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Need help to identify this 1942 baseball autograph
muggsy
Posts: 31 ✭
From Spring Training 1942, NL teams, so, one of STL, CHC, CIN, PIT, PHI, NYG, BSN
It could even be a manager/coach, even have an umpire. But likely a player active in 1941/42.
I need other ideas, other eyes. No one has been able to ID this. Help!
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I actually looked up Eppa's autograph and I don't think it's his. But my eyes are getting older...Although there are a lot of examples of his out there... Looks like..."...ixley"....Hmm. Im not done yet....
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Likely involved with Philadelphia Phillies or Boston Braves, in 1942.
New eyes!
Just a shot in the dark, but is that Riddle? As in Elmer. Pitcher for the Reds in that time frame.
Best thing I've come up with is Gordon Pixley who played for the Philadelphia Interstate League affiliate in 1941, but not again after that.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=pixley001gor#all_standard_roster
Yeah, he's actually been my leading suspect. He seems the most likely, and could very well have been with PHI in Spring Training that year. I wonder why an unknown player that has likely signed very few "autographs" would sign his name stylized like that, and without even a first initial—when it was more common to use standard cursive. But that's barely relevant. There doesn't seem to be anyone that as closely matches a name, that would have been there then.
You coming to the same conclusion further makes me believe it is likely him.
Thanks for the digging and the help
Here's a scan of Gordon L. Pixley's 1933 high school yearbook, that he just so happened to sign. The signature doesn't match, so I just don't know.
Steve
Interestingly, check out the kid under his picture. I find no relationship to Eddie Plank the pitcher, but there is a definite likeness; perhaps a relative/cousin. Sadly, it appears this Eddie died a few months after this yearbook photo was taken, in a diving accident.
Steve
Wow, what an awesome find. While the signatures aren't an exact match in style, they appear to be signed by the same hand. Nine years will change a person's John Hancock, I think it's a match.
It's amazing you were able to dig enough to find this. We're finding a lot on this Gordon Pixley that never made the majors. From the signature, I could see a possible match, more so when you see the mark where the pen wasn't working on the 'P'. The dot on the 'i' and the slash on the 'x' have a likeness, but the 'y' is different. Nine years later his signature could evolve a bit. I can't call it a confirmation either way. I don't know how you did it, but it adds to the mystery. He's so unknown that I sort of wish I could contact the family haha
The y is trailing in your signature, but that was an "uh-oh" and not typical to the form of the rest of the signature. That's a pretty definitive match in my mind, with a couple of changes through time.
I'm going with a match too. The shape of the dot on the 'i' and the slash on the 'x'. If you zoom in where you can see the slight pen mark / indentation where he tried to sign the 'P' and never finished with a new pen or getting it working, it looks like a match too. Plus it being nine years later as we've mentioned.
I'd say I'm at least 90% sure the autograph is Gordon Pixley.