1941 PlayBall: Players still living

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Posted By: James Feagin

I will be efforting cards from the following living players from this 72 card set to have autographed. It's good to be card #43-48! As per baseball-reference.

#39 Tommy Henrich--stopped signing through the mail--
#43 Al Brancato--still signs--
#44 Sam Chapman--not sure if he still signs--
#45 Eldon Auker--great signer--
#46 Sid Hudson--great signer--Just sent one off.
#47 Buddy Lewis--great signer--
#48 Cecil Travis--great signer--
#63 Dom Dimaggio--charges $20--
#64 Bobby Doerr--great signer--

I will attempt to evaluate their autograph success and if any of them charge.

James

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Posted By: Rich Klein

And this is only hearsay, is that Mr. Henrich is not that well and is not physically able to sign anymore. Which is a shame for when he spoke at the SABR convention in 1999, he was still amazingly sharp with the recollections of the old-time Yankees team. I don't think we'll see many "new" Henrich autographs hit the market.

Rich

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Posted By: Neal

I had the extreme pleasure to meet Mr.Henrich back in 2000 at an autograph show here in S.Florida. He was a true gentleman and loved to talk about his playing days! Had him sign a baseball for my personal collection!

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

James and Rich

I had a chance to chat with Tommy Henrich in 2001 at a small show
in NJ. As you said Rich, he was quite sharp-witted and his recollection
of events and players of his day (1937-50) was really amazing.

I had him sign a picture of his famous "Strike Three" in ths 1941 World
Series; and as he signed it he was telling me that it really wasn't Mickey
Owens' fault that the ball got passed him on that pitch. But, that Hugh
Casey did not throw the pitch that Owens called for.

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Posted By: Chris Counts

I was visiting someone in a retirement home in Monterey, California about a year ago. On a whim, I asked a resident if any "old ballplayers" lived there. I was informed that one resided just down the hall, and he was known as "Old Reliable." I immediately thought of Tommy Henrich, so I raced down to the nearest sporting goods store and purchased an official American League baseball, which he later signed. I learned shortly afterwards he moved back to Arizona. From looking at his signature, it's safe to say his signing days were numbered.

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Posted By: James Feagin

Awesome mailday! One of the 9 living players from the 1941 Play Ball set wrote me back! I sent him a 1941 Play Ball, but he kept it, which is fine by me. Sent me an autographed photo of his living room from 11/05, and an index card. Stated his two best memories was beating Spud Chandler on Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium 1-0. Second best memory was beating Lefty Grove as a rookie in 1940 1-0 in 13 innings. His wife even wrote that they have been married 62 years!

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Posted By: James Feagin

Just finished a list of 1940 PlayBall players who are still living. Only 10 are still alive and kicking...

#4 Tommy Henrich--hasn't signed in awhile--
#16 Cecil Travis--great signer--
#20 Buddy Lewis--great signer--
#38 Bobby Doerr--great signer--
#42 Bud Thomas--still signs--
#76 Lonny Frey--great signer--
#139 Elden Auker--great signer--
#151 Edwin Joost--great signer--
#164 Ray Berres--Has signed until December, but hasn't for a couple of months--
#194 Sam Chapman--No reported success since 2004--

Whether asking for autos or not, let's at least send them a note and thank them for their contributions to baseball!

Jim

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Posted By: howard

In particular let us remember Cecil Travis.

If not for spending three years fighting the Nazis Mr. Travis would not just be a Hall of Famer but very likely would be considered one of the top five or so shortstops of all time. In 1941 he had his best year with well over 200 hits and a .359 BA. The following year he was serving in Europe. Late in 1944 he participated in the most brutal European battle that Americans were in during the war, the Battle of the Bulge. In the Bulge he had to cope with being surrounded by the enemy, Nazi troops dressed in American uniforms, and massacres perpetrated by German units as well as freezing cold temperatures. I believe that he suffered frostbitten feet during the battle which hindered him when he returned to the majors. Sadly, he was not even close to the same player.

Even so he had a lifetime BA well over .300 with a good number of doubles and triples. His HR numbers were fairly low due, in part, to playing his home games in one of the worst hitters parks in history, Griffith Stadium.

A modest man, Mr. Travis has never been known to complain about how his career ended, always maintining that "baseball was good to me". He has been called the greatest player that never received a Hall of Fame vote but I think it would be appropriate to stop penalizing him for serving his country and enshrining him. He is 89 years old now and it would be nice if this was done before his passing. Sorry for the rambling post but I get emotional about things like this.

Howard

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Posted By: Chris Counts

Howard,

I agree with everything you say ... I've always been partial to Cecil because my uncle told me stories about playing on a team with him in Germany. Beyond that sentiment, he ranks just behind Minnie Minoso on my list of deserving Hall of Famers not inducted. It's a shame the folks that run Cooperstown aren't willing cut war heros any slack for the time they missed defending their country (he received the Bronze Star in Germany). And it's not like Cecil was a borderline case. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I can only find two HOFers (Honus Wagner and Arky Vaugan) with batting averages higher than his .314. Was he really any less a player than shortstops like Joe Tinker, Bobby Wallace, Rabbit Maranville, Dave Bancroft, Pee Wee Reese or Phil Rizzuto (you could say the same thing for Dick Groat and Maury Wills, by the way). That's out of 22 HOF shortstops! It's downright sad the folks at Cooperstown have an opportunity to enshrine him while he's still alive and continue to sit on their hands. But I should probably stop now because I can ramble on forever when it comes to who deserves to be in Cooperstown ...

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Posted By: Genaro

I am a Bobby Doerr Fan I had the pleasure of meeting him Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio at the Ted Williams Museum when they were filming for ESPN.
I sat in the bleacher seat and listen to them talk and watched some old film of the Red Sox glory days and boy did they stick up for Johnny on that throw in 46 World Series. I met Ted Williams a few years ealier when they were anouncing the Hitters Hall of fame inducties for Hank Aaron and a host of others. I recently went last month back there and sat in the bleachers watching some more old film my poor wife sat there with me for 3 hours just watching and enjoying she is such a trooper.
I have a ball Bobby signed that say's "Ted We did it 04" not worth much but means a lot to me.
Is The Goudey Heads up Bobby Doerr card the oldest living rookie card?

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Posted By: Anonymous

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Posted By: Chris Counts

I'm sorry to digress from this thread — which is about living members of the 1941 Play Ball set — but in response to the question of why Ross Youngs is in the Hall of Fame, the answer was simple: Youngs was one of a number of former teammates of Frankie Frisch to be inducted into Cooperstown while the former Cardinal great had a strong influence on the HOF veteran's committee. In addition to Youngs, Jesse Haines, Dave Bancroft, Fred Lindstrom, Leo Durocher and the immortant George "Highpockets" Kelly were elected to the HOF under Frisch's watch, not one of which I consider Travis' equal ...