Tightest window for a card to have been autographed?
frankhardy
Posts: 8,097 ✭✭✭✭✭
As some of you may recognize, I am the one that is always updating my Cardinals autograph thread. It has been ongoing since 2007. I'm sure some of you are tired of always seeing it on the front page, but I have been committed to keeping the project updated, kind of like a journal.
So...I keep my collection updated on a spreadsheet, which originated from my non-autographed Cardinals team set collection. That way I can keep track of what I have and what I still need.
I was updating my spreadsheet a few minutes ago and saw that former Cardinals prospect, Oscar Taveras, who tragically died in a car crash, was one autograph that I still need from 2014. I remember the news being announced in Game 5 of the World Series (Giants vs Royals). The Cardinals had just been eliminated by the Giants a few days earlier.
Taveras died on October 26. His first Topps card was in the 2014 Topps Update Set. That set was released on October 15th. That means there is an 11 day window for him to have signed one of those cards. I'm sure the chances are very slim to ever locate one, if one even exists.
Can any of you think of a tighter window for a card to have been signed? On top of that....any of them a rookie?
Shane
Comments
Harry Agganis comes to mind, but there were months between his only card’s release and his death.
https://www.beckett.com/news/true-rarity-the-story-of-a-signed-1955-topps-harry-agganis-card/
Jim
There’s a thread somewhere on Network54 about this subject and yes admit I have an interest in collecting cards signed in the year of a player’s death.
To answer your question Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart comes to mind. He was killed April 9, 2009 and his 2009 Upper Deck was his only card (though not a rookie card) out to that point in ‘09. I have one and know of only one or two others.
Steve Olin and Tim Crews were both killed March 22, 1993. I do have a signed ‘93 Topps Olin (and I’ve seen a ‘93 Fleer and Upper Deck offered). I’ve never seen a ‘93 Crews offered, though.
Not too many 1970 Herman Hill’s out there.
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
I guess the ‘73 Clemente didn’t come out until after his death, probably only a month or so after.
I wonder how many autographed 72 Clementes there are out there?
also, there cant be too many 1979 munsons autographed.
George Brett, Roger Clemens and Tommy Brady.
Frank Buncom died September 14, 1969 and has a second series card in the 1969 Topps football set.
Does anyone recall the guy who advertised in SCD in the 1990's that had many autograph cards of deceased players for sale?
I remember he had a card autographed by Walt Bond that was priced very high in many of his ads. May have been a 1967 Topps card. Bond passed in September of 1967.
When was 1970 topps series one released?
Miguel Fuentes died (murder) January 29, 1970
Doug
Fuentes is a guy who I immediately thought of too. I was at one point trying to get all the Seattle Pilots autos to go along with my Milwaukee Brewers autos.
From Wikipedia:
Fuentes was regarded as a top prospect in the Pilots organization at the time of his death.[1] Because of the Pilots' move to Milwaukee in 1970 to become the Brewers, Fuentes holds the distinction of throwing the final pitches in the history of the Seattle Pilots.[4]
He appears in the 1970 set of Topps baseball cards as a Seattle Pilot, as the Topps cards were already in production (and the Seattle franchise had not yet announced their move to Milwaukee) at the time of Fuentes' death
Fuentes and Hovley are the only sigs I need on the 79 topps cards. I have Haney on the rookie combo. The team card I got Jim Bouton
Doug
I could not recall when the Topps cards even came out as a kid. Did the time frame stay the same across the years?
After I started collecting signed cards, I would see patterns on what was easy and what was not. One I was never sure about was Dan Frisella. I love action shots, so the 1977 Topps Frisella would have been my pick, even though it had a facsimile auto on it already. I don't think it was released before he died, but I could be wrong. He died Jan 1, 1977.
If it is possible, I'm sure there are plenty of others who would fork out much, much more than me to buy it though.
I’m sure other collectors here could confirm it but I doubt 1977 Topps would have been released that early in the year making a signed ‘77 Frisella impossible. It reminds me of of an auto I’ve seen of former Chiefs running back Joe Delaney on a 1983 Topps football card. Delaney died on June 29, 1983. When did Topps typically release its football set? Wasn’t it later in the summer or very early fall?
Here's a complete list--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_players_who_died_during_their_careers
If I remember correctly, 1986 Joe DeSa was a player much debated on with signatures on his Topps cards from '86.
I know the window on this card is less than a year as Mel Hein passed away January 31, 1992 and the Enor set was distibuted some time in 1991.
I remember this guy; I don't recall his name but he was from Cincinnati
IMF