Rare Shoeless Joe Jackson autograph

[milkit1]

Originally Posted by Mark17

Doesn't the inscription say: Alexandria, May 1911?

In any case, the photos could've been taken in spring training, or in some town (Like Alexandria, VA) as the teams were working their way north to start the season, later developed, and then the sigs could've been obtained as I mentioned - sometime when Cleveland and the Giants were both in NY, hence the May inscription.

I'm sure the Giants spring training facility is mentioned in The Glory of Their Times, maybe with regards to the stories about Charles "Victory" Faust joining the team down there.

Very good point regarding them possibly playing together in the same location during spring training

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by milkit1

Very good point regarding them possibly playing together in the same location during spring training

I think I was wrong about that. In The Glory of Their Times, Fred Snodgrass says, after McGraw offered him a contract for the 1908 season:

"Well, as you can well imagine, I was on that train four days later, going to marlin Texas...The Giants had bought a piece of property in marlin, Texas, a town of about 4,000 or 5,000 people, and had constructed a bal, park there for spring-training purposes...We trained there every spring I was with the Giants, which was until 1915..."

Unfortunately for the theory, marlin is about 300 miles due west of Alexandria, LA.

[milkit1]

well that doesnt seem too far in the grand scheme of things. Its certainly possible if they were training in the same state that they would have played and then the autographs retrieved later

[btcarfagno]

The Giants photos were taken in September.

Tom C

[Runscott]

A photographer having this many photos of two teams, regardless of timing and/or locations, seems completely reasonable to me. The fact that PSA has reviewed the prints and determined they are the right age (I know I'm repeating myself, but this question has come up twice since I mentioned this fact, and it's documented in the original link that was posted, yet I bet it comes up at least once more) makes me think that we should be concentrating on the signatures themselves, assuming PSA got it right with the prints - they are pretty good at that (again, I repeat myself). With that in mind...

Mathewson stinks. There are plenty of others that can easily be confirmed if anyone has the time and inclination.

[drcy]

I have no insight on the signatures, but I'd want to see the photos in person before I said they were from 1911.

[r2678]

Just an aside... A few years ago SABR published a book on Addie Joss who died in April, 1911. Perhaps a review of that book will reveal something of Cleveland's spring training schedule for that year.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by drcy

I have no insight on the signatures, but I'd want to see the photos in person before I said they were from 1911.

David, I would too. But all of us can't individually handle the prints, and PSA/DNA already approved them. I assume that would be Henry Yee or someone very closely associated with him. I'm good with their opinion.

The signatures, not so much.