Lot 32. Dramatic and Rare 1913 Lithographic "Two Stars" Supplement with Honus Wagner and Nap Lajoie. The “Pittsburgh Press” issued the colorful 14” x 20” supplement for the “Pittsburg-Cleveland Series 1913,” an exhibition involving the two teams. Images of Wagner and Lajoie are superimposed on artwork showing a game in progress. Above is a black & white photo showing a capacity crowd at Forbes Field. The supplement has small chips in three corners and along two edges. Tape on the blank back repairs two lengthy tears that have the appearance of creases. Colors remain strong, apparently as originally issued. Whatever technical issues the supplement may have are more than countered by its attractiveness, its scarcity and the importance of its subjects. We have seen only two of these supplements, including this one.
Winning Bid $1,433.
Lot 33. Forbes Field Original 1909 Seat. An ornate metal stanchion on each side identifies this seat as an original installed in Forbes Field as it was being readied for the 1909 season. The seat was present in 1909 when Honus Wagner outplayed Ty Cobb in the World Series, in 1935 when Babe Ruth hit his final home run and in 1960 when Bill Mazeroski’s most important home run brought Pittsburgh its third world championship. The wood components of this seat, which appear to be original, have been stripped. In fact, we believe the seat to be completely original, except for screws that have been used to hold the four back slats in place and to attach the seat to a wood base. In addition, the seat comes with three slats and a seat bottom that retain their original light-green paint. This type of seat was used in limited sections of Forbes Field. It is a rare, fine specimen!
Winning Bid $1,302.
Lot 34. Pair of Attached Forbes Field Seats. From 1909-70, Forbes Field was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over the decades, thousands of baseball fans watched from these seats as Pirates, players from other major league teams and members of the Homestead Grays made important baseball history. Football fans too occupied these seats to witness the exploits of Finks, Layne, Dudley, McNally, Stautner and others. Measuring 42” across, the seats are numbered 1 and 2 and are in excellent condition. Whether their current layer of paint was applied before or after they left Forbes Field is uncertain. The blue color is the same as they wore for decades inside the venerable ball park. A NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING: Depending on the destination, shipping costs could be as much as approximately $350. This estimate is based on shipping to California.
Winning Bid $666.
Lot 35. Rare Cigar Box Commemorating the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1909 World Championship. Honus Wagner, Babe Adams, Fred Clarke and Tommy Leach were the stars as Pittsburgh topped Ty Cobb and the Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3. The world championship was Pittsburgh’s first. The outside and inside of the cigar box lid both say “Pittsburgh Champion Stogies, handmade long filler from selected high grade stock.” Constructed of wood, the box shows light to moderate wear and inoffensive discoloration on the outside lid. It carries a tax stamp with 1909 and 1910 dates. The inside of the lid, which has a yellow border, displays exceptionally well. We sold this box to a Pirates collector in 2003. Since then, we have not seen another. It’s a rare collectible from the first of Pittsburgh’s five world championships.
Winning Bid $220.
Lot 37. Extremely Rare Engraved Photo of the 1923 Pittsburgh Pirates Team. The 1923 Pirates were led by a manager and fielded four players now in the Hall of Fame – Bill McKechnie, Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, Pie Traynor and Rabbit Maranville. They finished third in the N.L. pennant race. They and their teammates are pictured in a photo with player identifications promoting the Superior Engraving Co. of Pittsburgh. The photo itself is approximately 4.25” x 12.5”, while the full printed piece is approximately 7” x 14”. It is matted and framed to 11.5” x 18.5”. The engraving has vertical folds and creases and a couple of light stains. We are unaware of another copy. This example comes from the collection of a veteran, serious Pittsburgh collector.
Minimum Bid $200.
Lot 38. Rarely Seen “1960 Welcome Pittsburgh Pirates World Champs” Banner. These red, black and gold banners were displayed at various locations and events around Pittsburgh after the Pirates defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series. This 19” x 34” example is close to pristine, with some wrinkles that could be ironed away.
Winning Bid $847.
Lot 39. Very Rare Iron City Beer Color Photo of the 1960 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. This is the 10.75” x 16” version of the brewer’s promotional photo. It is far less common, and easier to display, than the 17” x 33” version. Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski are in the photo, as well as Dick Groat, ElRoy Face, Bob Friend, Vernon Law, Dick Stuart, Smoky Burgess and broadcaster Bob Prince. There is a small chip in the lower right corner, a crease that touches Hal Smith and Don Hoak and various scratches or light indentations, primarily around the Iron City Beer logo. A rarely seen memento of the 1960 championship season!
Winning Bid $242.
Lot 44. Honus Wagner 1940s Matchbook Promoting His Pittsburgh Sporting Goods Store. All of the matches remain in this 3 3/8” x 4 ¼” book of matches with Wagner’s image on the cover and a drawing of Forbes Field in the background. The inside of the cover presents information on Wagner’s Hall of Fame career. With fellow-Pirate Pie Traynor, Wagner opened the Pittsburgh store in 1919. Beginning in 1928, other owners operated the store, although Wagner’s name remained until the store closed in 2011. The front of the matchbook is ex. Two indentations and a crease are visible on the back.
Winning Bid $83.
Lot 45. Circa 1950 Ashtray Featuring Honus Wagner and Chewing Tobacco. A sepia image of Wagner holding a chew of loose leaf tobacco fills the center of the ashtray, which is 4.5” in diameter. A gold rim outlines the ashtray, and a decorative embossed design surrounds Wagner’s image. Nm and interesting given the famous story of the T206 card and Wagner’s view of being associated with tobacco!
Winning Bid $279.
Lot 52. Bill McKechnie Rare Program for a Pittsburgh Testimonial Dinner. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, McKechnie was the first manager to lead two different teams to world championships. He is one of only two managers to win league championships with three different teams. In 1925, his Pirates defeated Washington in the World Series. A season later, the Pirates dumped him when the team finished third. In part, some historians attribute the team’s decline to the presence of Fred Clarke, hired by the Pirates as an “adviser” to McKechnie. Apparently some of Clarke’s blunt comments led to a short-lived revolt among the players. McKechnie joined the St. Louis Cardinals’ coaching staff in 1927 and became the manager a year later. The testimonial dinner for McKechnie was held when the Cardinals were in Pittsburgh for a three-game series. McKechnie’s photo is on the cover of the black and gold program, which is bound by a ribbon at the top. Pirates’ broadcaster Rosey Rowswell presided over the event. Speakers were Pennsylvania Governor John Tener, a former major league player; Branch Rickey, who was vice president of the Cardinals, and Samuel Watters, an executive with Pittsburgh. Containing three songs that honor McKechnie, the 6.25” x 9” program was folded vertically and has several other creases. It is very rarely seen.
Minimum Bid $100.
Lot 53. Pie Traynor Rare 1928 Testimonial Program. Traynor’s .342 average made him one of the National League’s top five batters in 1927 as the Pittsburgh Pirates captured the league pennant. A .320 career batter, the third baseman entered the Hall of Fame in 1948. The program has several heavy creases along with Traynor’s image on the cover. A ribbon binds the program’s 10 leafs. Pirates’ broadcaster Rosey Rowswell was in charge of the program, which included a toast by Honus Wagner and remarks by Barney Dreyfuss, the Pirates’ owner, and John A. Heydler, the N.L. president. The program includes two songs about Traynor and one each about Dreyfuss and Heydler.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 54. Pittsburgh Pirates Collection of 10 Pins from the Early 1900s-2000. The earliest pin is from the mid-1920s, a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Benchwarmer Club pin. The paper insert is still in place in this ex-m 1.25” pin. Another 1.25” ex-m pin, black on yellow, is from the “Pittsburgh Press”: “The Press Booster Club; Com On, Bucs!; Win That Flag!” Pittsburgh baseball in the 1930s was the inspiration for a 1.25” black and gold pin that simply says “Pirates.” Nm. The collection includes a 1.25” crossed-bats pin that has red bats and stitches; “Pittsburgh Pirates” is in blue. The other pins are: A 1950s 0.75” red and blue on white pin with the Pirates mascot, nm-m. A 1.75” red, blue and white pin from Gustine’s Restaurant; Gustine played for the Pirates, and his restaurant was near Forbes Field. Nm-m. And a set of four commemorative pins in their original case represents the Pirates of 1970-2000. Mint, and sponsored by Giant Eagle and Coca-Cola.
Winning Bid $90.
Lot 55. Circa 1940s Pittsburgh Pirates Mascot Pin, Knife and Scabbard. This is a Pirates collectible we have not seen before. On a 1.75” pin a Pirates mascot in red and black holds a knife between his teeth. “Pittsburgh Pirates” is on the pin in red. The pin has some rust on the back and otherwise is mint. A ribbon attaches the pin to a 4.5” leather scabbard that houses a 4” knife, which has a 2” blade and a plastic handle. The scabbard and blade are ex to ex-m.
Winning Bid $100.
Lot 59. 3 Circa 1950 Pittsburgh Pirates Ashtrays and a Late 1940 Plate – Kiner, Rowswell, Etc. Measuring 4.75” in diameter, the ash trays are attractively designed, with scalloped edges, three gold depressions for resting a cigarette and two gold and one black rings surrounding the sepia image of a Pirates figure. Two players are at the center of ashtrays – Ralph Kiner and Danny Murtaugh. A second baseman, Murtaugh played for the Pirates from 1948-51 before becoming the team’s manager for the first time in 1957. Beloved Pirates broadcaster Rosey Rowswell is pictured in the third ashtray. He broadcast Pirates games from 1936-55. The ashtrays, by Babe Devon of Chester, WV, are nm-m. A large sepia portrait of Rip Sewell is at the heart of a 9.25” aqua plate with two gold rings. Lu-Ray Pastels manufactured the plate. Ex+. Famous for his blooper pitch, Sewell played for Pittsburgh from 1938-49.
Winning Bid $172.
