Hank Aaron 1st Hit/Run/Home Game Program Owned By Bob Botz

[bnorth]

Have no idea on value, the coolness factor is off the charts awesome though.

[Dewey]

Very, very, very cool. Congrats on an important piece.

[bigfanNY]

Any chance a ticket stub is around from that game? I ask because as s long time program collector I can tell you ticket stubs have far surpassed programs in terms of market value. Especially for significant games such as this one.
When I get a program from a 3000 hit club first game I go right out and pick up a program from his final game which most times is also his final hit. Makes great display.. esp for Hammering Hank..

[MCyganik]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

Any chance a ticket stub is around from that game? I ask because as s long time program collector I can tell you ticket stubs have far surpassed programs in terms of market value. Especially for significant games such as this one.
When I get a program from a 3000 hit club first game I go right out and pick up a program from his final game which most times is also his final hit. Makes great display.. esp for Hammering Hank..

I agree that tickets in most cases are much more valuable. I would love to find a ticket to this game in a cheap enough manner to afford it. But I think that's part of the appeal I have with being a program collector. Not only are they cool from an art and history perspective, but they are usually reasonably priced compared to most other vintage memorabilia. And because many memorabilia dealers and casual sellers don't do the research on programs like cards, I have found quite a few historic game programs for very reasonable prices. Which sort of fuels the chase...

I couldn't find any tickets for this game, but one seller on eBay is offering a ticket to his first true game in Cincinnati for $1200...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-Ticket...QAAOSwo4pYSXKx

[pherbener]

Wow! That's a great piece!! I couldn't find any programs but a ticket stub PSA Authentic sold for $500 last year.

[MCyganik]

I've been having fun researching more about Bob Botz. Apparently he has some notoriety with original Mets fans. According to several books written about the 1962 Mets he:

• Was hand selected by Casey Stengel as a "Youth Of America"
• Won the very first Spring Training game in Mets history
• Acquired the nickname "Butterball" along the way
• Became one of Casey's first cuts in camp
• When Mets fans at the Polo Grounds early in 1962 realized just how bad the team would be, they took to chanting "Bring Back Butterball Botz!"
• After being returned to Milwaukee, they quickly flipped him to the Angels, where he pitched 63 solid relief innings
• After the 1962 season the Angels flipped him to the Cardinals for another relief pitcher, Bob Duliba. But Botz seemed to have arm troubles and dropped off the baseball map after 4 AAA appearances in 1963.

What a career!

[WillowGrove]

As a Mets fan, i love that info. I didnt know about him!

The Aaron program is solid, first game the home fans got to see him, but the research is the fun part.

Thanks for posting!