Shoutout to Marty Sullivan

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Joe was a very dear friend. I always wanted to find a copy of that card to be signed (same goes for Red Hoff) but these cards were impossible to find where I lived in that archaic, pre-internet era. The closest I got was to have Joe sign the image of that card as it appears in the Classic Baseball Cards coffee table book. I'd still love to own one, but it's not so important that I'd pay very much for a copy. I'll settle for all the other things Joe signed for me, in addition to my tape recorded conversations with him.

[milkit1]

Originally Posted by BillyCox3

Joe was a very dear friend. I always wanted to find a copy of that card to be signed (same goes for Red Hoff) but these cards were impossible to find where I lived in that archaic, pre-internet era. The closest I got was to have Joe sign the image of that card as it appears in the Classic Baseball Cards coffee table book. I'd still love to own one, but it's not so important that I'd pay very much for a copy. I'll settle for all the other things Joe signed for me, in
addition to my tape recorded conversations with him.

Amazing! Yeah I had a hard time finding ot and was always disappointed by it being trimmed. Glad I got it though. Joe seemed very nice and wrote me a letter when I mailed him

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

He was such a great guy. He was very old when I knew him, but there was something extremely childlike and naive about him. Not negative traits; they added to his charm. He was a first generation American who somehow never lost the slight Germanic accent he must have picked up from his parents and Milwaukee neighborhood at the turn of the century. Such a different kind of guy from a ballplayer's standpoint. Lots of great stories.

When I visited him for the first time, he had just moved into a nursing home. The only possessions he had were some clothes, a photo of him and his wife, his old desk, some postcard photos, Xeroxes, Conlon cards and about 20 Sharpies. He was always trying to give me as many of those signed items as he could, as they represented the only gifts he had to offer. He had saved absolutely no memorabilia or equipment from his career: "That stuff was for playing, not for saving".

He was struggling with senility, but had his clear moments--enough that I managed to get lots of great stories out of him over the years! He was so generous in always insisting upon picking up the tab if I took him to his favorite steak house. The only way I could return the favor was to smuggle some contraband beer and cigars into the nursing home. They let him have his cigars, but not inside, and kept them under lock and key. Getting outside was a struggle with his bad knees and a dilapidated walker with tennis balls on the feet to prevent slipping. (This is the top-notch care you got for $3000/month nearly 30 years ago...). There's nothing better than sharing a few beers and a cigar with someone pushing 100. Better yet if that someone held a HR record not even the Babe could claim! Man, did he hate Ty Cobb, but he loved the Babe. He also had great respect for Walter Johnson.

[milkit1]

Originally Posted by BillyCox3

He was such a great guy. He was very old when I knew him, but there was something extremely childlike and naive about him. Not negative traits; they added to his charm. He was a first generation American who somehow never lost the slight Germanic accent he must have picked up from his parents and Milwaukee neighborhood at the turn of the century. Such a different kind of guy from a ballplayer's standpoint. Lots of great stories.

When I visited him for the first time, he had just moved into a nursing home. The only possessions he had were some clothes, a photo of him and his wife, his old desk, some postcard photos, Xeroxes, Conlon cards and about 20 Sharpies. He was always trying to give me as many of those signed items as he could, as they represented the only gifts he had to offer. He had saved absolutely no memorabilia or equipment from his career: "That stuff was for playing, not for saving".

He was struggling with senility, but had his clear moments--enough that I managed to get lots of great stories out of him over the years! He was so generous in always insisting upon picking up the tab if I took him to his favorite steak house. The only way I could return the favor was to smuggle some contraband beer and cigars into the nursing home. They let him have his cigars, but not inside, and kept them under lock and key. Getting outside was a struggle with his bad knees and a dilapidated walker with tennis balls on the feet to prevent slipping. (This is the top-notch care you got for $3000/month nearly 30 years ago...). There's nothing better than sharing a few beers and a cigar with someone pushing 100. Better yet if that someone held a HR record not even the Babe could claim! Man, did he hate Ty Cobb, but he loved the Babe. He also had great respect for Walter Johnson.

That's so great! I would have loved to meet ol Unser Choe. Where I lived in central illinois there were no close players. The closest I got was Tony Cuccinello agreed to meet me ona family trip to florida but he went into the hospital and I missed him. I did meet Billy Herman and Leo Durocher at card shows. I remember that Joe Hauser and Joe Sewell were probably the nicest to get ttm.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I knew Tony and Clara as well (actually, most of the Go-Go Sox era coaching staff and their wives were either close friends or at least acquaintances). I'm guessing Tony had suffered a bad fall when you were about to see him: Clara wrote me about it. He was unable to use his hands to sign after that. Nobody has ever heard this until now, but Clara was ghost signing all the mail requests. I believe this was 1994. You would never be able to tell their handwriting apart; I have never in my life seen someone so ably mimic another person's autograph, let alone a lady in her 80's. Of course, they've all routinely passed TPA inspection to this day. I wouldn't blame anyone for not spotting it, as she was truly that adept at his signature. I even have a letter she typed me on a manual typewriter detailing all of this.

[T206Collector]

Marty is first rate! And so is his collection!

Follow his collection progress on Instagram @signed1933goudey

[martyesullivan]

Sean,
Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad Hauser and Gardner arrived safe. I know you will take good care of them, as I will with your old signed 33’s.

Scott,
I’m glad you are enjoying the Vander Meer. I wrote to him several times in the early 90’s. He was such a nice guy, but he charged $5 per autograph. I remember asking my mom for that fee several times!

Billy,
Thanks for sharing those stories about Joe! You were lucky to have spent time with him! I wrote to him many times in the early 90’s and he always responded. What a heck of a ballplayer he was!

Paul,
Let me know when you’re ready to send some more T-206’s my way!

Everyone else, be sure to follow me on Instagram @signed1933goudey if you want to see some old signed cardboard I have hanging around!

My best,
Marty S.