Quote:
Originally Posted by esiason14
Scott,
Just out of curiosity, was there a reason you chose checks for your project? Who are the toughest no-hit guys that you have?
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Hi Kyle and John,
Great question both of you!
I actually collect many themes related to no-hitters.
Collecting checks of no-hit pitchers is one subset of one of the major themes in my no-hit collection.
Big picture: I actually collect the signatures of all no-hit pitchers dating back to 1893. 1893 was the year that they changed the mound distance to the modern standard of 60' 6". I am about 19 away from completing this collection. I mostly collect GPC's, 3 x 5's and cuts in this collection.
As far as checks go, I always have liked checks, and especially personal checks, as a signed medium.
Overall, I would not say that many no-hit pitchers in the check portion of my collection are scary tough. Many of these guys are HOF, but many are not as well.
Here are a few that I think are somewhat tough:
-A signed payroll voucher (somewhat similar to a check) for Frank "Noodles" Hahn. Noodles Hahn threw the first no-hitter of the 1900's in 1900 for the Cincinnati Reds. Tough sig. This is dated 1903.
-A signed Yankees payroll check for Samuel Pond "Sad Sam" Jones. This is dated 1923.
-A personal check of Leslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush.
-A 1960 personal check for Don Larsen (World Series Perfect Game) made out to the KC Athletics when he played for them.
-Not a check, but a $20 money order filled out and signed by "Tom Terrific" Seaver 1992. Unusual and cool.
-Payroll checks for Tom Phoebus (minor league) and Ken Johnson (major league).
-An endorsed check for $104,840 to David Cone (Perfect game) dated 1999.
It pays to pitch a perfect game for the Yankees- yikes!
To date I do not own a Walter Johnson personal check although I would like to add one at some point. I also do not own a Christy Mathewson. The cost of this check is probably out of my reach $$ wise.
For this portion of my collection, I do not have any great strategy other than adding new ones as I find them.
Thanks for your interest!
