Lot 46. Tommy John 1963 Eastern League Champions Watch. In 1963, John helped Charleston to capture the AA Eastern League championship with a 9-2 record. For their success, he and his teammates received Hamilton watches that have two banners across the face. One says “Eastern League,” and the other, “Champions 1963.” Still working, at least intermittently, as it turns through its 48th year, the wind-up watch lacks a wrist band and is not engraved. It is an important, early memento from the early days of John’s outstanding professional baseball career. It comes with a with a letter of authenticity signed by John.
Winning Bid $100.
Lot 47. Tommy John American League “Player of the Week” Watch for May 5-11, 1980. John started the 1980 season strong and finished it with a 22-9 record for the Yankees. The Swiss-made watch from the Lafayette Co. has the American League logo and “Player of the Week” on the face, and Tommy John May 5-11, 1980” engraved on the latch for the band. It appears to be unused and seems to work. It comes with a letter of authenticity signed by John.
Winning Bid $332.
Lot 48. 1991 Crown Royal Award Program Signed by John, Rudolph, Bleier and Blatnick. In 1991, Crown Royal presented Achievement Awards to six athletes who “have beaten physical challenges to reach the very peak of success in their chose sport. They had to dig deeper, try harder, leap over one more hurdle” to achieve success. Four of the award recipients each signed the page with his or her photo or biography: Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, the first U.S. woman to do so; Jeff Blatnick, 1984 Greco-Roman wrestling super heavyweight Olympic gold medalist; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier and Tommy John. Rudolph passed away in 1994. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs, which are nm-m 8 to gem mint 10. The program is ex with a tiny stain on the front cover.
Minimum Bid $50.
Lot 49. Crown Royal Achievement Award Litho Signed by John, Rudolph, Bleier and 3 Others. The lithograph is signed by Wilma Rudolph (died 1994), Tommy John, Scott Hamilton, Rocky Bleier, Jeff Blatnick and Jimmie Heuga. Crown Royal honored the first five signers for overcoming significant physical challenges to achieve success in their respective sports. Proceeds from the dinner benefitted the Jimmie Heuga Center, established to help individuals with multiple sclerosis to live fuller and more normal lives through exercise and activity. Before being struck with M.S., Heuga was a champion skier. He was one of the first two U.S. men to win Olympic medals in skiing. He passed away last year. The autographs, authenticated by Kevin Keating, are large and bold, mint 9 or gem mint 10. The lithograph is framed without glass to 25” x 32.75”.
Winning Bid $100.
Lot 50. LA Dodgers’ Appreciation Award by Tiffany & Co. to Tommy John. The oval leaded glass award, with a diameter of approximately 4.75”, depicts Dodger Stadium and has a facsimile autograph of Peter O’Malley. Text around the rim expresses “great appreciation” to John “for your dedicated service with the Los Angeles Dodgers.” Mint. The award comes with a signed letter “From the Desk of Tommy John.”
Winning Bid $273.
Lot 51. Tommy John’s Chicago White Sox 2005 World Series Ring. From 1965-71, John pitched for the White Sox. When they won their first World Championship in 88 years, a friend obtained a copy of the team’s World Series ring from Jostens. John then had it encased in acrylic so that it could be displayed as a paperweight. The same type of ring was given to members of the ChiSox staff. The face has a ring of 60 comparatively large cubic zirconia surrounding “Sox” that sits atop a black ellipse. The letters are studded with very small man-made diamonds. One side of the ring says “World Champions 2005, 11-1.” The other has the MLB logo and says “Premium Seating 99-63 Sox.” A confirming letter “From the Desk of Tommy John” accompanies this impressive ring.
Winning Bid $862.
Lot 52. Tommy John All-Star Game Press Pins or Charms for 1968, 1998 and 1999. A four-time All-Star, John pitched 2/3 innings of relief for the A.L. as a representative of the White Sox in the 1968 All-Star Game at Houston. He gave up one hit and struck out one batter. The John collection includes a charm from the game. The most difficult to find among the 1966-70 press pins or charms, it is ex to ex-m. The two other examples are pins, for 1998 at Colorado and 1999 at Boston; they are mint and nm-m, respectively, in their original boxes. This group comes with a letter of authenticity from John.
Winning Bid $75.
Lot 53. Tommy John All-Star Game Press Pins or Charms for 1980, 1999 and 2008. The John All-Star Game collection includes a nm-m charm from the 1980 game, a nm+ pin from 1999 and a mint, unopened pin from 2008. John took the loss in the 1980 game in Los Angeles. Otherwise, the season, which included 22 victories, was one of his best in the majors. He received the more recent pins at All-Star events. The 2008 pin for the game at Yankee Stadium is especially interesting. It commemorates the final season of the historic ballpark by containing dirt collected from the field. These pins come with a Tommy John letter of authenticity.
Winning Bid $75.
Lot 54. Tommy John World Series Press Pin and Charm Collection Including Phantoms. This collection consists of two charms and four pins spanning 1967-81. The earliest pins are phantoms, for the 1967 White Sox (no post; otherwise ex) and the 1971 A’s (nm-m in the original box). The 1977 series is represented by a Dodgers’ press charm (light surface scratches, no box). From the 1978 series, there is a Yankees’ press pin, and from 1981, a Dodgers’ press pin and a Yankees’ charm. John pitched for the Dodgers in 1977 and 1978, and the Yankees in 1981. The 1978 and 1981 pins and charms are mint; the pins are in their original boxes. Balfour manufactured these pins and charms. They come with a letter of authenticity from Tommy John.
Winning Bid $100.
Lot 55. Tommy John Autographed Majestic Genuine Merchandise Size XL Yankees Home Jersey. Mint jersey with an nm-m 8 signature on the front authenticated by Kevin Keating. AT THE WINNING BIDDER’S REQUEST, John will sign the back as well, personalize the signature and add two notations concerning his career.
Winning Bid $110.
Lot 56. Tommy John Signed, Uncorrected Proof Book of T.J.: My 26 Years in Baseball. The proof is accompanied by an autographed hardcopy version of the final book (limited signed edition, #12 of 59) and a paperback version (limited signed edition, #12 of 87) as well. All three books are nm or better and autographed on the title page. The signature in the proof copy is mint 9, and in the other books, gem mint 10. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs. This copy is the only proof example in John’s collection. The books come with an autographed 8.5” x 11” copy of the photo used on the cover of the published books.
Winning Bid $121.
Lot 57. 50 Tommy John Autographed Photos. Predominantly mint 9 or gem mint 10 signatures on photos that are primarily 8” x 10” or larger. One photo is 3.5” x 5”, 12 are about 3.5” x 5.25” and two are 5” x 7”. Fifteen are in color; the rest are black & white. They show John with the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A’s. The group includes several postcards and seven autographs on photocopied photos. There are 28 different photos. One signed photo is of a television screen announcing John’s 1,500th strikeout. Several show John with others, including Steve Yeager, Gene Autry and Tom Lasorda (9.5” x 14” with creases and edge tears). In one photo, John is a golfer, and in another, he operates a radar gun. Most of the photos are action shots with excellent images of baseball’s seventh winningest left-handed pitcher. This group has excellent potential break-up value. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $150.
Lot 58. 50 Tommy John Autographs on Publications and Various Other Media. Authenticated by Kevin Keating, the signatures are overwhelmingly mint 9 or gem mint 10. They are on such media as the Sept. 11, 1983 New York Times Magazine, the Chicago Baseball Writers’ News (inside), a promotion for an event benefitting the Deerfield Beach, FL, Little League (2), New York Yankees bumper stickers (4), 1974, 1977 (2) and 1978 Dodgers team photos, the cover of the June 22, 1974 Sporting News (cover only), the cover of the June 1, 1981 NY Yankees Magazine (full issue), a 1987 Z Cachet with his image (g) and a New York Times crossword puzzle that contains his name. Two of the more uncommon items are a 1980 voter registration card (scarce THOMAS E. JOHN JR. signature) and the sleeve of a 45 rpm record titled “Terre Haute” by Tom Montgomery. He also signed a large digitized image, three photocopy photos, a Yankees postcard, two postcard-sized photos of him with the White Sox, a Certificate of Appreciation from an LA Optimist Club, four Dodgers 1974 posters, a 5” x 7” b&w photo and other items with his image. Only one autograph is personalized. Featuring the autographs of the winningest pitcher not in the Hall of Fame who put together a series of consecutive seasons that produced numbers rivaling Sandy Koufax’s for his career, this collection has significant potential break-up value.
Winning Bid $125.
Lot 60. Tommy John and Glen Campbell Signed 1976 Los Angeles Open Golf Tournament Plaque. John’s teammates for the Pro-Am event at the Riviera Country Club on Feb. 18 were Campbell, Pat Fitzsimons, the pro on the team; Congressman Dan Rostenkowski and Larry Wheat, associated with the Collegiate All-Star Golf Team Asian Tour. The 14.5” x 15.75” laminated plaque consists of a 6” x 4.5” photo of the quintet, autographs of each and their original scorecard. While the photo is faded, the images remain clear. The autographs are mint 9 authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $75.
