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Posted By: barrysloate

His first name was Alfonse. "Phoney" was a nickname. A friend actually purchased a small group of objects from his family that belonged to him from his playing days, and I ended up with two of them. I still have one, an 1859 NAABP League Constitution.

Interestingly, Martin was the oldest living National Association player in 1932, and he wrote a long letter of reminiscences at that time. That is one of the things purchased from the family, and while I don't have the original, I do have a photocopy.

And finally Martin and I share the same birthday. That stuck out in my mind.