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Openers
12 Lots
 Lot 1. Robin Roberts’ Philadelphia Phillies Uniform – Autographed by the HoF Pitcher. During 1987, Roberts served as a roving pitching instructor for the Phils. This is the uniform he wore. It comes with a Letter of Authenticity from Roberts dated July 24, 2009. Kevin Keating has authenticated the signature on the letter and jersey; Roberts added “HOF 76” below the jersey autograph. A Phillies team issue shows Roberts wearing the jersey, which has number 36 on the front and back, and Roberts’ name on the back. Besides the jersey, the uniform includes Roberts’ pants, socks and hat. All show good use, but no abuse. In the early 1950s, no pitcher was better than Roberts. He won at least 20 games each season from 1950 through 1955, for a total of 138 victories during the period. In 1999, The Sporting News counted him among the top 100 players (#74) in baseball history. Roberts passed away at his home in Florida on May 6. For the rest of this baseball season, the Phillies will wear a commemorative “36” patch on their jerseys and hang a Roberts uniform in the dugout. Tremendous collectible representing one of baseball’s great players, and an outstanding person as well.
Winning Bid $1,391.
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 Lot 2. 1955 World Series Program Signed by Robinson, Campanella, Hodges and 12 More! In 1955, the Brooklyn Dodgers finally did it! At last, they won their first and only World Championship! Few mementoes of the Dodgers’ success are more impressive than this 48-page Yankees at Dodgers World Series program. Inside, on or near their photos, 15 players have neatly and boldly written their names in blue ballpoint pen. Almost every autograph, including those of the key players, is a 9 or a 10. The program is signed by four Hall of Fame members: Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Duke Snider. Gil Hodges is the best of the rest, which includes Don Bessent, Carl Erskine, Carl Furillo, Billy Loes, Russ Meyer, Don Newcombe, Johnny Podres, George Shuba, Karl Spooner and Rube Walker. The program, from the Ron Gabriel collection and very close to ex, also has clubhouse signatures of Sandy Amoros, Roger Craig, Jim Gilliam, Don Hoak, Dixie Howell, Frank Kellert, Sandy Koufax, Clem Labine and Ed Roebuck. The autographs have been authenticated by both PSA-DNA, which has provided a Letter of Authenticity, and by Kevin Keating. Proceeds from the sale of this lot will benefit the Society for American Baseball Research, a non-profit membership organization open to all that fosters the research, preservation, and dissemination of the history and record of baseball.
Winning Bid $2,004.
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 Lot 3. Ty Cobb Mint 9 to Gem Mint 10 Autograph Authenticated by Spence and Keating. The “Tyrus R. Cobb” signature is on a 1949 check made out to “Cash” and drawn on a Reno, NV, bank. It comes with a Letter of Authenticity from JSA Authentication (James Spence), and Kevin Keating has authenticated it as well. The Spence LoA assigns a grade of 9.5. One of baseball’s top 10 all-time players, Cobb was in the inaugural Hall of Fame class. He passed away in 1961.
Winning Bid $783.
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 Lot 4. Mickey Mantle Boldly Signed 1951 New York Yankees Replica Jersey. Gem mint 10 autograph authenticated by Kevin Keating on a mint Cooperstown Collection home jersey by Mitchell & Ness of Philadelphia. The jersey has Mantle’s familiar “7” on the back and an American League Golden Anniversary patch on the left sleeve. The autograph and jersey display magnificently!
Winning Bid $1,433.
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 Lot 5. Mickey Mantle Diamond-Studded Commemorative Career Ring. Produced by Balfour, this extremely attractive high-quality ring celebrates Mantle’s 536 home runs in a career that extended from 1951-68. Only 536 of these rings were produced; this example is engraved “105/536” inside the band. The face of the 10k gold ring has a blue stone as a backdrop to six diamonds that form a “7,” Mantle’s uniform number. The years of his first and last seasons are above the face, and his first and last name are beside it. One side of the ring has a raised facsimile autograph, an image of Yankee Stadium and the date Mantle’s uniform number was retired. The other features “536 Home Runs” and five bats marking Mantle’s career achievements, including his 1974 Hall of Fame induction and his 1956 Triple Crown. Mint, impressive ring that comes in the original wood presentation box! PLEASE NOTE: THE RING IS SIZE 11.
Winning Bid $1,909.
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 Lot 6. Extremely Rare 1903 Newspaper Supplement of the N.L. Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. After posting a 91-49-1 record to lead the Senior Circuit, the Pirates lost the first modern World Series to the A.L. Boston Pilgrims (now the Red Sox) in eight games. These Pirates dominated the N.L. Honus Wagner and Fred Clarke were the league’s top two in batting and slugging averages, Clarke tied for the lead in doubles and Wagner had more triples than anyone else. Among pitchers, Sam Leever had the lowest ERA, and he and Deacon Phillippe were 1 and 2 in winning percentage. The supplement, about 9” x 13 ½”, was issued by the Pittsburgh Press. Matted and framed to 13” x 17 ½”, it presents team president Barney Dreyfuss (HoF) and 19 players, among them Wagner and Clarke, both in the Hall of Fame, as well as Leever, Phillippe, Ginger Beaumont and Tommy Leach. It was folded once vertically and once horizontally, apparently as issued, has two small and light stains and some creases that do little to affect its appearance. While player names are provided at the bottom of the supplement, they also were neatly added to the image area in pen. This may very well be the earliest of the Pirates supplements, as well as the rarest. It is appears to be uncataloged anywhere. And it is the only one a number of veteran Pittsburgh collectors have ever seen.
Winning Bid $636.
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 Lot 7. Chicago White Sox 1916 Panoramic Photo Featuring Joe Jackson. This 8 ½” x 27 ¾” original sepia panorama captures White Sox players at the original Comiskey Park with rural letter or mail carriers. They were in Chicago for the 14th Annual Convention of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. On Aug. 9, they gathered with the White Sox players, who lost that day to the Boston Red Sox. Joe Jackson, in his first full season with the team, is kneeling at the far left. Eddie Collins and Ray Schalk are among the other players pictured. The panorama was once surrounded by a matt, and some glue residue remains along the edges. A section of the photo to Jackson’s right has been reattached with tape on the back. Otherwise, the photo is strong, shows light soiling, has a stain in the lower center and upper left and is generally free of creases. Outstanding early collectible featuring Joe Jackson.
Winning Bid $711.
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 Lot 8. Very High-Grade 1938 Cartledge Razor Blades “Famous Prize Fighters” Set of 50. Four of the key cards have been graded by SGC: #18 Sullivan, 96 MINT 9. #26 Dempsey, 96 MINT 9. #29 Schmeling, 88 NM-MT 8. And #30 Louis, 80 EX-NM 6. The rest of the set is consistent with this breakdown – about 50% mint, 25% nm-m and 25 % ex-m or ex-m+ - except that we don’t concede that the Louis card is only ex-m. Awesome set with other key cards grading 22 Corbett nm, 25 Carpentier nm-m, 28 Armstrong nm-m and 46 Baer nm-m.
Winning Bid $357.
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 Lot 9. Large, Remarkable 1940s Exhibit Supply Co. of Chicago Boxing Card Vendor. If you were lucky enough to visit a carnival or amusement park in the era of exhibit cards, this marvelous mechanical masterpiece will evoke the odor of funnel cakes doused in grease and powdered sugar, or a vision of fluffy-pink cotton candy. You’ll want to dig into your pocket for 2 cents and plop them into the slots in hope of garnering a card of Sugar Ray Robinson, or maybe Billy Conn. This carnival-sized vendor, made of wood, stands 39 ½” tall. It’s almost 22” wide and about 13” deep. The front displays 12 1929-71 green-tint boxing cards, including Hall of Fame members Jimmy Bivins, Manuel Ortiz, Willie Pep and Fritzie Zivic. They are included. The face of the machine, which contains a bold, metal Exhibit Supply Co. logo, is unpainted. Evidence of multiple coats of paint on the other surfaces give the vendor so much character that it should qualify for a spot on the USA cable network. It shows about 6-7 decades of good use, but not abuse, and it still works. On either side of the front panel are two curved plastic decorative pieces. The machine is lighted from the inside, which can be reached by using the keys provided. This vendor is one big attention-grabber!
Winning Bid $862.
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 Lot 11. Pat Tillman Autographed Arizona State Sun Devils Book. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Tillman was inspired to give up his promising football career to enlist in the Army in defense of his country as an Army Airborne-Ranger. This decision would result in his making the ultimate sacrifice when he was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004. He was only 27. There is a lobby to get this All-Pro hero inducted into the Football Hall of Fame posthumously. Here is a Tillman signature on the second page of a beautiful, leather-bound book titled Maroon and Gold – A History of Sun Devil Athletics. The book is a 2001 hand-numbered limited edition, #183 of 250, signed by Tillman and 10 other famous Sun Devils. Tillman’s signature is large and clean, a 10 that could easily be removed and displayed by itself. For now, it shares a page with Herman Frazier, Frank Kush, Bob Winkles and Dirk Koetter. A second page is signed by “Baldy” Castillo, Bill Kajikawa, Ned Wulk, Bruce Snyder, Pat Murphy and Rob Evans. Bob Eger, the author, signed another page. The autographs are 10s authenticated by Kevin Keating, and they are accompanied by a certificate from the publisher attesting that the book is a limited signed edition. The 302-page 8 ½” x 11” book, which has leather covers and gilt lettering, is ex+ with the page signed by Eger partially attached to the title page. It has no effect on the page with Tillman’s autograph, which will always be rare and highly sought after. This one is a beauty!
Winning Bid $200.
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 Lot 12. 1947 Program Promoting NBL and Basketball Association of America Games. In 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to create the National Basketball Association. The merger ended a three-year rivalry that began in 1946, when the BAA was formed to challenge the NBL. Since 1937, the NBL had operated primarily in the Midwest. This 16-page Detroit Olympia Stadium program promotes a Jan. 22, 1947 basketball doubleheader between the Detroit Falcons and Cleveland Rebels of the BAA and an exhibition game between the NBL Detroit Gems and Dow Chemical. The Falcons, Rebels and Gems all were formed in 1946, and the all folded when the 1946-47 season ended. Actually, the Gems were purchased and moved to Minneapolis, where they became the Lakers, now the LA Lakers. The program contains the roster and home schedule of the BAA Falcons, as well as rosters of the University of Detroit, Western Michigan, Loyola and Notre Dame. Fran Curran is among four Fighting Irish player pictured; he played for the BAA Rochester Royals from 1948-50. Two others played in the NBA in its inaugural season, Leo Barnhorst (Naismith Basketball HoF) and Paul Gordon. The fourth player is George Ratterman, pro football quarterback from 1947-56. A horizontal fold limits the program to a grade of vg. It looks better and is highly desirable because of its connection to the development of the NBA.
Winning Bid $180.
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