Lot 250. Pittsburgh Pirates 1976 Team Baseball Signed by 25 – and a Pittsburgh Bonus. The autographs are generally nm 7 and authenticated by Kevin Keating on an ONL Feeney ball that may be game-used and has light printed areas. All of the signatures are on panels; “1976 Happy Birthday” has been added to the sweet spot. The north panel is signed by Frank Taveras, John Candelaria, Kent Tekulve, Don Osborn, Jim Rooker, Ed Kirkpatrick and Dave Parker; the south, by Mario Mendoza, Larry Demery, Omar Moreno, Bob Moose (killed on his birthday, Oct. 9, 1976, in an auto accident), Dave Giusti, Bob Skinner and (Willie) Stargell (signed last name only); the east, Tony Armas, George (Doc) Medich, Ed Ott, Al Oliver and Jose Pagan; and on the west, Bob Robertson, (Manny) Sanguillen (last name only), Bill Robinson, Rennie Stennett, Bruce Kison, Richie Zisk and Rick Langford. This ball has all of the key autographs – Stargell, Parker, Oliver, Candelaria, Tekulve and Moose. In addition, Armas and Ott played in only a few games with the team. Accompany the signed ball is an autograph of former Steelers quarterback Cliff Stoudt. It is nm-m 8 on a 2.25” x 5” section of paper, personalized and authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $61.
Lot 251. 2 Different Bill Mazeroski Autographed 1960 World Series Home Run Photos. One 8” x 10” sepia photo shows Mazeroski about to be greeted by teammates as he approaches home. The other, dated “10-13-60,” is a composite of five images. Four show him rounding the bases; in the fifth, he disappears in a throng of teammates and fans. Both autographs are mint 9 to gem mint 10. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $45.
Lot 252. Willie Stargell Autograph on the Sweet Spot of an ONL Coleman Baseball. A .282 batter with 475 home runs, Stargell was selected for the All-Star Game seven times and shared the 1979 N.L. MVP Award with Keith Hernandez. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1988. He died in 2001. Stargell’s autograph is nm-m 8. The ball shows discoloration throughout, including behind Stargell’s signature. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $55.
Lot 253. Autographs of Pittsburgh Pirates Fred Patek, Joe L. Brown and Dick Groat. Patek’s autograph on a 4” x 4” snapshot is mint 9. His autograph is relatively difficult to come by. His major league career spanned 14 years, including his rookie season and two more in Pittsburgh. Whitey Herzog rated Patek the best shortstop on artificial turf he ever managed – even better than Ozzie Smith. The photo, which may once have been color, is now sepia. Brown (died 2010) was general manager as the Pirates captured two World Championships. His autograph is mint 9 on a 3.5” x 3.5” faded color photo. Groat signed the border of a lithographed photo about 6” x 7” (4” x 4 ½” image area) showing him as a Duke basketball player. The fountain pen signature is bold, with a tape stain affecting much of the “k” and the tip of the “G.” Groat starred in baseball and basketball at Duke. In 2011, he became the first individual inducted into both the National College Baseball and College Basketball Halls of Fame. Accompanying the photo is a transmittal letter to a collector dated 1952 and signed by Groat’s father, M. (Martin) B. Groat. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $20.
Lot 254. 4 Baseballs Single-Signed by Pittsburgh Pirates – Sanguillen, Bay, Nicosia and Blass. Manny Sanguillen (Pirates 1967, 1969-76, 1978-80) and Jason Bay (Pirates 2003-08, 2004 N.L. Rookie of the Year) each placed a gem mint 10 autograph on the sweet spot of a Pirates logo ball by Rawlings. The baseballs are mint. Steve Blass (Pirates 1964 and 1966-74) and Steve Nicosia (Pirates 1978-83) signed panels. Blass’ signature is nm 7 to nm-m 8 on a nm-m Pirates ball, and Nicosia’s, nm-m 8 on an ex-m Feeney ball that may be game-used. Kevin Keating authenticated these four autographs. With these autographs are a 1988 or 1989 Pirates team ball with facsimile signatures and a 1970s Pirates team ball with clubhouse signatures.
Winning Bid $35.
Lot 268. Phil Rizzuto and Yogi Berra Autographed Baseballs. Berra and Rizzuto were teammates for 11 seasons with the New York Yankees. Berra entered the Hall of Fame in 1972, and Rizzuto, in 1994. Berra’s autograph is ex 5 on the sweet spot of an nm-m ball promoting a 1999 Salvation Army dinner. The signature is light without smudges; all letters are clearly visible. Rizzuto signed an nm-m Franklin Official League ball. The signature shows bleeding and is nm 7. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs. Rizzuto died in 2007.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 269. Dom DiMaggio Autographed OAL Bobby Brown Baseball. The youngest of the three DiMaggio brothers, he played for the Boston Red Sox for 11 seasons. Like brothers Joe and Vince, Dom was a center fielder. A career .298 batter, he was selected for the A.L. All-Star team seven times. He passed away in 2009. Kevin Keating authenticated the autograph, which is mint 9. The ball is nm with very light, scattered discoloration.
Winning Bid $45.
Lot 270. 1988 or 1989 Pacific Baseball Legends Cards Signed by Yankees – Larsen, Turley, Etc. The autographs, authenticated by Kevin Keating, are nm-m 8 and better. From 1988, #5 Gene Woodling, 10 Phil Rizzuto, 41 Allie Reynolds, 42 Don Larsen and 52 Bob Turley. Hank Bauer signed 1989 card #144. Larsen is the only surviving member among these Yankees.
Winning Bid $25.
Lot 271. 11 Autographs, 5 by Yankees, 3 by HoFers, on Photos and Other Media. Hall of Fame signers on 8” x 10” photos are Whitey Ford (b&w), and Al Kaline and George Kell (color). Other signatures on 8 x 10s are by Glenn Hubbard, Bobby Richardson, Roy Sievers and Maury Wills (with Pittsburgh). Three Yankees signatures are on unlined index cards: Clete Boyer, Ralph Houk and Tommy John. Jimmy Piersall autographed a copy of the 1992 Dark Horse Comic, “Baseball Greats: The Jimmy Piersall Story.” A set of eight collector cards is intact inside the comic. Kevin Keating authenticated the autographs, which average mint 9.
Winning Bid $45.
Lot 293. 1942 Baltimore-Newark Scorecard Signed by HoFer Bob Lemon (at Third Base), 27 Others. This four-panel, eight-page International League scorecard, approximately 10” x 28” when fully opened, presents 35 autographs by 28 different players, including Bob Lemon, the future Hall of Fame pitcher who played third base in 1942 for the Orioles. All of the signatures, authenticated by Kevin Keating, are in pencil. Generally, they display as nm 7. The Lemon autograph is one of few that could be displayed individually. Lemon hit 21 home runs and batted .268 as his team’s regular third baseman. Besides Lemon, the program is signed by 17 Orioles and 10 Newark Bears: Joe Becker, Peter Center, Hank Edwards, Ray Flanigan, Del Jones, Charles Langgood, Leslie McGarity, Russ Niller, Bill Rabe, Bob Repass, Sherry Robertson, Eddie Robinson, Ted Sepkowski, Harold Sieling, George Staller, Ken Trinkle and Dick Waldt for Baltimore and Joe Abreu, Johnny Babich, Tommy Byrne, Milo Candini, Lloyd Christopher, Gene Corbett, Al Gerheauser, Randy Gumpert, Bud Metheny and Steve Roser for Newark. Twenty-one of these signers played in the majors. The panels of the scorecard are largely separated, but still holding together. The scorecard front has a vg appearance.
Winning Bid $68.
Lot 374. Calvin Griffith Signed 1947 Typed Note on Washington Senators’ Stationery. Born Calvin Robertson, he was the nephew of Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith, who raised the boy from the age of 11. Griffith adopted Calvin after the boy’s father died. Calvin worked for the Senators organization, and when the elder Griffith died in 1955, Calvin inherited the team, which he moved to Minnesota in 1961. He sold the team in 1984. Griffith died in 1999. Born in Canada, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. His signature, as the Senators’ vice president, is mint 9 to gem mint 10 at the close of a letter on 8.5” x 4.75” stationery. In the letter, he tells a writer that Senators team jackets are not for sale. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $35.
