What do I have? Army vs Navy All-Stars
 

I know the condition isn't the greatest, but has anyone ever seen one of these before signed?

I bought this years ago and came across it tonight going thru some of my goodies and thought I would share.

Below are a few photos of the inside, and then the names who signed it.

Thoughts?

Pic 2

Pic3..

Names of players who signed it:

Names cont'd

Oh great, thank you.

Now that is a very cool piece of history, consider me very envious.

Thanks! It's definitely one of a kind and one of my favorite non game used pieces due to the history of it, no matter what condition it's in.

I figured it would be "cooler" on the forum so far, but maybe not.

Very nice item Nate.
I think our resident Johnny Vandermeer expert, Scott Garner, would love this item as well.

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Hi Mark and Nate,
This is a really neat item from the WWII Army Navy World Series which was played in Hawaii.

I actually looked to see if Vander Meer pitched in this game (game 4) and he did not. The condition is definitely rugged, but I suspect not many of these survived at all. The fact that it signed by this many players seems pretty remarkable to me.

I have posted these items before, but here are a few of the items that I own related to Vander Meer and this series that was dominated by Vander Meer and Virgil Truck's Navy team:

Thank you both for the comments. It's really one of my favorite pieces due to the history. I just wish it was in better shape but it's still one of a kind.

Great stuff, Scott. I'm a sucker for military items such as what you have there. Baseball and Americana all mixed into one. Can't beat that!

1944 Army Navy Championship Series Autograph book
 

A recent pickup that definately would fit Nate's thread.

Here are pages from an autograph book that was originally purchased from a veteran sailor of World War II approx. 20 years ago. It would appear that he was one of those that attended the 1944 Army Navy Championship Series.

29 players that played in the Major League signed these pages in black steel tipped fountain pen.

Eight of these players would go on to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and 6 were New York Yankees and the other 2 Brooklyn Dodgers.

The HOF players that signed include:
Pee Wee Reese, Joe Gordon, Joe Dimaggio, Bill Dickey, Billy Herman, Red Ruffing, Johnny Mize & Phil Rizzuto. The other 21 Major Leaguers include:
Johnny Vander Meer (the only pitcher to throw back to back no-hitters - 1938), Virgil "Fire" Trucks (2x All-Star, 2x WS champ & threw 2 no-hitters in 1952 with the Detroit Tigers), Schoolboy Rowe (played in 3 WS & 3x All-Star), Hugh Casey (played in 2 WS), Barney McCosky (hit .312 for his career & played in the WS), Walter Judnich (played in the 1948 WS), Mickey Vernon (played in the majors for 20 yrs, hit .286, 7x All-Star, 2x batting champ, led A.L. In doubles 3x) and Gene Woodling (played 17 yrs in the majors, won 5 WS championship with the Yankees, had a batting average of .284 & a WS batting average of .318.

A total of 48 autographs of World War II veterans signed these pages (29 MLB players). Pages measure 8" x 11"

Nate, I have a solution for you, even though you didn't know you had a problem. Your program is in pretty rough shape. Why don't you go ahead and buy this one that's in excellent condition?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201099227835...84.m1423.l2649

Since you'll be dropping a grand on it, to recoup some of your losses you can sell your rough one with all that writing all over it on ebay. To keep your fees low, I'd suggest starting it at 99 cents. I promise I'll bid on it, but only because I like you!

Ken

PS: All kidding aside, I have one of these, too. (Unautographed, unfortunately.) It's also from the fourth game. Has anyone seen any from other games?

Vander Meer wins game 5 of the 1944 Army Navy Central Pacific Area Champion Series
 

I finally located a ticket to Johnny Vander Meer's 2nd and final win in the 1944 Army Navy Central Pacific Area Championship Series (World Series).
This is a nice compliment to the scorebook that I posted from the 5th game of this game which was played at Furlong Field in Oahu, HI.

"The Navy made it five straight, September 28, by blasting four Army pitchers for ten hits to win, 12 to 2, while Johnny Vander Meer, former Cincinnati ace, yielded only five safeties. It was the second win of the series for the former Red. A crowd of 15,000 saw the Navy clinch the title with a ten-run rally in the fourth inning, when Lien and Molberg were knocked out, Hairston finishing. Ardizoia took over mound duties for the Army in the seventh, when the Bluejackets counted two more home runs."*

* From baseballinwartime.com