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Box Lot of Memorabilia from Tommy John’s Baseball Career Including Autographs.
Lot 533. Box Lot of Memorabilia from Tommy John’s Baseball Career Including Autographs. Except for Roger Clemens, John has more major league victories than any other eligible pitcher who is not in the Hall of Fame. His 288 wins place him 26th on the all-time list. Among left-handers, only Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton, Eddie Plank, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson and Lefty Grove won more games. A broad range of items, including autographs, make up this collection. One autograph is on a 1988 letter to John from Dallas (Green) upon his arrival as the New York Yankees’ new manager. A 1988 letter from Yankees GM Bob Quinn transmits John’s bonus to him, and a 1989 Quinn letter releases John. Both are signed “Bob.” One John autograph is on a letter thanking an organization for nominating him for an award. His autograph on the sweet spot of an Official Gulf Coast League ball is nm-m 8. The ball was used for practice and has a line of black tape around it. Sixty-eight pages of news clippings on photo album pages cover John in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 1978 pennant-winning season. John won 17 games in the regular season and one more in the World Series. His autographs are on four items, an 8” x 11” new clipping that shows him pitching, a scorecard for the second game of the 1978 playoff with Philadelphia (John pitched), a color 8” x 10” Dodgers team photo and an 8” x 10” b&w photo of John with a young fan. Two copies of a 1991 tabloid focusing on John’s high school, Gerstmeyer, have John on the front page, and an article is inside. A Christmas card with the high school on the front is also enclosed. Three copies of the Aug. 18, 1990 “Daily News” of New York report that John has received the newspaper’s “Front Page Award” for “his community service and volunteer work on behalf of the March of Dimes.” John is depicted in a Bill Gallo illustration. John is also on the cover of the Sept. 11, 1983 “New York Times Magazine.” Two Notices to Player of Release or Transfer are among the items. One dated Dec. 2, 1971 trades John from Chicago to Los Angeles, and another dated July 26, 1985 sends him to the Oakland A’s. Original scorecards for five games that John pitched for the Yankees and copies of scorecards for approximately 35 others are part of the collection. There are 12 programs for various award dinners and other events, including B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team) dinners, March of Dimes Sports Awards, the 1991 Gold Glove Awards, a New York Sports Museum event and the Field of Dreams Gala. Over the years, John supported numerous charitable causes. A Certificate of Appreciation from the American Heart Association is included. So are five copies of the program for John’s Ninth Annual Celebrity Golf Classic, which raised funds for cancer research. John signed a 16” mini bat labeled “Tommy John Lead Off Dinner 1999.” Some equipment is offered as part of this collection: Wilson size 36 gray pants with a 1983 team tag that has another player’s name; a pair of shoes John wore with the California Angels; an undershirt that he wore while pitching for the Angels; six pairs of socks and six pairs of stirrups. After the conclusion of his major league career, John coached in the minors. Collectibles from this period are two 2002 mugs from the Harrisburg Senators; a cap, a signed folder and a signed 8” x 10” photo from the Edmonton Trappers; and a signed photo and an autographed seat cushion from the Bridgeport Bluefish. There also is a Charlotte Knights signed cushion. Other collectibles include: Photocopies of three John contracts; a copy of an arbitration decision involving John; snapshot photos of Cal Ripken Jr. and Ton LaRussa; a “Shoe” comic strip (clipped from a newspaper) mentioning John; a 1955 program for the Terre Haute Huts of the Triple I League; two Bergen Cliff Hawks 18” mini bats; a copy of the Major League Baseball Players Welfare Plan for 1998; a cloth bag from Rawlings 1992 Gold Glove Award; a glass with John’s #25 on it; two 1978 RC Cola cans with John; a signed photo of John at a basketball event; a Randy “Macho Madness” Savage T-shirt; a signed T-shirt from John’s baseball school, an 18” Phillie Phanatic stuffed doll, a Twin City Dunkers glass display listing award recipients from 1948-93 and some surprises as well. Items generally are ex or better. Autographs are nm-m 8 or better. This lot comes with a letter signed by John saying the items are from his collection. Kevin Keating authenticated the 15 autographs, 12 by John.
Minimum Bid $100.
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