Toughest 1940's & 1950's Baseball Autographs

[Orioles1954]

Elmer Gedeon or Bob Neighbors?

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Elmer Gedeon or Bob Neighbors?

Gedeon, Neighbors, and Harry O'Neill all played in 1939.

Ken

[JimStinson]

yes....Harry O'Neill is SUPER tough ...but we are talking 40's and 50's ,,,(smile) O'Neill had his debut in 1939

[Orioles1954]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

Gedeon, Neighbors, and Harry O'Neill all played in 1939.

Ken

Ergh. Sorry about that. I got my Gedeon and Neighbors cuts back from JSA today so I guess I'm just too excited.

[Tom Hufford]

I'll throw in another half-dozen real toughies -

Bob Katz - 1944 Reds - for a guy who played 12 seasons in the minors, he is incredibly tough to find. His 1962 death went unnoticed for years, and evidently his whereabouts after leaving baseball were unknown.

John Phillips - 1945 NY Giants - died in 1956; signature is virtually never seen, sometimes confused with Jack Dorn Phillips, who came later.

Howard "Dizzy" Sutherland - 1949 Senators - a DC cab driver given a chance by the Nats. Disappeared after leaving baseball. In the late 1970s, a Washington Post writer I knew did a small article on my search for him. A fellow who had dated Diz's daughter called me and told me where to find him - tending bar on the eastern shore of Maryland. I talked with Diz on the phone several times, he promised to sign for me, but never answered my several letters. I never got the chance to visit him, then I moved to Georgia, and Diz died shortly thereafter. Furman Bisher, who knew Diz when he pitched for Charlotte, told me that he (Dizzy) got his name naturally.

Herb Gorman - 1952 Cardinals - died of a heart attack during a game while playing with San Diego in 1953, less than a year after his one major league game.

Lino Donoso - 1955-56 Pirates - a Cuban, signed for Pittsburgh by scout Howie Haak in a Mexican whorehouse in 1953. After his Pirates stint, he only played one minor league season in the US, then went back to Mexico, where he died. He lived another 30+ years, but was never located by collectors.

Marcelino Solis - was with the 1958 Cubs for two months, which got him onto a 1959 Topps card. He didn't pitch in the US after 1960, returned to Mexico and disappeared. Good luck to any Cubs fan looking for the '59 Topps signed!

[stat192]

Attached is a Dizzy Sutherland and Herb Gorman from my collection. The Gorman is on the cover of a 1951 Hollywood Stars game program. The program is in perfect condition. The Gorman is a double, as I also have him on a GPC, so I would be willing to trade the autograph for other tough signers. I also have a full JSA letter with the program.

[r2d2]

Originally Posted by Tom Hufford

I'll throw in another half-dozen real toughies -

Marcelino Solis - was with the 1958 Cubs for two months, which got him onto a 1959 Topps card. He didn't pitch in the US after 1960, returned to Mexico and disappeared. Good luck to any Cubs fan looking for the '59 Topps signed!

Solis is a really really though one. He was the last one I got to finish my Mexicans in MLB autograph project:

[mrmopar]

I was learning about many of the tough obscure Dodgers when i decided to collect all of the players i could find and afford. I have not gotten around to completing lists of anyone debuting in the 40s or back though, so i am sure there are plenty of difficult to downright impossible names as i get further back from the present. I had actually seen a story (Yours I see now) about Clancy Smyres and figured that is one i will skip!

http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com...han-babe-ruth/

[JimStinson]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

I was learning about many of the tough obscure Dodgers when i decided to collect all of the players i could find and afford. I have not gotten around to completing lists of anyone debuting in the 40s or back though, so i am sure there are plenty of difficult to downright impossible names as i get further back from the present. I had actually seen a story (Yours I see now) about Clancy Smyres and figured that is one i will skip!

http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com...han-babe-ruth/

If you are going to collect you can't just "SKIP" someone because they are tough.... Got to play by the rules Curt you're either a Collector or a Dabbler can't be both BTW another 1944 Dodger, Charles Osgood who was a tough non-signer but not as tough as Clancy just passed away
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