Please Help Identify Early '80s Baseball Autographs
DanBessette
Posts: 6,421 ✭✭✭
Hi fellas, as mentioned in my Yaz thread, I recently obtained close to 30 autographs on assorted slips of paper. I'm having a hard time identifying some of them. Here is what I know....
Greg said he thinks these are from the early '80s and that rings true, for the following reasons. The lot included a Rich Gedman auto and his first "real" season was 1981. It included a Yaz auto and his last season was '83. And it included an auto of the Angels' Steve Brown, who only played in '83 and '84
Teams: they were obtained in Anaheim, so there are some Angels and also a lot of Red Sox. I've identified at least one Tiger, so I guess any AL players from that era are in play.
Below are scans of some of the sheets, as well as my thoughts on those sigs. Any help identifying the autos will be greatly appreciated. Greg warned me that they likely include at least one bat boy, so I'm sure we won't hit 100%. Thanks for looking.
These sheets include Alfredo Griffin, Carney Lansford and Ricky Peters. The lot also included a single-signed piece by Lansford. One looks like it reads "Don Howard." Was there a ballplayer by that name? Is one of them above Griffin "John Henry"? The last name looks like maybe it has more letters than that.
One of these looks like "Ruby Smith", but a google search didn't turn up a ballplayer by that name.
This one seems to clearly read "Dave Hostelle." But again, google turns up no ballplayer with that name.
Greg said he thinks these are from the early '80s and that rings true, for the following reasons. The lot included a Rich Gedman auto and his first "real" season was 1981. It included a Yaz auto and his last season was '83. And it included an auto of the Angels' Steve Brown, who only played in '83 and '84
Teams: they were obtained in Anaheim, so there are some Angels and also a lot of Red Sox. I've identified at least one Tiger, so I guess any AL players from that era are in play.
Below are scans of some of the sheets, as well as my thoughts on those sigs. Any help identifying the autos will be greatly appreciated. Greg warned me that they likely include at least one bat boy, so I'm sure we won't hit 100%. Thanks for looking.
These sheets include Alfredo Griffin, Carney Lansford and Ricky Peters. The lot also included a single-signed piece by Lansford. One looks like it reads "Don Howard." Was there a ballplayer by that name? Is one of them above Griffin "John Henry"? The last name looks like maybe it has more letters than that.
One of these looks like "Ruby Smith", but a google search didn't turn up a ballplayer by that name.
This one seems to clearly read "Dave Hostelle." But again, google turns up no ballplayer with that name.
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Comments
Edited to add: also, that sig looks a bit like a kid's, especially the way he wrote the "y" at the end.
<< <i>Maybe the BB below John Henry means "bat boy"?
Edited to add: also, that sig looks a bit like a kid's, especially the way he wrote the "y" at the end. >>
Oh. Duh. Lol
<< <i>Second to last, Willie Horton?? >>
Good guess, had me excited. But doesn't seem to match the examples I found online.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
<< <i>bruce botche, don hood, willie horton >>
Doesn't match Don Hood examples I was able to find. Where is Botche? I only can find one with the initials "BB", and that one looks like it has a dotted i in the first name.
Edited to add an example of Billy Williams autograph.
Edited to add: looks pretty similar to this Dusty auto.
<< <i>The second to last auto looks like hall of famer Billy Williams. That's his style of writing too.
Edited to add an example of Billy Williams autograph. >>
I found examples too. That's definitely Billy!
Edited to add: on the top right sheet that's Donnie Hill. He wore #15 and that looks like examples of his auto. And same sheet, that's former pitcher Bill Krueger. Matches examples.
Just throwing out a wild guess on the next to last one--- Mike Hargrove?
#15 Don Hill could be Donnie Hill - played for Oak in 83 and then others. Wore #15 at one point in his career
Under Don Hill possibly Bill Krueger- he pitched for A's in 83
Above Don Hill possibly Bill Bathe- He was drafted by A's in 81. He made his major league debut in 86'.
Dusty Baker joined the A's in 85- this possibly dates the one sheet withBaker, Lansford, Peters, Hill, Krueger to 85 or 86.
It looks like Bruce Botche is the one above the Krueger with the weird small b's
<< <i>Last one-Dave Hostetler played for the Rangers 82-84.
Just throwing out a wild guess on the next to last one--- Mike Hargrove?
#15 Don Hill could be Donnie Hill - played for Oak in 83 and then others. Wore #15 at one point in his career
Under Don Hill possibly Bill Krueger- he pitched for A's in 83
Above Don Hill possibly Bill Bathe- He was drafted by A's in 81. He made his major league debut in 86'. >>
That's definitely Hostetler, thanks! Yes, that's Donnie Hill. Matches the examples and you're right about #15. And yes that's Bill Krueger. We're reaching the same conclusions
<< <i>Above Don Hill possibly Bill Bathe- He was drafted by A's in 81. He made his major league debut in 86'.
Dusty Baker joined the A's in 85- this possibly dates the one sheet withBaker, Lansford, Peters, Hill, Krueger to 85 or 86. >>
Great detective work! That would also confirm Bathe. That looks like examples of his. Also explains why there are 2 of Lansford. One when he came to town with Dewey, Rice, Yaz, Helms, Gedman and Hoffman in the early 80's. And one a few years later when he came to town with the A's.
<< <i>It looks like Bruce Botche is the one above the Krueger with the weird small b's >>
Not "Botche." But Bruce "Bochte" was on that team and that's his sig. Awesome!
If so that would be a good one.
<< <i>The one above Alfredo looks like Bob Boone. I found an example online that looks close.
If so that would be a good one. >>
That's him! The ones we've identified tonight include Boone, HOFer Billy Williams and Dusty Baker. Great stuff!
23 down, 4 to go!
As for the other 3 I can't make out enough to even go in to detective mode on them.
IMF
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
<< <i>Looks like Willie Horton in the bottom photo beneath BWilliams. >>
People keep saying that, but it doesn't look like examples I found online. Can anybody link a Horton auto that looks similar?