Posted By:
FatBoyThis subject was on the CU board a while back, heres what I posted.
I live about 10 miles from Columbia PA (Jimmy Sheckard's home town). Hes the only notable major leaguer (OK, in more recent years Bruce Sutter...but I'm a vintage collector) from this area (Oh...forgot about Don Wert, the famous Tigers 3rd baseman).
Anyway...about 15 years ago I was at an estate sale in Columbia that included a copy of Cap Anson's "A Ball Players Career" along with a ceremonial pamphlet concerning Lou Gehrig. Inside the front cover of the book towards the top was a signature of Sheckard....needless to say, I bought. I never tried to have the signature verified, but several years later there was an article in the newspaper here about a relative of Sheckard's and his push to have him inducted into the "Hall". Having several of his baseball cards and a genuine interest..I got ahold of his great grand son and invited him over. We spent an enjoyable evening talking baseball and looking at cards of his great grand father. Towards the end of the evening I got the book out and showed him. He verified that the signature was real and we suspect that possibly the book and the pamphlet were his...don't care if they are or they aren't, but its one of those tidbits of joy you just put in the back of your mind and smile about.
I gave him a T206 before he left. Keith