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Baseball Trophies
2 Lots
 Lot 198. Impressive Rochester Baseball Trophy Awarded to Luke Easter. This very impressive Jaycees Youth Trophy, which reaches a height of 3 feet, 2.5 inches, was awarded to Easter from 1961 through 1963 for “Inspiration to the City’s Youth.” A first baseman and then coach for the International League Rochester Red Wings from 1959-64, Easter was beloved by Rochester fans. He was 49 when he retired there. This trophy is a stunning and appropriate memento associated with Easter’s career. Bill James has rated him as the second-best Negro Leagues’ first baseman of all time, with only Buck Leonard rating higher. He might have been a major league superstar slugger, but he was 32 by the time the majors’ color barrier began to crumble. After a couple of excellent years with Cleveland, bad knees ended his major league career. After Cleveland, he enjoyed an impressive minor league career. Joe Altobelli, a teammate of Easter’s in Rochester, said he never heard the big first baseman complain about the circumstances that limited his time in the majors. According to Altobelli, Easter was “a jovial guy. He was just good to be around. The fans loved him for that. He looked at life in a positive way and he was thankful to be a baseball player and thankful he could hit a baseball a long way.” Easter was killed in a robbery in Cleveland in 1979. Bob Lemon and Al Rosen were honorary pallbearers at his funeral. Easter is recognized on a brass plate on the base of the trophy, which is ex. A plate on the trophy also recognizes the Red Wings; Charlie James, who received the Jaycees’ award in 1960. An outfielder, James played for the Red Wings in 1959 and 1960 before having a six-season major league career with St. Louis and Cincinnati.
Winning Bid $110.
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 Lot 199. Early 1900s 9” Baseball Challenge Trophy Cup by Manning Bowman & Co. This impressive trophy memorializes winners of the Pittsburgh Wholesale Lumber Dealers Association Baseball Challenge in 1902, 1903 and 1904. Babcock earned the cup in 1902; Hastings in June 1903 and the Alex Williams team in September; and the American Lumber and Mfg. Co.’s in 1904. Silverplated, the cup itself is 8 5/8” tall, and the trophy reaches a height of 9 ¼” at the handles. While its luster is gone, the trophy cups shows no abuse and serves as an attention-grabber.
Winning Bid $50.
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