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Stuff we pick up with some Historical Perspective - "Free Agent" Appeal in 1949? And a rare Shag Sha

Hiya everyone.



This is gonna be another ongoing thread and I encourage others to add their own stuff.



I've got some items I've picked up - over the years - that in some way are in the annals of history. Nothing I have is of significance but it's kind of cool to hold in my hand something that connects to the game in the same real way. It's like a GU bat or jersey evoking some kind of personal response to the game.



The first one up today is a recent pick up.



September 20, 1915 Telegram - Request from the Yankees to combine 2 games into a double header.



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The request is from the co-owner of the NY Yankees - T.L. Huston popularly known as "Cap" Huston (co-owner Jacob Ruppert - 1915-22) to B.B. (Ban/Byron Bancroft) Johnson.



Huston:



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Huston has quite the name: The T.L. stands for Tillinghast L'Hommedieu



Johnson:



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He wanted to take the Tues. Sep. 28th game and incorporate it with the Sat. Sep. 25th game as a double header.



Based on the stats - obviously, the request was approved.



As you can see, they split.



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And 2nd:



John Heydler was the President of the Nation League from 1918 to 1934.



Briefly, he was a National League umpire from 1895 to 1897 and then became a sportswriter. He was one of the proponents to K. Mt. Landis becoming the first Commissioner of Baseball. Further, he helped in the establishment of the HOF and in 1929, proposed the 10th man rule to allow someone to hit for the pitcher - the precursor to the designated hitter in 1973.



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President Hoover was our 31st to serve from 1929 to 1933.



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Here's an actual letter to Mr. Heydler from the former president, thanking him for the National League Season Pass. It looks like it was signed by Heekert Hoosey?



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Hoover throwing out the opening season first pitch.



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Again, if you guys have anything of this nature - please do post! image



Thanx for viewing.
Mike

Comments

  • seebelowseebelow Posts: 1,643 ✭✭✭
    I find that very cool. Any idea where the reply to that request is? That would be a nice set.

    Please keep sharing. Love History.
    Interested in higher grade vintage cards. Aren't we all. image
  • lahmejoonlahmejoon Posts: 1,666 ✭✭✭
    Very cool. The request was so polite too!
  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,940 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Reall;y enjoy seeing these non-card items with history of the game. P.S. Don't let Topps near that HH autograph. They'll want to do a historical 1/1 cut sgnature card.
    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Thanks for sharing Mike.
    Good for you.
  • robert67robert67 Posts: 1,336 ✭✭✭✭
    edited April 4, 2017 8:25AM
    .
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,480 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great stuff, as always, Mike!

    Long before the No. 7 train transported rabid Met fans to the friendly confines of Shea Stadium, the Willets Point station was built in conjunction with the opening of the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows park. This image was scanned from the original 8x10 Kodak safety film negative, and was taken in 1940.

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    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • PorkinsPorkins Posts: 604 ✭✭✭
    Cool items and write ups Mike and Tim!

    I love things like these, looking forward to others!
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanx very much guys!

    And thanx for the contribution Tim - much appreciated.

    image

    Ethan Allen played professional baseball from 1926 to 38; he played for the Cinn. Reds, the NY Giants, the Phillies – just to name a few. His lifetime BA is a respectable 300! Playing the OF, he only hammered 47 round trippers.

    On playing the game: “I don’t care how big they make the gloves, you still have to catch the ball.” Which is kind of ironic since he was not noted as a good fielder which lead to him being passed around from team to team.

    Also, he played in baseball’s first nite game and roomed with Dizzy Dean and Hack Wilson; never played a day in the minors.

    Basically, after baseball, he did some movie directing and settled in for 2 decades as the coach of Yale University (1946 to the 60s). As many would guess, he coached a young George Bush where they participated in the semi-finals of the first NCAA college WS in 1947. Also, he wrote many books and pamphlets on how to play baseball.

    Here’s Bush with the Babe:

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    For me, another notable achievement is the invention of All-star Baseball manufactured by Cadaco-Ellis. The first one came out around the 1940s and cost a buck and quarter.
    He said he received around 5K per year in royalties – wow has baseball changed today!

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    Here’s what I think is a cool letter where he talks about retiring from Yale and moving on; for one thing – working on board games.

    I picked this up a while back – and as many know – I collect board games and have a few Ethan Allen Games. The letter puts into historical perspective his life and plans to produce more “board games” – this is the kind of stuff I like in terms of “companion” pieces to my board collection: the autographed letter:

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    Thanx for viewing - I sure appreciate your comments.
    Mike
  • jmaciujmaciu Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭
    Mike, what a terrific thread. I love anything historical. This will be fun to follow.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's right guys.

    When an umpire ejects a player, they have to report their justification to the league office.

    Jim Gentile - first baseman - played from 1957 to 1966 - started with the Dodgers - was well travelled with an average career tho he was in 3 AS games from 1960 to 62.

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    However, not sure why? He was sent to the minors in 1959 - AAA - St. Paul "Saints."

    They played a game on April 21, 1959 - Saints (St. Paul) vs (Houston) Buffs

    Here's a summary of the incident as reported by umpire Tom Bartos.


    << <i>This is a letter written by umpire Tom Bartos from the 1959 season of the American Association. It explains why he ejected Jim Gentile of Minneapolis from a game played April 21, 1959. Bartos writes that Gentile was arguing a call at first base, when he said, "How much would you choke up with a big crowd you choke up little b******, I'll beat the s*** out of you, you dirty little s***." Each time a player or manager was ejected from a ballgame, the umpire had to write a letter to league president Ed Doherty explaining why he had to eject that person. >>

    I had no idea they sent reports? And note that each umpire must send a report on "each" person ejected.

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    Thanx for viewing - I really enjoy this kind of stuff! image
    Mike
  • thenavarrothenavarro Posts: 7,497 ✭✭✭
    I've seen a TON of stuff in my life, but I've never seen an umpire ejection report. Followed baseball my whole life and didn't know those existed. Very cool. Would love to see the written narrative behind some of the Billy Martin classic ejections and some of the base thrower ones. Good stuff.
    Buying US Presidential autographs
  • mccardguy1mccardguy1 Posts: 1,507 ✭✭✭
    Working for a MLB team in the early to mid 80's I saw a great deal of "stuff" with much of it being tossed in the garbage. There was no real need to save this stuff as most of the correspondence was not thought of as having historical or monetary value as the memorabilia does not. fortunately, I did a good deal of dumpster diving and save allot of it but sold my collection off over the last ten years. Some things I wish I had kept, some I don't. One of the last items I had that I recently sold was this sheet of signatures that came from spring training, 1954 which was Ernie Banks' first full year and first spring training with the team.

    This sheet was put together by the traveling secretary, Bob Lewis so that each player could sign for his weekly per diem during spring training. I found a stack of these sheets stapled together (about 7 total) and kept this one and sold off the rest because it had the most signatures on it. This sheet had to be from the early part of spring training due to the largest collection of autographs over the other sheets. I hated selling this but figured it was time as it did me no good sitting in my closet with the rest of the stuff I would probably never be able to display.

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    I can tell many many stories of stuff I found tucked away in closets in the old ball park and stuff that was carelessly put in file cabinets and forgotten about. Old contracts from the '20's going forward, blue prints, photos, correspondence, uniforms and much much more. Thankfully, they realized the value of some of this stuff and have now archived it for the future but sadly many things were tossed in the day when memorabilia collecting was not even a genre in our hobby.
    I am on a budget and I am not afraid to use it!!
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That's an impressive list Andrew - very nice.
    Mike
  • magellanmagellan Posts: 2,099 ✭✭✭
    This stuff is great. Thanks to all of you for posting.
    Topps Heritage

    Now collecting:
    Topps Heritage

    1957 Topps BB Ex+-NM
    All Yaz Items 7+
    Various Red Sox
    Did I leave anything out?
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanx for the kind words guys.

    Next up...

    William Harridge - President of the American League from 1931 to 1958.

    He started out as a personal secretary to Ban Johnson in 1911 and worked his way up to league secretary and then President in 1931.

    He's most noted for his contribution to baseball - the All-Star Game.

    Of interest is that he said he never played a lick of baseball.

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    Here's an interesting letter from Harridge to the PR of the American League in 1967, thanking him for the liberal supply of 1967 Red Books.

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    I'm guessing Harridge was donating them to children's activities so they can better acquaint themselves to the game - no internet in '67.

    Harridge stayed active with the American League until his death in 1971. His life was one of hard work and perseverance starting with nothing and working his way up the line in baseball.

    I also happen to have a cancelled check he wrote in 1963.

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    Mike
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Nice stuff!
    Good for you.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi everyone



    Haven't added to this thread in some time - have a bunch of stuff but just haven't gotten around to finishing some of the research at the library - that's half the fun.



    This is a simple one.



    A 4X6" Index card signed by HOF'er Bobby Doerr.



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    9/12/94



    I think the owners & players this time have to get this settled in a way that every four or five years they aren't doing it over again.



    It's time each have to consider the fans.




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    It was - I believe - Aug. 12, 1994 when they went out on strike - no WS - and some careers and franchises harmed by that move.



    IMO, it helped - along with over production - to kill the "modern" production of BB cards which was a billion dollar biz back then - it never reached that pinnacle again.



    I like Bobby Doerr's perspective - "old school" - what about the fans?



    I'm sure we all have our own thoughts on that ugly day that lead to no WS.
    Mike
  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You have a real knack for finding the unusual stuff that really captures historical moments in the game. Love Doerr's 'old school' perspective as well and know it impacted my baseball watching days. If you need a research assistant, I'd be happy to contribute where I can.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanx Kyle.



    Appreciate that sentiment.



    For me, this kind of stuff is far more enjoyable than picking up - I was hoping that we can get a discussion going about how the strike impacted our hobby.
    Mike
  • lwehlerslwehlers Posts: 860 ✭✭✭✭✭
    cubs paper is really cool.
  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hi everyone.



    This one may get to ya to thinking about the road to "free agency" - had no idea that players were requesting it way back in the 40s?



    It involves an appeal by James M. Moore - the decision of President George M. Trautman of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (kind of an "umbrella" for all the minor leagues around the US).



    In this case, Shag Shaughnessy - Chairman of the International League - is concurring with the Trautman.



    What's of interest to me was the request to be a "Free Agent" way back in 1949 or so.



    In sum, if I have it right, Marvin Miller with Curt Flood fought the "reserve clause" which pretty much indentured a player to a specific team for life - the particulars of the case are both interesting and involved and pretty much messed up Flood's career - I believe. But, he was the first "free agent."



    Back to Shag. He did play in the majors for a very short time - 1905 with the Senators and 1908 with the Athletics - a total of 9 games - 32 ABs and a .281 BA.



    And tho he played a short time? A T206:



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    His career is varied but for the purpose of this letter - he served as the Chairman of the International League (minors in the east coast) from 1936 to 1960.



    His signature is not all over the place but I'm thinking there's not much demand for it?



    The Letter:



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    I didn't find anything on James M. Moore. But, I do appreciate the fact that this ball player after being in the service was pushing the envelope (of sorts) to try and get himself a "free agent" status? There is reference to the Sacremento Club which is part of the PCL - but still couldn't find anything?




    And I get an autograph of Frank "Shag" Shaughnessy! image

    Mike
  • cincyredlegscincyredlegs Posts: 2,032 ✭✭✭
    That is awesome Mike. Great job.

    Mark
    Project:

    T206 Set - 300/524
  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 7,940 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As always I really enjoy your contributions of this forgotten historical information.
    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • scooter729scooter729 Posts: 1,730 ✭✭✭
    Great stuff Mike - would love to see more!



    I can contribute one to this - a letter written by Clyde Engle (he of T206 fame), to Jim McNaught, who was President of the Northern League. At the time this letter was written in 1939, Engle was coaching the Yale baseball team with former 1912 Red Sox teammate Smoky Joe Wood.



    Engle is writing about the upcoming baseball winter meetings which he had planned to attend but wasn't feeling well. Unfortunately, Engle would pass away two weeks later. He references 'Howley' in the letter, who is former St. Louis Browns / Cincinnati Reds manager Dan Howley.



    His autograph is extremely scarce - I couldn't really find records of any sales of others. This letter is signed simply "Clyde" at the close.



    Scott



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