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Negro Leagues Autographs and Memorabilia
7 Lots
 Lot 104. Willard Brown, Negro Leagues Hall of Fame Outfielder, Signed Unlined Index Card. A star for the Kansas City Monarchs, Brown was Josh Gibson’s chief rival for the Negro Leagues’ home run title. At the age of 32, he had a brief major league career with the St. Louis Browns in 1947. Later, he played successfully in the Texas League. He passed away in 1996, 10 years before his Hall of Fame induction. His autograph is mint 9 to gem mint 10. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $332.
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 Lot 105. Turkey Stearns Autographed Index Card. Fellow stars such as Satchel Paige and Cool Papa Bell considered Stearns to be one of the best players in the Negro Leagues. From 1923-40, he played for five teams, batted .352 and hit 181 home runs in 908 games. (Seasons ranged from 60-88 games). In 1928, he belted 24 home runs in 82 games. He helped the Chicago American Giants and Kansas City Monarchs to win pennants. He died in 1979. In 2000, he was elected to the Hall of Fame. His autograph is nm 7 on an unlined index card. Clearly, his pen gave him some difficulty, and he traced over the “S” and “e” in his last name. He added “Centerfielder of Chicago American Giants 1932,” tracing over the “ld” in “Centerfielder” and switching from a blue to black pen to add “Giants 1932.”
Winning Bid $240.
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 Lot 106. Autograph of Pittsburgh Crawfords Outfielder Harold “Hooks” Tinker. Part of the Crawfords from 1928-31, Tinker also served as co-manager. He is remembered primarily for recruiting Josh Gibson to play for the team. Tinker’s autograph is mint 9 on a cut double-matted and framed to 13” x 16” with a photo of Buck Leonard. Tinker added “Pgh Crawfords 1928-31” below his signature. Together, the autograph and additions cover a section of paper about 1.25” x 3.25”. Tinker passed away in 2000. We can send the autograph and photo framed or unframed.
Minimum Bid $50.
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 Lot 107. Unlined Index Card Autographed by Willie Wells (Sr.), HoF Negro Leagues Shortstop. In a career that spanned 1924-49, Wells established himself as one of the best shortstops in any league. He was an exceptional hitter who batted .334 lifetime in the Negro Leagues and hit .392 against white major league competition. In 1997, he was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame; he passed away in 1989. His signature is nm-m 8 on an unlined 3” x 5” index card dated “6-30-81.” Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $152.
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 Lot 108. Circa 1939 Broadside – Lima-Ohio Colored All Stars vs. White All Stars. The 17” x 26” red on beige broadside is for an 8:30 p.m. game on Tuesday, Aug. 22 “Under Lights” at “Ohio State League Halloran Park” between the “Best Colored Players from Toledo, Ft. Wayne, Detroit and Other Leading Cities” and the “Pick of Best Players from Northwestern Ohio Semi-Pro Teams.” The year is not provided. Given that major league baseball introduced night games in 1935, 1939 seems reasonable. Based on Aug. 22 being a Tuesday, 1933 and 1944 are also reasonable possibilities. Exhibition games between black and white teams were relatively common during this period. The broadside, which has creases along the edges, displays well. Two devices for hanging it are stuck to the back. Another copy of this poster was included in the Hall of Fame’s “Baseball as America” tour.
Winning Bid $472.
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 Lot 129. Satchel Paige Autograph Authenticated by Kevin Keating and JSA Authentication on an 8" x 10" Photo. Mint 9 autograph on a b&w photo of Paige as a member of the St. Louis Browns. Paige played for the Browns from 1951-53. At the close of the 20th century, “The Sporting News” rated only Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Grover Alexander and Cy Young as better pitchers than Paige. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971 and passed away in 1982. The photo is matted and framed without glass to 11.5” x 14.5”. The JSA Auction Letter of Authenticity may be exchanged for a full LoA at a discount.
Winning Bid $294.
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 Lot 197. Scarce “Goose” Tatum Autograph. Tatum played baseball in the Negro Leagues with Satchel Paige before becoming what can legitimately be considered the original “clown prince” of the Harlem Globetrotters. Besides creating numerous comic routines for the court, he invented the hook shot. He was only 45 when he died in 1967. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. His signature is personalized on a 1.5” x 3” cut apparently taken from an envelope. The signature is nm-m 8 to mint 9 in pencil. The personalization could be matted out, or even erased. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $113.
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