager Pete Sheehy gave the helmet to Tommy John the following season. -- As battery mates in 1979, Munson, the Yankee veteran, and Tommy John, the veteran newcomer to the team’s pitching rotation, developed profound respect for each other’s capabilities. They also became friends. After one mid-summer game, Munson offered his mask to his friend. John accepted it with appreciation. Only weeks later, Munson’s life ended when his twin-engine Cessna crashed short of the runway at Akron-Canton Airport. Munson had obtained his pilot’s license and purchased the plane so that he could get home to his family more frequently. Early in the next season, the Yankees’ equipment manager, Pete Sheehy, gave the final BATTING helmet Munson wore to the catcher’s friend. The mask by Rawlings shows good use. The helmet, which has Munson’s No. 15 on the back, SHOWS EXTENSIVE USE. The helmet and mask come with a letter of provenance signed by John.
Winning Bid $28,851.
Lot 3. Thurman Munson Signed Game Baseball Given Personally to Tommy John in 1979. Sitting in the Yankees’ dugout in July 1979, John asked the team’s catcher and captain to sign a ball for him. Munson complied. His signature is nm-m 8 on the sweet spot of an OAL MacPhail baseball. Generally, the ball is evenly toned to a dark-cream color, and the pre-printed areas are relatively strong. Ex-m. The ball was taken from the game bag. Whether it was used in a game is uncertain. Excellent defensively and aided by an exceptionally quick release, Munson was the 1970 A.L. Rookie of the Year, the 1976 MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner. In 11 seasons, he batted .288. Less than a month after signing the baseball for John, he died when his twin-engine Cessna crashed 1,000 feet short of the runway at Akron-Canton Airport. He was only 32. Kevin Keating authenticated the autograph. John has provided a letter of provenance.
Winning Bid $5,453.
Lot 4. Tommy John Signed 1953 Little League Ball – His Earliest from Organized Baseball. The nine-year-old pitcher printed his name, “Tommy J.,” on the north panel of the nm-m Official Little League ball, which has the facsimile signature of Little League founder Carl E. Stoltz. Dated 8/26/53, the ball is signed also by teammates and by Tommy’s father, T. E. John, who coached the team. The signatures are generally nm-m 8. Kevin Keating authenticated Tommy’s signature, and Tommy has provided a letter of authenticity. A utility company lineman, Mr. John was very influential in Tommy’s life and baseball career. Tommy dedicated his book, T.J.: My 26 Years in Baseball, to “my dad, who provided me with the motivation to succeed in baseball.” A unique collectible from an important MLB figure.
Winning Bid $297.
Lot 5. 1962 Jacksonville Suns Team-Signed Ball – Tommy John’s Second Pro Season! John’s signature is on the west panel of this official International League nm baseball, which is signed by manager Ben Geraghty and 18 of John’s teammates. John started his second season of professional baseball with the Single A Charleston club of the Eastern League. He was promoted to AAA Jacksonville in time two record two victories and help the Suns post the IL’s best record. The team included some familiar baseball names, who also signed the baseball: Ted Abernathy, Art Ceccarelli, Harry Chiti, Vic Davalillo and Mike de la Hoz. The other signers are Ultus Alvarez, Larry Brown, Duke Carmel, Tony Curry, Edward Donnelly, John Gabler, Wynn Hawkins, Allen Jones, Tony Martinez, Dan Morejon and Joe Schaffernoth. Besides John, two signers are especially worth noting: Geraghty was one of the most highly respected managers in the minors. The 1962 Minor League Manager of the Year, he was only 50 when he died in 1963. Curry’s signature is rare. After two seasons with the Phils and one with the Indians in the 1960s, he returned to the Bahamas, and his autograph became essentially unavailable. He died there in 2006. The signatures on this baseball range from nm 7 to gem mint 10 and are authenticated by Kevin Keating. A letter of authenticity from John is provided. Here is a rare opportunity to own one of the earliest team baseballs signed by the seventh winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball history!
Winning Bid $200.
Lot 6. Game-Used, Autographed Baseball from Tommy John’s 200th Win. Pitching for the Yankees at Seattle’s Kingdome on June 6, 1980, John earned his 200th victory by shutting out the Mariners on two hits. Only a second-inning single by Willie Horton and fourth-inning single by Tom Paciorek prevented him from achieving perfection. He walked no one. Home runs by Bobby Brown and Bobby Murcer provided the offensive support he needed. The win improved John’s record to 8-2 and dropped his ERA to 2.92. He concluded the season at 22-9, his best ever for wins. After the Mariners game, he posted 88 more victories and retired as the sixth winningest left-hander in baseball history. He printed “200th Win” on the sweet spot of the OAL MacPhail baseball and added “Yankees vs. Seattle” on the south. He autographed the north panel; his signature is a 9-10. The game-used ball is evenly toned, and the pre-printing is essentially obliterated. Kevin Keating authenticated the autograph. Signed GAME balls from milestone events are extremely rare.
Winning Bid $270.
Lot 7. Tommy John’s 1978 All-Star Game Ring. John joined LA Dodgers teammates Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Rick Monday, Reggie Smith and Ron Cey on the roster for an All-Star Game won by the N.L., 7-3. His ring has a cubic zirconia within an onyx stone on a base of siladium metal. “San Diego,” the Padres’ logo and “All-Star Game” are on one side of the ring. John’s name, the MLB logo and “1978” are on the other. Nm. Here is a rare opportunity to own a significant collectible from the seventh-winningest left-handed pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball! A letter of authenticity from John is included.
Winning Bid $1,302.
Lot 8. Gaylord Perry Autographed, Game-Used Baseball from His 300th Victory. Sitting in the New York Yankees’ dugout on May 6, 1982, Tommy John fielded a foul ball. The next day, he had Gaylord Perry sign it. Why? Because the ball is an important piece of baseball history; it is one of the balls Perry pitched as he recorded his 300th career win. Pitching for Seattle, Perry and his Mariners teammates defeated New York, 7-3. He hurled a complete game, yielding nine hits, walking only one and striking out four. The win made Perry the 15th member of the 300-win club. His signature is large, bold and mint 9 on the sweet spot of an OAL MacPhail ball. He added “#300 5-6-82” on the south panel. Autographed 300-win commemorative baseballs are plentiful; this is a game-used ball from the Tommy John collection, with the autograph authenticated by Kevin Keating. John has provided a letter of provenance.
Winning Bid $1,026.
Lot 9. Wayne Gretzky 1984-Signed Hockey Stick. A large mint 9 to gem mint 10 Gretzky signature fills the blade of this Gretzky model Titan Super Pro hockey stick. In 1984, the California Angels played their AAA Pacific Coast League farm team, the Edmonton Trappers, at Renfrew Park. Following the game, each Angels' player, including Tommy John, received a hockey stick signed by Gretzky, the NHL’s top performer. In a sense, this is a Gretzky-signed John-used hockey stick. After receiving their sticks, the Angels players engaged in an impromptu hockey game in their locker room using a “puck” made of tape! It comes with a letter of authenticity from Tommy. Autograph authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $294.
Lot 10. Martina Navratilova Competition-Used Tennis Racquet and Autograph. Here is a rare opportunity to own a racquet used in a tournament by one of the greatest players in tennis history and an accompanying autograph. According to tennis historian Bud Collins, Navratilova is "arguably, the greatest player of all time." Billie Jean King called her “the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who's ever lived." ESPN called her the 19th greatest athlete of the 20th century. John purchased the Yonex RQ-180 racquet at a charity event in the late 1980s. Navratilova began using this type of racquet it 1988. It shows good use. The racquet cover has a large, bold gem mint 10 Navratilova autograph, signed simply as “Martina,” her usual signature. Kevin Keating authenticated the signature. The numbers documenting Navratilova’s success include 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, a record, and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. John has provided a letter of provenance.
Winning Bid $525.
Lot 31. Tommy John Autographed, Game-Used Baseballs from 7 of His 11 Wins in 1972! In his first season with the LA Dodgers, John won 11 and lost only five while limiting opponents to 2.89 runs per nine innings. His performance was part of a 10-season run (1971-81), interrupted by his surgery and rehabilitation in 1974-75, that produced an impressive 152-84 record. In fact, for the period, his winning percentage of .644 is similar to Sandy Koufax’s for his career – 165-87 and .655, and equals Dizzy Dean for his career, 150-83 and .644. ONE OF THE BASEBALLS IS FROM JOHN’S FIRST WIN AS A DODGER, a 3-1 victory at Atlanta Stadium on April 18. In seven innings, John gave up four hits and three walks. The other baseballs are for games in which he recorded his SECOND WIN, an 11-1, complete game on April 29 vs. the Mets at Dodger Stadium; #3, 6-4 over the Mets, May 11, at Shea Stadium; #4, 8-3 vs. St. Louis, June 2; win #6, 2-1 over St. Louis, June 13, Busch Stadium; #7, 5-0 against the Braves, June 25, Dodger Stadium, and #11, 4-2 over the Cubs, Aug. 19, Dodger Stadium. With one exception, each game-used ONL Feeney baseball has the opponent, date and score printed on the sweet spot. The ball from John’s seventh win lacks the date. In addition, the ball from his sixth win has an erroneous date, June 12 instead of June 13. One each ball, John placed a mint 9 or gem mint 10 autograph. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs. This is the most complete group of game-used signed baseballs we have seen representing a season in the career of a top-flight major league pitcher! Please check out LOT 32, which is a companion piece to this important collection.
Winning Bid $541.
Lot 32. Tommy John Autographed, Game-Used Ball from a 1972 Three-Hit Shutout. At Dodger Stadium on Aug. 3, 1972, John pitched a complete game and blanked the San Francisco Giants on three hits. Dave Rader singled in the sixth and eighth innings, and Tito Fuentes doubled in the ninth. John also issued three passes. The win boosted his record to 9-5. He would earn two more victories without a loss by season’s end. In seven seasons with the Dodgers, John went 87-42. This game-used ONL Feeney baseball has the date, score and opponent printed on the sweet sport. John placed a gem mint 10 signature on the south panel, which has “3 Hit Shutout” printed beneath. This baseball complements LOT 31, which has seven game-signed baseballs from John’s 11-win 1972 season. It is one of eight signed game baseballs available from his 11 victories in 1972. Autograph authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 33. Tommy John Autographed, Game-Used Ball from His 20th Win in 1977. John achieved the 20-game milestone for the first time on Sept. 25, 1977, when he and his LA Dodgers teammates defeated Houston, 5-4. With his damaged elbow repaired and fully rehabilitated, he had one of his best seasons ever, posting a 20-7 record and a 2.78 ERA. In eight innings in his first 20-win game, he yielded four runs on eight hits and two walks in eight innings. Joe Niekro lost for the Astros. On offense, Steven Yeager and Dusty Baker supported John’s efforts with home runs. John won at least 20 games in two subsequent seasons. The ONL Feeney ball that he saved from the game has “20th Win” printed on the sweet spot and “Houston 5-4” on the east panel. The date - Sept. 25, 1977 is on the east panel with the second 7 traced over. John’s gem mint 10 signature, authenticated by Kevin Keating, is on the north panel. This important piece of baseball history could be yours for our
Winning Bid $240.
Lot 34. Autographed Game Ball from Tommy John’s 19th Win in 1979. The 1979 season was one of John’s best as he posted a 21-9 record and a 2.96 ERA. On Sept. 19, he and his NY Yankees teammates defeated Cleveland, 2-0, for his 19th triumph. Only five Indians batters reached base in 8 2/3 innings, including two on walks. Ron Davis got the final out after John gave up a single with two out in the ninth. John autographed the south panel of this MacPhail ball used in the game. The date is on the north panel, and the score on the sweet spot. His signature is a 10 authenticated by Kevin Keating. Rare memento from one of three seasons in which John won at least 20 games.
Winning Bid $110.
Lot 35. Tommy John Signed Baseball Commemorating a 1984 California Angels’ Win. John won seven games for the 1984 Angels. He chalked up his sixth win on Aug. 1 against Oakland, pitching 7.1 innings and giving up three runs on six hits as the Angels won, 6-4. John recorded the score of the game on the sweet spot of a mint OAL Bobby Brown ball and placed the date on the north panel. His mint 9 to gem mint 10 autograph, authenticated by Kevin Keating, is on the south panel.
Winning Bid $61.
