Let's see some old handwritten letters!
 

I'll start off - this letter is written from Wally Schang to Jim McNulty, President of the Northern League in the 1930s. Apparently they were supposed to meet up at the winter meetings and missed each other in the crowded lobby - alas, if only there were cell phones at the time!

Written in 1905 by original Yankee owner Frank farrell to his shortstop Kid Elberfeld:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...rell_als_1.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...rell_als_2.jpg

"The Curveless Wonder," pitcher Al Orth:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...z/orth_als.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2..._als_verso.jpg

Yankee scout Paul Kritchell:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...tchell_als.jpg

In keeping with my 'non-MLer' leanings, here's a letter written in 1904 to the baseball manager of a nearby town, by a regular guy who simply wanted to play ball as much as possible:

http://www.belltownvintage.com/1904Letter/BBLett1.jpg


http://www.belltownvintage.com/1904Letter/BBLett2.jpg


http://www.belltownvintage.com/1904Letter/BBLettf.jpg


http://www.belltownvintage.com/1904Letter/BBLettb.jpg

Judge Landis sure had some nasty handwriting!

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/f...NFT/Landis.jpg

Guy Bush, Babe's chief tormentor in that "called Shot game" in the 1932 World Series. In the very next game in that 1932 World Series, Bush was the starting pitcher and hit Babe on the arm in his very first at bat, no accident. Now they meet again 3 years later, 1935. Bush remembers.

Tom Zachary, not so kind to The Bam on that number 60 in 1927. Tom said he made a mistake. Join the club Tom, I wonder how many other pitchers thought they made a mistake pitching to the Sultan.

In the very next year 1928 Tom joins the Yankees.

I have shown this one before but I always love to show it off.
Hank Greenberg writing, to a young boy, as an Army officer during WWII.
Envelope included with 2 sigs. of Hank on the envelope.
Truly one of my favorite pieces.
Read the letter.

This is a letter to H. G Salsinger's widow at his death from Ty Cobb. Cobb was good friends with him, his bio is below just above the lettter.


Harry George "H.G." Salsinger (April 10, 1885[1] - November 1958) was sports editor of The Detroit News for 49 years.

Salsinger was born in Ohio in 1885. In 1907, he started writing for The Cincinnati Post.[2]

In 1909, Salsinger began working at The Detroit News as sports editor, a position he held until his death in 1958.[3] He covered 50 World Series, two Olympic Games, and many other sports including football, golf, tennis, and boxing.[3] Salsinger was also a president of both the Baseball Writers Association of America,[4] and the Football Writers Association of America.[5] Salsinger retired in January 1958 and died 10 months later at Henry Ford Hospital following a long illness.[6][7]

Salsinger was married to Gladys E. Salsinger. They had a son, Harry G. Salsinger, Jr., born in approximately 1920. At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Salsinger lived with his wife and son at 244 Pingree Avenue in Detroit.[8]

In 1968, the Baseball Writers Association of American posthumously awarded Salsinger the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for his baseball writing.[9] He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.[10][11]

Do you know anything about Danahy?
 

"The Curveless Wonder," pitcher Al Orth:

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2...z/orth_als.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j2..._als_verso.jpg

Hey David. I have a photo belonging to Peggy's father, Walter. Seems he was a collector and maybe she was, too! Do you know anything about the family or at least the history of your letter??? Thanks. Matt

That's really a nice Cobb letter! Thanks for sharing that.

Am I the only one that has been intigued by the paradox or contrast in reading personal letters written by Cobb vs. the lasting image of him provided by biographers such as Al Stump?

I'm always interested in reading Cobb letters because they are so well written....

Hi, Matt. I bought the letter years ago from I think, Jim Stinson. I don't know anything about Peggy or her father. Sorry.

Al Stump should be referred to as biographer/forger.

Really? I thought forgery only pertained to documents. Did he actually forge Cobb's signature?

yes!!

I'm with ya Scott. The Cobb in written letters really doesn't seem to match that of Stump's writing or how he's remembered for his demeanor as a player. Thowing out Stump's garbage, I think you're left with a complex character that could be mean and cantankerious one time, and generous and considerate another time. In other words, human.

Stump was a noted forger, primarily forging handwritten letters which he did sign "Ty Cobb."
If you meant did he sign an index card, baseball card, etc. to create a fake autograph, I am not aware of that happening.

That's incredible. I was aware that he had sold items saying they belonged to Cobb, but didn't know that he actually forged documents. Thanks.

The story is widely known in the hobby.
A well known former dealer was the one who bought them initially from Stump and circulated them through the hobby.
They still turn up occasionally.
Many of them have great content. But Stump was a writer so I guess making up great letters was second nature for him.

the furtre of letters?
 

Looking through this thread I could not help but think that while other areas of the hobby seem to continue on with minor changes (autographs and game used items) and some with drastic changes (cards and photographs). It seems to me like this area, hand written letters, is probably all but dead.
I cannot imagine Jeter or Pujols writing anything by hand.

Perhaps future collectors will have a tread showing off emails from players?

Tweets on Twitter...:p

pardon me.

Pardon me, Scott

To keep it going with letters, this from Clyde Engle, also written to Jim McNulty, president of the Northern League. It was written two weeks before Engle's death, with good content about Engle's coaching Toronto in the International League...

Scott, here's another. I really like this one because, like the one Rob posted, it shows a lot of empathy for the recipient:

http://www.huntauctions.com/phone/img95/15.jpg

Awesome letter Scott! Nice content!
Thanks for sharing this...

When he was a boy my father received this from his older brother's father-in-law, with a note saying that he'd met Sid Luckman at the Columbia Club in NYC and would bring my father in and introduce him some time [didn't happen, though]:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...ze/Luckman.jpg

This one is from my cousin:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...3%20letter.jpg

Zach Wheat letter
 

Here is a letter about Zach attending Cooperstown.

Giles note to Zach Wheat
 

Here is a note from Warren Giles to Zach Wheat.

I received an email from Harmon Killebrew a few months before he passed. I had sent his foundation a question about a donation and he responded personally.

ted williams
 

Outside of my Type 1 photo collecting, I also enjoy rookie signatures(dated). Below is a 3 page letter written by Teddy Ballgame before he was Teddy Ballgame. It is also signed at the bottom. It was written on May 28, 1938 while he played for the Minneapolis Millers.

It has great baseball content:

“Hit a homer the first day in KC but yesterday I didn’t even hit a loud foul. Today I’m going to try to hit another one out. I’ve got 11 already” “Sure is hot here it was 83 the first day here. Next time we hit town it will probably be 100”. “saw the picture Robin Hood, it sure was a good one. I’m telling all the guys about your shooting.”

http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...23/tedw2-1.jpg
http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...no23/tedw3.jpg
http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...no23/tedw4.jpg
http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...edwilliams.jpg