“Sports Illustrated,” Beckett, Books and Other Sports Publications
15 Lots
Lot 345. The First 2 Issues of “Sports Illustrated,” Both Complete with Topps 1954 Baseball Cards. And as a bonus, a 1955 issue as well. Part of the Time Incorporated family of publications, “Sports Illustrated” made its debut on Aug. 16, 1954. Eddie Mathews is featured on the cover, and inside is a three-page foldout reproducing the fronts and backs of 27 Topps baseball cards. Among the players are Willie Mays, Ted Kluszewski, Jackie Robinson, Richie Ashburn, Harvey Kuenn, Duke Snider, Ted Williams, Larry Doby, Gil Hodges and Mathews. The magazine is ex. The foldout has light creases on the Mays, Mathews and Jablonski cards and otherwise is ex-m to nm. The magazine’s 144 pages include photo coverage of the Rocky Marciano vs. Ezzard Charles fight, an important track victory for Roger Bannister, poison ivy and a new golden age of sports. “SI’s” second weekly issue, for Aug. 23, 1954, has another three-panel foldout – with cards of 30 New York Yankees. Fifteen cards are by Topps, including Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, Bill Skowron and Johnny Sain. Fifteen Yankees not in the Topps set are presented on black & white cards similar to the Topps issue, including Mickey Mantle, Gil McDougald, Allie Reynolds and Enos Slaughter. The magazine is vg+ with a mailing label on the front cover. The pages, including the cards, and the covers have light wrinkles throughout. The issue for Jan. 10, 1955, has a horse racing cover and articles on Jack Dempsey, the Santa Anita race track, and college football bowl games with coverage by active and retired coaches, including Herman Hickman, Bob Neyland and Bud Wilkinson. The magazine is vg-ex with a scuff at the left on the front cover.
Winning Bid $240
Lot 346. Inaugural Issue of “Sports Illustrated” – Vol. 1, No. 1, Feb. 1949 - by DELL! Over the past 87 years, several iterations of “Sports Illustrated” have appeared. Journalist and businessman Stuart Scheftel created the name and published a monthly magazine with that name from 1936-38. His version apparently focused on golf, tennis and skiing. He also published “Young America,” a monthly news magazine for classrooms. A paper shortage forced Scheftel to suspend one of the publications, and he chose to continue “Young America.” One source says Scheftel subsequently sold the name to Dell, which published several monthly editions of its “Sports Illustrated” in 1948 and 1949. Another reports that he sold the name to Time, Inc., in the early 1950s. The Feb. 1949 Dell edition is in a “Life”-sized format, 72 pages with Kentucky basketball guard Ralph Beard on the front cover. Beard was a three-time consensus first-team All-American who helped Kentucky to win two NCAA championships and an NBA All-Star rookie the Indiana Olympians. His career ended when he pleaded guilty to participating in the 1951 City College of New York point shaving scandal. He received a suspended sentence, but the NBA banned him for life. In one article in the magazine, boxing writer Jimmy Cannon urges Joe Louis to “stay retired!” Among the other authors are Red Smith and basketball Hall of Fame coach Clair Bee, and the subjects include winning basketball, the Boston Braves, Ben Hogan, hockey goalie Turk Broda, and Satchel Paige. This scarce issue of “Sports Illustrated” is complete and vg with corner chips and some very small tears on the front cover.
Winning Bid $40
Lot 347. 7 1925-57 Baseball Publications with Dean, Feller, Musial, and 3 Cleveland Collectibles. Two of these publications are associated with Dizzy Dean, and one each with Bob Feller and Stan Musial. Three are from the Cleveland Indians. All are softcovers. 1. “The Baseball Bat Bag,” 1925, from “Baseball Magazine,” 96 pages. The title page proclaims that “This Baseball Dope Book Contains Odd Records and Unique Events.” It also has an ad for “Baseball Magazine” premiums – “Sepia Art Posters” of baseball players. The cover is separated from the pages, and the pages are stained, especially at the beginning and end of the 4.75” x 6.5” booklet. Complete and completely readable, g+ to vg. 2. “The Record Makers of the American Association,” 1938 edition, 4.5” x 6” format, 64 pages with records from 1902-37, promotes Gluek’s Beer. Vg. 3. “Dizzy Dean Baseball Dictionary” by Jay Hanna Dean himself, 1949, 32 illustrated pages of Dean’s humor in a 4” x 8” format. Vg+ to ex. 4. “Gillette World Series Record Book,” 1953, edited by Hy Turkin, 94 pages, approximately 3” x 4”, vg+. 5. “Stan Musial’s ‘How The Major Play Baseball’,” 1953 from Rawlings, 47 pages. Musial provides instruction on batting and playing each position. Nm. 6. “Dizzy Dean Baseball Guide,” 1957, 34 pages, 5.5” x 7.75”, schedule and leading players for each team, various records and league leaders and other information. Vg-ex. 7. “Bob Feller: 20 Years with the Cleveland Indians,” 1956, 32 extensively illustrated pages, 5.5” x 8.5” format. Ex-m+. 8-10. Among the Cleveland Indians memorabilia is a March 1954 edition of “Indians News,” four pages with photos including Larry Doby and Hal Newhouser. Vg+. Also, a brochure offering Indians merchandise, ex. And a form for ordering tickets, vg-ex.
Winning Bid $25
Lot 348. Publications Covering Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Etc. - 15 Collectibles. Multi-Sport Publications: 1. 1933 Mail Pouch Tobacco “Sports Review” compiled by Cincinnati sports editor Bob Newhall, 72 pages covering baseball, football, basketball, boxing, golf, tennis and hockey. For all but baseball, Newhall discusses the origin of the game. The 4” x 6.5” softcover publication is ex, except for scribbling on 10 pages, which remain readable. 2. Nov. 1953 “Madison Square Garden” by Jimmy Powers, NY News sports editor, 16 pages that provide a history of the facility and the roles of boxing and hockey. Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis are pictured. Ex (and no scribbling!). Boxing: 3-4. Two early 1900s newspaper clippings. One, about 2” x 3”, has the “Measurements of Rival Pugilists” Jim Jeffries and James Corbett. They faced each other in 1900 and 1903, and Jeffries won both events. A 5” x 9” clipping presents a photo of Mike Schreck, who was “Matched to Meet Fitz (Fitzsimmons).” The bout never occurred. Schreck fought from 1899-1919, and Fitzsimmons concluded his career in 1914. Both clippings are g-vg. Wrestling: 5. A 2.25” x 5.5” newspaper clipping, possibly from 1905, on a proposed match between George Hackenschmidt, generally recognized as wrestling’s first world heavyweight champion, and Frank Gotch. In a match on April 3, 1908, in Chicago, Gotch defeated the Estonian wrestler. G-vg clipping. Basketball: 6. 1979 NIT (National Invitation Tournament) program with representatives of the 1978 champion, the University of Texas, on the cover. Indiana won in 1979. Ex 24-page program. 7. A Pro Basketball Library book, “Heroes of Pro Basketball” by Phil Berger, 1968 hardback published without a dust jacket, ex-m, stories on Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and eight more stars. 8. Page from an early 1980s publication with photos of Robertson and Artis Gilmore. 9-10. Two schedules for the 1995-96 season for the Indiana Pacers, nm. 11. 1994 Classic Games-Ted Williams card #82 Penny Hardaway, ex-m. Football: 12. Undated 1.75” x 3” ticket, ex-m, for a “Foot Ball” game between the Troy Flyers and Cincinnati Reds. Admission was 60 cents. 13-15. Three books from the NFL Punt Pass and Kick Library, “Star Running Backs of the NFL” by Bill Libby, 1972, ex-m, and “Strange But True Football Stories” compiled by Zander Hollander, 2 copies, one ex-m and one ex. All three books are hardbacks published without dust jackets. Bronko Nagurski, Floyd Little, Gale Sayers and Larry Csonka are among the players.
Winning Bid $45
Lot 349. Vintage Publications – 1941 “Baseball Register,” 1930s Score Book, “Comedians,” Etc. Here is a list of these interesting publications in chronological order; all but one are softcovers: 1. 1914 Spalding’s Athletic Library “How to Play the Outfield,” photos of Ty Cobb and A. G. Spalding inside, vg with vg+ to ex pages. 2. 1921 from “Baseball Magazine,” “Season 1920 Supplement to ‘Balldom’,” 27 pages of statistics and rosters, a listing of the dates and pitchers for Babe Ruth’s 54 home runs, etc.; g+ to vg, no separate cover, and scarce. 3. Circa 1926 “Spalding Official Base Ball Score Book No. 2,” hardbound, with a photo of the Official NL baseball Spalding would provide for 1927; the score book is scored or partially scored for 10 MLB games, 1933-41, involving the Giants, Yankees, Senators, Tigers, Cardinals, Cubs or Dodgers. 4. 1941 “Baseball Register” from “The Sporting News,” 256 pages, Milton Menasco illustration of Cleveland’s Mel Hader on the cover, which has the date in pencil, vg+ to ex with ex to ex+ pages. 5. 1951 “Official Baseball Rules” revised edition from the National Baseball Congress of America, 40 pages, Ralph Kiner on the back cover, ex+. 6. 1958 “Comedians of Baseball” from “The Sporting News,” 112 pages, illustrated, with sections written by Fred Lieb, Bob Burns, J. G. Taylor Spink and Les Biederman, ex with some discoloration on the cover. 7. April 1962 “Guideposts” magazine with Warren Spahn and his son on the cover and a four-page article inside, ex+. 8. 1986 calendar, “The 365 Sports Facts-a-Year Calendar,” unused, nm-m in its original box. And 9. The “National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum 1990 Yearbook,” photos of 1990 inductees Joe Morgan and Jim Palmer, 138 extensively illustrated pages, ex with a cover crease, nm interior. Also, separated front and back covers for the 1916 Reach OAL Baseball Guide and Spalding’s 1922 Guide, p to p-f.
Winning Bid $45
Lot 350. 1946 “American Card Catalog,” “American Tobacco Cards” and Celebrity Autographs. This collection of three publications has something for both sports and non-sport collectors, including the 1946 inaugural edition of “The American Card Catalog.” An earlier version was published in 1939 as “The United States Card Collectors Catalog.” J. R. Burdick created this 144-page guide to sports and non-sport cards. It became the foundation for subsequent, more exhaustive collector references. This softcover guide is vg+ to ex, complete with a small crease in the upper right corner and uneven toning on the first 10 and last eight pages. Accompanying the catalog is photocopy version of the “Directory of the J. R. Burdick (Card) Collection” in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The 28-page publication includes a thoughtful tribute to Burdick, who died in 1963, and an overview of the collection by Burdick. Vg+ to ex. “American Tobacco Cards” by Robert Forbes & Terence Mitchell is a wonderful guide to non-sport cards that were issued by tobacco companies from the 1870s through the early 1900s. This 464-page softcover 1999 guide, in an 8.75” x 10.5” format, contains checklists for many sets and is nicely, extensively illustrated. Nm. Also, “Signatures of the Stars” by Kevin Martin, 208-page softcover, with examples and descriptions of celebrity autographs from Abbott and Costello through Bruce Willis. The book covers Legends of Hollywood, Legendary Directors, members of selected movie and TV casts, and some Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members. Ex.
Winning Bid $152
Lot 351. Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and Don Mattingly on Publication Covers. Two Mantle photos take up much of the cover of the July 1956 issue of “Baseball Digest.” Inside, in a four-page article, respected “Washington Post” writer Shirley Povich wonders if Mantle could break Babe Ruth’s home run record. The issue is vg+ with 1” of the paper covering the spine missing and “Jun 12 1958” stamped on the front cover. The front cover has an ex appearance, and the pages are ex. Another Yankees slugger, Reggie Jackson, is the cover subject for a 1978 Spring Training Souvenir Program that heralds the Yankees as “1977 World Champions.” The 32-page program has written profiles and photos of 10 players, including Jackson, Thurman Munson and Ron Guidry. It is scored for a Yankees-White Sox game. Vg-ex. Mattingly is on the covers of two Panini Baseball ’88 sticker albums. In both albums, the player and team stickers are neatly in place. One album has a special two-page baseball pennant that displays 26 stickers; the other album lacks the pennant. Several American League and National League stickers may be missing. Except for the pennant and possibly these stickers, the albums appear to be complete. The album covers are ex and vg.
Minimum Bid $25
Lot 352. 4 Copies of “The Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide” No. 1 with a Point-of-Purchase Display. All four copies of this inaugural groundbreaking 1979 price guide by Dr. James Beckett and Dennis W. Eckes are nm-m. So is the display that originally held five copies of the 220-page guide. Cards of Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams are shown on the cover of the softcover publication.
Minimum Bid $50
Lot 353. “Base Ball Cartes: The First Baseball Cards” by Mark Rucker. Wonderful 1988 book by Rucker, who has made significant contributions to baseball history through his work with the Society for American Baseball Research. Rucker’s specialty is antique imagery. In this book he notes the advent of photography and baseball within a 10 year period (1839-45). As he recounts in this book: “It was with the mass marketing of photographs through the introduction of the Carte-de-Visite (CdV) that baseball images appeared in significant numbers. A CdV is a paper photoprint glued to a card mount, approximately 2 ½” x 4”. CdVs were issued in greatest numbers between 1861 and 1879. By 1860 James Creighton, pitcher for the Excelsiors of Brooklyn, was the hero of the baseball world, as ‘cartomania’ was sweeping the country. Rucker’s 64-page softcover book provides more than 80 examples of these early baseball cards. It has a vg-ex appearance, but the first 34 pages are separated from the binding, and some pages are separated from the others. The book is complete, and the individual pages are ex-m and better.
Winning Bid $20
Lot 354. NY Mets Memorabilia – Snider Autograph, Yearbooks, Media Guides, Cards, Pins, Etc. Thirty items – 1. Duke Snider autographed 8” x 10” color photo; gem mint 10 signature.Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA. 2-5. 4 Yearbooks, each with 64 pages – 1969, World Series Champions, front cover scuffs, otherwise ex-m with a full-page color photo of Tom Seaver and a full page devoted to 1968 rookie Nolan Ryan. 1972, Revised Edition, vg-ex, light upper corner stain throughout, tribute to Gil Hodges; Yogi Berra as the new manager; Willie Mays pictured as a new team member. 1973, N.L. Championship – World Series Edition, good with vg-ex pages. 1978, vg-ex, light upper corner stain throughout, Joe Torre as manager, Mike Scott among Spring Training Hopefuls. 6. 1973 World Series program with Yogi Berra on the cover, 56 pages, unscored, ex. 7. 1990 calendar with illustrations of Mets players on the cover and a photo of a player or players for each month, including Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, Kevin Elster and Gregg Jefferies, and Kevin McReynolds. P-f cover, vg-ex pages. 8-13. Six media guides: 1979 with Willie Mays on the cover, vg+ to ex; 1980 vg; 1985 ex-m; 1986 vg+ to ex; 1987 vg+; and 1989 vg+ to ex. 14. Softcover book, “The Complete Year-by-Year N.Y. Mets Fan’s Almanac” by Duncan Bock & John Jordan, 1992 stated first edition, 272 pages, near fine. 15-17. B&w 8” x10” photos of Jim Fregosi f, Bud Harrelson p and Mookie Wilson ex. 18. 1976 Linnett Portrait of Tom Seaver, nm-m, framed, facsimile autograph. 19. TCMA New York Mets 1988 complete set of 40 postcards with Gooden, Carter, Hernandez, Mitchell, Foster, Strawberry, Wilson, Johnson, etc., ex-m. 20. 1988 Kahn’s Mets near set, 31 of 32 cards, missing the discount coupon; includes #5 Johnson (manager), 8 Carter, 13 Mazilli, 16 Gooden, 17 Hernandez and 18 Strawberry. 21. Rick Cerone postcard from a Barry Colla photo, vg-ex. 22. 1987 Topps coin, #28 Gary Carter, vg. 23-25. 1991 Starting Lineup Vince Coleman figurine and coin, both nm, and card, ex. 26-28. Three pins: Mr. Met, 1.75”, nm-m, rust on back, ball and bat attached. Mets logo pin, 3.5”, ex. 1984 Fun Foods #104 Keith Hernandez, nm-m. 29. Mets cloth logo patch, 3”, nm-m. 30. 1991 Fotoball of Darryl Strawberry, long-time Mets star, with the Dodgers, g+. 31-32. Two pennants: Logo pennant, 12” x 29.5”, vibrant colors, creases, vg-ex. 1986 pennant commemorating the team’s 25th anniversary, team photo, 9” x 24”, vg+.
Winning Bid $61
Lot 355. 10 Sports Books – Basketball (Bird, Russell, Hornets), Football and Hockey (Orr). All of these books are hardbacks. Seven are from the Random House Sports Library. The three that are not cover basketball: 1. “Drive: The Story of My Life” by Larry Bird, 1989 apparent first edition from Doubleday, near fine book, vg to near fine dust jacket. 2. “Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man” by Bill Russell, 1979 stated first edition from Random House, vg+ book, no dust jacket. 3. “In the Hornets’ Nest: Charlotte and Its First Year in the NBA” by Joe Drape, 1989 St. Martin’s Press stated first edition, near fine book and vg+ to nf dust jacket. All seven Sports Library books have a photograph or illustration on the cover and were issued without dust jackets. From the Pro Basketball Library: “Heroes of Pro Basketball” by Phil Berger, 1974 printing, vg book, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West cover, biographical sketches of 10 pro stars. From the NFL Punt Pass and Kick Library: 1. “Great Quarterbacks of the NFL” by Dave Anderson, 1965, vg, profiles of Unitas, Baugh and others. 2. “Star Running Backs of the NFL” by Bill Libby, 1974 printing, vg+ with non-sport stickers inside the front cover and on the facing page; more than 20 ball carriers are covered. 3. “Super Bowl!” by John Devaney, vg+ to near fine, with the stories of Super Bowls I-V. 4. “Strange But True Football Stories,” edited by Zander Hollander, 1967, vg+, 23 stories by various writers on such figures as Heisman winner Davey O’Brien, Bronko Nagurski and Garo Yepremian. And from the Pro Hockey Library: “The Bobby Orr Story” by John Devaney, 1973, near fine. And “Tough Guys of Pro Hockey” by Frank Orr, 1974, g-vg with cover creases and near mint pages, 15 articles on players and a team, including Bobby Clarke, Gordie Howe, Eddie Shore and the Flyers.
Minimum Bid $15
Lot 356. 43 1988-91 “TSN” Issues – Olympics, “Woman of the Year,” Pete Rose Problems, Etc. Here is a list of these “Sporting News” issues and highlights from them: 1988 – May 30, lights at Wrigley Field. July 11; 25, George Brett. Aug. 8, Jack Ham, Pro HoF class; 15, Darryl Stingley; 22, Gretzky goes Hollywood. Sept. 5, Kirby Puckett; 19, Buffalo Bills, Steffi Graf; 26, Michael Irvin. Oct. 10, Olympics coverage; 24, World Series, Mike Ditka, Gary Player. Nov. 7, Magic Johnson & Larry Bird; 14; 26, Lou Holtz. Two special issues – Summer Olympics, including an article on Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and a Football Special with NFL and college previews. 1989 – Jan. 2, Jackie Joyner-Kersee as “TSN’s” Woman of the Year. Feb. 6, Wayne Gretzky. March 6, Texas Rangers, Eddie Murray; 13, Big Eight basketball; 20, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley; 27, Chris Mullin, Bo Jackson. April 24, Pete Rose betting problems. May 1, “Kareem calls it a career”; 22, Tommy John pitching at 46; 29, Detroit Pistons. June 19, “150 Years of Baseball” issue. Aug. 7, Lonnie Smith, Tom Watson; 14, Greg Norman, Kevin Mitchell, Will Clark. Sept. 4, Pete Rose banned from baseball; 11, Bart Giamatti’s legacy, Kansas City football. Oct 16, World Series issue; 23, World Series coverage; 30, Earthquake interrupts the World Series. Nov. 6, Oakland win Bay Area World Series; 27, Sugar Ray Leonard. Dec. 11, Jim Kelly, Eric Davis; 18, Steve Largent. Two special issues – 1988 Year in Sports Special, Feb. 23, 1989, and Basketball, pro and college, Larry Bird cover, Nov. 14. 1991 – Feb. 11, “TSN’s” NFL All-Pro Team, Magic vs. Kevin Johnson. March 4, Ray Bourque, Scottie Pippen. April 1, umpires damaging baseball’s image. These issues are overwhelmingly ex with a mailing label; a few grade higher, and a few, lower.
Minimum Bid $20
Lot 357. Chicago Cubs Newsletters, a 1990 All-Star Game Program, a 1989 NLCS Program, Etc. Twelve items. The three issues of “Chicago Cubs News,” from 1951, 1953 and 1954, have photos of Hal Jeffcoat and Dee Fondy and interesting sports trivia concerning Ernie Banks and Gene Baker. The 96-page program for the 1990 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field is ex-m+ with an “Exclusive Game Day Edition” label on the cover. Andre Dawson, Shawon Dunston and Ryne Sandberg represented the home team. Dawson and Dunston are on the cover of the 152-page Chicago program for a 1989 NLCS game vs. the San Francisco Giants. Nm. Four other programs are in this collection: 1984 Cubs NLCS program vs. San Diego, 96 pages, vg-ex. 1997 spring training program for the inaugural season at Dwight Patterson Field, Sandberg cover, 66 pages, nm. Two Iowa Cubs vs. Nashville Sounds 1993 American Association playoff programs, 12 pages, ex and ex-m. Also, Chicago Cubs media guides for 1979 vg and 1983 vg-ex. And a 24-page program for a National Sports Collectors Convention Benefit Auction. The convention was in Chicago; Ernie Banks is on the program cover. Vg with ex-m pages.
Minimum Bid $20
Lot 358. 63 1990-92 “Sporting News” Issues. Here is a list of these “Sporting News” issues and highlights from them: 1990 – Jan. 8, Free agent signings; 16, Barry Sanders, NFL Rookie of the Year. Feb. 12, interviews with Paul Tagliabue and Fay Vincent; 19, Brett Hull, UCLA basketball. March 5, baseball lockout; 12, Pete Rose, Dwight Gooden; 18, Dale Earnhardt, Oklahoma basketball; 26, Charles Barkley, Lee Trevino. April 23, David Robinson; 30, Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek, reports on all 26 MLB teams. May 7, “Piniella’s Reds”; 14, Magic Johnson; 21, San Francisco sports; 28, Michael Jordon, Dennis Eckersley, Stanley Cup. June 4, Oilers as Stanley Cup champions, Mike Tyson. July 2, Martina Navratilova, Barry Bonds; 16, Ryne Sandberg, Lyle Alzado; 23, Bert Blyleven and “workhorse” pitchers; 30, “Free Agent Report Card,” the British Open. Sept. 3, the 49ers; 10, Jose Canseco, Barry Larkin; 17, Jeff George’s NFL debut, George Brett; 24, Notre Dame football, Rickey Henderson. Oct. 15, World Series issue; 22, Dennis Eckersley; 29, Reds celebrate World Series win, Barry Bonds as “TSN’s” MLB Player of the Year, basketball pull-out section (28 pages). Dec. 17, NFL veteran players, “TSN’s” college football All-Americans; 31, MLB’s “salary insanity.” Two special issues – Year in Sports covering 1989, and the April 6, 1990 “Baseball Special.” 1991 – Jan. 7, Nolan Ryan, “TSN’s” Man of the Year plus a 20-page bonus issue, “The 100 Most Powerful People in Sports”; 21, Brett Hull; 28, Super Bowl guide. Feb. 11, Magic Johnson, “TSN’s” NFL All-Pro team. March 4, designated hitter feature; 11, comeback athletes. April 1, MLB umpire problems. May 6, NHL playoffs, Michael Jordan; 27, Atlanta baseball, Dave Justice. June 10, Michael Jordan & Magic Johnson. July 15, “execution of fundamentals” by MLB players; 22, Michael Jordan. Sept. 2, double issue, Buffalo Bills cover with Jim Kelly, special 40-page “Pro Football ‘91” with Mark Rypien cover; 16, Don Shula; 23, Jackie Sherrill. Oct. 21, Kirby Puckett, MLB playoffs. Nov. 4, double issue, Twins beat Braves in World Series on cover, Pat Riley & Patrick Ewing on the cover of the “Pro Basketball ’91-‘92” section; 11, Boomer Esiason; 18, Magic Johnson announces his retirement, 2” tear on the cover outside Johnson’s image; 25, double issue, Miami U. football on the regular cover, Tulane players on the cover of the 1991-92 College Basketball issue. Dec. 2, NFL injury risks; 9, Derrick Thomas; 16, crime among college athletes; 23, double issue, the recovery of umpire Steve Palermo and a 24-page “College Bowl Preview”; 30, Mark Rypien, Guy Carbonneau. 1992 – Jan. 13, John Elway, Tim Hardaway. Feb. 17, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky; 24, Charles Barkley, Olympics coverage. March 2, Tom Glavine, Spring Training preview; 16, Dennis Rodman, George Brett; 23, Mark Messier, Shaquille O’Neal; 30, NCAA Basketball Tournament, Mark Ripken. These issues are overwhelmingly ex with a mailing label; a few grade higher, and a few, lower.
Minimum Bid $25
Lot 359. “ESPN’s” First Issue & First Baseball Preview Plus the “Sporting News” Centennial Issue. Three publications: 1. “ESPN” magazine made its debut on March 23, 1997 with Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Kordell Stewart, and Eric Lindros on the cover. Inside, each of these athletes receives a full-page article and photo. More than one-half of the editorial content in the 184-page, large-format magazine is devoted to the upcoming NCAA Basketball Tournament. Other subjects are Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher, Latrell Sprewell, the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays, boxer Tommy Morrison, and Tiger Woods. The front cover has a horizontal crease at the left and several small, minor creases; otherwise, the issue is ex-m, free of problems inside. 2. Former baseball player Michael Jordan is the cover subject of the April 6, 1998 “Baseball Preview” issue. In a six-page article he co-wrote, Jordan discusses his second retirement from basketball and a variety of other subjects. The upcoming baseball season receives 16 pages, and 18 more cover baseball stars from Latin America. Other columns or articles deal with Mike Piazza, Dominik Hasek, the Final Four (6 pages) and, in a Dick Schapp column, the passing of football great Ray Nitschke. Nm. These two “ESPN” issues are extensively illustrated with quality photos. 3. In 1986, “The Sporting News” commemorated its 100th anniversary with a special 106-page Centennial edition. The tabloid is printed on paper typical of magazines, rather than “TSN’s” usual newspaper stock. Baseball and “TSN’s” first 100 years are the focus of this special issue. Photos are abundant, and pages are also devoted to photographer Charles Conlon and illustrator Willard Mullin. The tabloid’s “Man of the Year” and “Major League Player of the Year” selections are also recognized. The photos and articles provide an excellent, nostalgic look at baseball and the tabloid’s history. Vg cover with a label, ex pages.
Minimum Bid $15
