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Al C.risafulli
12-12-2015, 01:58 AM
Hi everyone:

Once in a while I run into a question that completely stumps me. Since we did this sort of thing once before with an outstanding result, I'm going to put this one to the board.

In the upcoming January LOTG auction, we're offering what is just about the coolest autographed item I've ever seen. It's a large poster that was created for Lou Criger, and signed by 49 deadball era figures at an old-timer's game sponsored by the Boston Post in September of 1930 at Braves' Field. If you're interested, you can read a little bit about the piece here (https://lotgauctions.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/an-incredible-discovery-2/).

The piece has been with Criger's family since it was given to him in 1930. It's very large, so each of the signatures is about 3" across. I've been lugging it around with me to shows, so maybe some of you have seen it.

It was pretty easy to identify all the names on the piece, with one exception. Underneath Jeff Tesreau's signature (second row, third from bottom), is written "Stick Stick Lew Stick." I have no idea what this refers to - is it a person? Is it a product, or an event, or a reference to a story?

I'm stumped. If anyone can figure it out, there's a $250 auction credit for the first person to , since it'll help me finish up my description on the lot!

Here's the piece:

https://lotgauctions.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/reduced-size-criger-image.jpg

What do you think?

-Al

RCMcKenzie
12-12-2015, 03:47 AM
My guess is that Jeff Tesreau (rookie star pitcher for NYG starting in 1912) was making a joke salutation of an earlier player/catcher known for his stellar defense and not for his hitting and misspelled his first name..Criger's last MLB season was 1910...

swarmee
12-12-2015, 06:48 AM
Tend to agree. It's probably a nickname or greeting to Criger from Tesreau. Similar handwriting. Because either he wrote it, or he signed after it was already there, otherwise he would have signed in the full block. And if he chose to sign in that specific block once "Stick Stick Lew Stick" was there, it took up much more space than some of the other blocks.

Yoda
12-12-2015, 06:52 AM
I have been trying to read the small note outside of Altrock's signature box, first line outside the margin. Does it say, "Still sh#%ty. Hope you are ok."? I guess that would be in keeping with the dinner's theme. Incredible piece.

Pat R
12-12-2015, 06:55 AM
I have been trying to read the small note outside of Altrock's signature box, first line outside the margin. Does it say, "Still sh#%ty. Hope you are ok."? I guess that would be in keeping with the dinner's theme. Incredible piece.

"Still Nutty"

iwantitiwinit
12-12-2015, 08:20 AM
It has to be a personal reference/inside joke between Tesreau and Criger. Sticking was a commonly term in the early 1900's (still used today though less so) describing someone's ability or when used in a derogatory or ribbing fashion their inability to hit. The phrase was even used by Louis Masur in his book Baseball's First World Series on page 18 when he speaks about the hitting ability of Eddie Phelps in relation to Criger...... "adherents dismissed Young and Dinneen as being more lucky than skillful, and they trumpeted their catcher Eddie Phelps as a superior "stick"- man to his weak-hitting counterpart "Lou Criger".

Tesreau was kind heartedly razzing Criger using the common terminology of the day.

The only other thing it could be was when Jesse Burkett let Criger use his favorite bat/stick that Criger subsequently broke. From the Sacramento Union in 1908...He told Lou that he would let him use the famous stick for a few days until it had taught him how to hit, for he claimed hi* bat had that virtue, but made the catcher swear that he wouldn't hurt it and that he would return it before the big league race became close. One day he told his teammates that he wished he had his bat back, as he had a hunch that some harm was happening to it, and he declared that he was going to write for it that night. The same day that Burkett had the hunch Criger broke the famous stick so that it couldn’t be repaired. Here's the link...http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SU19080809.2.159

But I still think the reference is a general one relating to his inability to hit.

CW
12-12-2015, 10:06 AM
Could that actually be "SLICK stick Lew stick"?

sreader3
12-12-2015, 10:23 AM
Great piece.

I vote for "Slick Lew Stick Stick"

Reading in this order:

A C
B D

Al C.risafulli
12-12-2015, 10:39 AM
Thanks for all the feedback thus far.

I'm not sure I'm in agreement with the consensus at this point, for a couple of reasons. The primary one is that Tesreau and Criger never played together, and I can't really see a reason why the two players would have even known each other.

One secondary reason would be that to me, the handwriting doesn't look the same as Tesreau's signature. Another would be that the poster was actually signed in 1930, long after both players' careers were over and while Criger was ill - I'm not sure it would have been the appropriate time for Tesreau to take a shot at Criger's hitting ability.

All that being said, I have not been able to come up with any better working theories on this, so I can still be convinced of anything at this point!

-Al

frankbmd
12-12-2015, 10:41 AM
Lew Stick invented fishing poles.


Lew's Custom Speed Stick "Squarebill" SBC 6'9" Medium Heavy Crankbait Rod
is shown below

Pat R
12-12-2015, 11:18 AM
Al, not sure what it might mean but is it possible it could read "slick stick new stick? Maybe in reference to the use of pine tar on a new bat.

Wite3
12-12-2015, 11:37 AM
I wonder if it was in reference to Criger losing a leg later in life and walking with a "stick".

Joshua

mybuddyinc
12-12-2015, 11:46 AM
I agree it is a "rib."

But, could it have been written by "Nuf Ced" the Royal Router, just above Tesreau signature.

"Nuf Ced" would have had interactions with Criger during his career, and by his name and antics, was definitely a "joker." Then Tesreau squeezed his name in.

BTW --------- UNREAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jay Wolt
12-12-2015, 12:52 PM
Don't know the answer but that is one kick ass piece

Bruinsfan94
12-12-2015, 12:55 PM
I agree it is a "rib."

But, could it have been written by "Nuf Ced" the Royal Router, just above Tesreau signature.

"Nuf Ced" would have had interactions with Criger during his career, and by his name and antics, was definitely a "joker." Then Tesreau squeezed his name in.

BTW --------- UNREAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with that idea. I think its 100% an inside joke between players. It looks like Tesreau's autograph was squeezed in after the other item was written.

Did you identify the others listed on your site?

griffon512
12-12-2015, 04:48 PM
i think, as others have written, that the phrase is "slick stick, lew stick." lew is possibly a play on words - a replacement for the word "glue" in its intended meaning. if stick is referring to a bat (which most agree on), the context for slick and glue makes sense and reinforces the idea of an inside joke/play on words, with glue having the opposite effect of a slick bat. "lew" and "glue" are a play on words as part of the inside joke, with the misspelling of lew unclear as to whether it was unintended are not. basically the translation of the inside joke is "slick stick, glue stick" possibly making light of criger's inability with the bat as a friendly rib as others have alluded to.

couple other things that might reinforce the idea it's an inside joke. one other comical reference in the piece is "cheer leader." it looks like tesreau might have been the one to write "cheer leader." maybe he was in a comical mood, or was a jokester in general. i couldn't find many autographed pieces from tesreau but here's an example with an loa from psa: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeff-Tesreau-Signed-1912-M101-2-Sporting-News-RC-PSA-DNA-Graded-9-Full-LOA-/371331540269

the composition of the "h" in the link above and in the "cheer leader" reference seems similar and has some uniqueness to it in its form. the composition of the "r" in the "yours" part of "sincerely yours" is more well formed and looks much more like the two "r's" in "cheer leader" than the "r" in "tesreau." might just mean that tesreau had different compositions for a "r" whether he was taking time to write a word out versus scribbling his last name quickly. an autograph expert could probably poke holes at this, but...

finally, i found that the nickname "jeff" is itself a joke. it was given to him by sportswriters in reference to the "half-pint" character "jeff" in the "mutt and jeff" comic strip series. tesreau was a big, imposing spitball (maybe the spitball was part of the inside joke) pitcher at 6'2'' tall. tesreau could apparently take a joke as he took on the nickname of jeff. here's a link to this reference on pp. 104-105: https://books.google.com/books?id=RtfPBO50FKEC&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=jeff+tesreau+signed&source=bl&ots=XGxVup6rnN&sig=2W0nzSfbVJp06uSxyKNtA251_Gs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMl8e4tNfJAhVFJR4KHbZ4Cb84FBDoAQgdMAE#v =onepage&q=jeff%20tesreau%20signed&f=false

alright, i've written enough quotations for many months and admit that there are a lot of suppositions in what i wrote but it's my best guess.

iwantitiwinit
12-12-2015, 06:24 PM
I don't think slick is one of the words written. I zoomed in on the image and you can clearly see the transverse crossing the t in all three words. I think what is leading many people to think the first word is possibly slick is that there is spacing between the up and down on the "t" it is looped a bit. That spacing is most prevalent on the first stick however, it is also a bit prevalent on the last stick, but they are both clearly crossed.

If I had to bet I think Al's original guess is right it's Stick, Stick, Lew, Stick. Additionally, I think the handwriting on the signature does match the inscription, look closely at the thickness of the writing and the boldness of the writing in both the signature and the inscription the pressure that was applied seems to be identical. Lastly, I think Tesreau inscribed it because the signature and inscription fit neatly in the space indicating to me he planned what he was going to write, began at the top with his signature then completed the inscription. I don't think someone wrote the inscription first then he wrote his name in above. If the inscription was written first by someone else they would have begun it higher within the space not planning to have someone write a signature above it.

griffon512
12-12-2015, 06:51 PM
an alternative and simpler explanation for the "cheer leader" is it was written by fred hoey (in box close to cheer leader), who was a broadcaster for the boston braves in 1930 and might have called the game (i.e., was a cheer leader for these old timers).

i'm still sticking to original premise that "lew" was an unintentional or intentional misspelling for "lou" as part of an inside joke. the inside joke is "slick stick, glue [lew] stick," probably as a play on criger's batting abilities.

fwiw, and continuing the reach :), there was a "mutt and jeff" animated short called "slick sleuth" in 1926. as mentioned before, tesreau's nickname of jeff came from this comic strip.

Kawika
12-12-2015, 09:43 PM
Al: What an utterly fabulous piece! It would make a great companion to the Boston Old Timers photo I bought a few years ago but unfortunately I think I will hang on to my right nut and kidneys instead. A year or so back I picked up a scrapbook of newspaper clippings that promoted the game. I just went through it to see if there were anything in there that might shed light on the Lew Stick thing but found nada. There was one article which included a letter from Criger to Howard Reynolds, the Boston Post sportswriter who was instrumental in organizing the charity game, in which he wrote: "There is one favor I'd like to ask, if it wouldn't be asking too much. I'd like to have the players of both teams autograph a couple of baseballs for me so that I may feel that I had at least some little part in their thoughts of that day which I'd give all of what little I have left in life to be there and participate in." Looks like the players went him one further and made up the splendid autographed poster. The scrapbook is in pretty delicate condition but I'll see if I can scan the page. I saw on your LOTG blog that you lacked info about Ed Cunningham and Joe Conway. I found Cunningham on Baseball-Fever.com without too much difficulty. He was a Boston sportswriter and was secretary of the Braves at the time of the Old Timers game. There was a Captain Joseph F. Conway who was part of a group who tried to buy the Red Sox from Harry Frazee in 1920. He looked to have been a player in the Boston financial scene. There were a couple of newspaper references via Google and then the trail went cold. May be your guy, maybe not.

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_o_ka_pakipika/sportscardsetc/mischidden/miscellany2/Ed%20Cunningham.jpg

Al C.risafulli
12-12-2015, 10:25 PM
Hi David!

I should mention, because I've gotten a couple of emails and PMs about it today, that I did find the info on Cunningham and Conway.

Oddly enough, I did track down one of the signed balls from that day. It's currently in the possession of a nice guy in New England who, oddly enough, just acquired it. I met him while I was in Boston with the piece, exhibiting at the Shriner's Show a couple of weeks ago.

There is also a bat from the game that was given to Criger; it was used by Jimmy Collins in the game, and signed by 51 players. It currently lives in a private collection.

If it wasn't too much trouble, it would be great if you wouldn't mind emailing me some scans of some of the articles about the game, that might be helpful as I'm finalizing the description on the piece next week!

-Al

dstudeba
12-13-2015, 01:26 AM
Holy smokes Al, you got that piece! Please put it away in a 2 minute auction so no one bids on it. (just let me know when it is starting)

Laxcat
12-13-2015, 05:30 AM
Is there any chance that Criger was of German descent? It phonetically sounds like the German word "lustig" would be pronounced. That word has a few meanings. One meaning is funny or jolly.

Leon
12-15-2015, 02:20 PM
Neat stuff...can't wait to see it


Hi David!

I should mention, because I've gotten a couple of emails and PMs about it today, that I did find the info on Cunningham and Conway.

Oddly enough, I did track down one of the signed balls from that day. It's currently in the possession of a nice guy in New England who, oddly enough, just acquired it. I met him while I was in Boston with the piece, exhibiting at the Shriner's Show a couple of weeks ago.

There is also a bat from the game that was given to Criger; it was used by Jimmy Collins in the game, and signed by 51 players. It currently lives in a private collection.

If it wasn't too much trouble, it would be great if you wouldn't mind emailing me some scans of some of the articles about the game, that might be helpful as I'm finalizing the description on the piece next week!

-Al

edjs
12-15-2015, 03:48 PM
This is a long shot, but could it be Edward M. (Ted) Lewis, who pitched for Boston in 1901 with Criger as a catcher? Lewis later became an English professor and taught elocution, and was friends with the poet Robert Frost. So maybe this was just catch phrase for Ted Lewis? Anyway, the "L" in "Lew" and the "L" in Lewis' signature look the same to me.

Sean1125
12-15-2015, 04:31 PM
Is Jeff Tesreau Jewish? Is anyone referenced Jewish?

I agree it may be some sort of inside joke, I do not agree the letter is an L. F/J cannot be ruled out.

"Slick Stick Few Stick"
"Slick Stick Jew Stick"
"Slick Stick Lew Stick"

Kawika
12-15-2015, 06:18 PM
It looks like it reads Stick (comma) Stick (hyphen) Lew Stick so Stick, Stick, Lew Stick. One of the meanings of stick is endure. Employing the imperative mood maybe the writer is telling Criger in a colloquial way to "hang tough". The letter "t" in the first Stick is not consistent with the other t's so that is problematic. The "e" in Lew is consistent with Tesreau's e's (and certainly not with 'Nuf Ced McGreevey's above). The flow is also mindful of Tesreau's penmanship. The "L" in Lew has that loopy look to it (kinda like Gehrig's L). Jew Stick? I don't think so. Maybe Big Jeff was a bad speller. This thread should be copied to the autograph side so the experts can have a look.

Leon
12-16-2015, 04:44 PM
It looks like it reads Stick (comma) Stick (hyphen) Lew Stick so Stick, Stick, Lew Stick. One of the meanings of stick is endure. Employing the imperative mood maybe the writer is telling Criger in a colloquial way to "hang tough". The letter "t" in the first Stick is not consistent with the other t's so that is problematic. The "e" in Lew is consistent with Tesreau's e's (and certainly not with 'Nuf Ced McGreevey's above). The flow is also mindful of Tesreau's penmanship. The "L" in Lew has that loopy look to it (kinda like Gehrig's L). Jew Stick? I don't think so. Maybe Big Jeff was a bad speller. This thread should be copied to the autograph side so the experts can have a look.

Nice suggestion, done. Thanks David and hope all is well my friend...