Smoky Joe Wood Autographed Cards

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Beautiful Wood photos, Ben!!
Watermarks present- CHECK!!!

Only 1 out of 3.. apparently i am slacking. Thank you Scott.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Only 1 out of 3.. apparently i am slacking. Thank you Scott.

Too many beers on Super Bowl Sunday, Ben?
I can't tell you how much I like all three of those images of Smoky Joe!
Really awesome!

[svtPONY95]

Have these two Joe Wood autos.

[Hankphenom]

I got to know Bob Wood, Smoky Joe's son, in the early to mid-90s at the Ft. Washington shows at which he always set up as a dealer. It's possible that we actually first met at one of the last Willow Grove shows before they moved, but I can't remember if Bob was set up there also. Given the famous pitching duel his father and my grandfather played against each other in 1912, we had a natural bond from the start. Bob was also a very nice man and quite interesting to talk to. He wasn't really doing the shows to make money, but more to promote his dad's legacy and especially to try to get him into the HOF. He had a packet he gave to people like me he thought might be able to help in that endeavor that included a nice colorized photo signed by his father. I was always conflicted when he would broach the subject, being friends with Bob as I was but not thinking that, as great as he was for a time, Joe Wood should be in the Hall. I visited Bob at his farm in Maryland and also while I was staying at a friend's house in Burlington, Vt., and he came over from his place in Keene, N.H. In 2006, I got a call from the Boston Red Sox inviting me to come up to help commemorate the first time a Washington team had appeared at Fenway since 1971 along with the famous 1912 game of my grandfather's there. I asked if they knew Bob Wood, they said sure, and I suggested they invite him and we could do it together. This is a picture of us throwing out the first pitch that night, one of the great baseball thrills of my life. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Bob passed away several years ago. If not, he would be well over 100 years old. Regarding Joe Wood, his interview in the "Glory of Their Times" is a must read, and the audio version one of the very best on that set.

[Scott Garner]

Hank,
That's an awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
This Smoky Joe thread never gets old for me!

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Hank, That's an awesome story! Thanks for sharing. This Smoky Joe thread never gets old for me!

Thanks, Scott!

[bgar3]

Like Hank I too knew Bob Wood from the Willow Grove shows and purchased a number of things from him. When he found out my son was at Yale, he invited us to tour an Attic room in the gym that was filled with Yale sports memorabilia of all kinds and for all sports. A truly amazing collection and a great day.

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by Scott Garner

Hank,
That's an awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
This Smoky Joe thread never gets old for me!

Ditto!

Hank, it looks like you know how to wing a pitch. Must have been a grand feeling that night.

Here's a photo I have that some of you may enjoy. I think the year is 1941, Smoky Joe's last year as Yale coach. I am not 100% sure how to interpret the numbers on the snipe but the date sounds logical. ETA: Date was April 21, 1941. Info hiding in plain sight.

[etsmith]

As to the post about 3x5 index cards, if you refuse to buy them then your autograph collection is going to be very limited. Many of the early players are only available on 3x5 cards and index pages. As long as you research the autograph it shouldn't be a problem buying them.