Your dream baseball autograph?

[perezfan]

I'll keep my answer realistic... Mordecai Brown. I must have been under-bidder a dozen or so times through the years. As collectors, there always seems to be an elusive piece that keeps narrowly escaping our grasp. Three Finger Brown is that one for me. Perhaps not the rarest, but just tough enough to be a real pain to obtain....

[BrockJacob]

I'm not much of an autograph guy but a nice single signed Satchel Paige ball is something I would like to have and is something I could realistically obtain. As far as a dream ball goes... Ruth, Gehrig, and McCarthy together on the same ball (no one else) would be great.

[Bob Lemke]

Put me down for a career-contemporary Hal Chase.

[slidekellyslide]

Mine would actually be a team signed baseball of the Nebraska Indians. Doubtful one exists though....so I'll take an autograph/signature of Guy W. Green the owner of the team...I know there has to be one of those out there on something. He not only owned the Nebraska Indians, but at one time owned the Western League Lincoln club so I'd love to have some kind of club document with his signature....he was also a lawyer so there are probably plenty of his signatures about, but most people probably wouldn't know its significance so they stay hidden in obscurity.

[sbfinley]

A couple of years ago, before I returned to collecting, The Tommy Bridges estate came up for auction at SCP. Included were two items I would have killed for: A Ruth signed bat or ball, I can't remember which off the top of my head, that was inscribed to Bridges and his 1935 World Series ring.

If I could have any auto, that particular Ruth auto would take the cake.
And that ring is my Holy Grail.

[ksfarmboy]

I'm not an autograph collector but would like a nice Ruth on a blue and red stitched ball.

[Kawika]

Hey, Gray Ghost. Who said your posts are always negative? This is a great thread. Jimmy, if that postcard read "Best Wishes, David" I'd be all over it. I'd knock over gas stations, sell body parts, whatever. Go for it, man; he wrote it to you. As for me, I don't particularly seek out autographs. I like them best on baseball cards and have been especially lucky to own the autographed '34 Goudey Gehrig portrait and the M116 Sporting Life Joe Wood, two of my favorite old-time players, both of which I have posted on these forums ad infinauseam. My dream autograph would be any of a T3, T206 White Cap or '15 CJ signed by Christy Mathewson. I don't recollect ever seeing any Matty BB card that was signed, and I am sure if one came available its acquisition would require the knocking over of many gas stations and the sale of many body parts.

[jbsports33]

I would have to say Buck Weaver or if I had to pick a Hall of Famer it would be Lou Gehrig. I would also be very interested in a early teens team signed Red Sox ball from one of the World Series they won.

Jimmy

[jerseygary]

I'd love to have a ball or photograph signed by Frankie Zak (ss, Pirates 1944-46), he was a close family friend back in Passaic, NJ.

[Jay Wolt]

Jimmy, you gotta make a play for that Gehrig

[carrigansghost]

Sidd Farrar, a hometown native.

Rawn

[GKreindler]

Like most of you, I think I would go for a clean Gehrig. However, I don't even think I would want a single signed ball. I know that they're the most appealing to most folks for display purposes, but I would be even happier to have one signed by the team. If that was the case, I'd go for the '36 or '37 group.

I think the one single signed baseball I would love to get my hands on (and I would imagine that it wouldn't carry a crazy price tag) would be a vintage Carl Hubbell. I don't know what it is about that man, but I've always gravitated to his career and exploits. Heck, those Giants teams of '36 and '37 weren't too bad either...

Graig

[thekingofclout]

especially from David and Jay in going after the "Best Wishes Jimmy" signed by Lou Gehrig postcard that is in Memory Lane's current auction, I never said it was my dream "Piece"... only my dream autograph.

Anyone that has seen my threads can see my clear passion is for vintage original TYPE I photographs of top-tier HOF players. I enjoy collected autographs but mainly for the purpose of framing with some of my best photos.

I'm sure this probably sounds nuts to most of you, but I wouldn't sell any of my top photos in order to raise the dough needed to win the Gehrig auto.

So with my perpetual spending spree, combined with my oldest daughter recently tying the knot, I surmised that I will most likely fall short for the Gehrig piece.

As the brilliant Steven Wright once said:

You can't have everything. Where would you put it?


Best regards, Jimmy

[base_ball]

I'd like a Lou Gehrig signed document from his days of employ with the parole board in New York City. He reportedly used a stamp in his waning days...I'd even take one of those.

[yanksfan09]

mine is definatley Babe Ruth. I know he's not incredibly rare, but he's out of my price range!

Gehrig, Cobb, W. Johnson, G. Alexander, C. Mathewson would be next all out of my range....

[HexsHeroes]

.
.
I've heard the story about how, upon his release from the Giants, Bugs Raymond hung his jersey up in a local saloon with a sign advertising that he was now bartending there. But I also seem to recall that another story (not sure how accurate) stated that Raymond use to sign baseballs to trade for drinks. That seems to be a slightly-less-than-common currency used by other ballplayers. And quite possible the storyline survives, as the cast fades. But if true, such a signed ball would be worthy of a lengthly catalog narrative. Not my dream autograph, but one I would greatly enjoy the opportunity to view.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Phil,

Yes, that story was in The Glory of Their Times. I always think of that whenever I ponder the near-total lack of Raymond signatures. It also reminds me of the story that a former teammate of King Kelly recounted decades after the fact. He said that neighborhood kids would flock around Kelly wherever he went, pestering him for autographs. I'm of the opinion that either this teammate's mind was playing tricks on him or the writer/interviewer took creative liberty and added the autograph part into the story. People simply weren't collecting players' autographs on a grandiose level until the 1920's. Judging by collector-obtained material that still survives, it seems as though the hobby was not born until the first decade of the last century.

[canjond]

Originally Posted by perezfan

I'll keep my answer realistic... Mordecai Brown. I must have been under-bidder a dozen or so times through the years. As collectors, there always seems to be an elusive piece that keeps narrowly escaping our grasp. Three Finger Brown is that one for me. Perhaps not the rarest, but just tough enough to be a real pain to obtain....

I thought there was one for sale on the board a while back? Maybe I'm wrong.

[MacDice]

I have two dream items. The first one would be of Harry Smith (a distant relative who played from 1901-10). The other would be an Earl Averill Zeenut.

[asoriano]

My dream autograph would be a nice, crisp signature of Arthur "Bugs" Raymond.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by asoriano

My dream autograph would be a nice, crisp signature of Arthur "Bugs" Raymond.

Good luck even finding a pen indentaiton in his hand! His signature is right up there on the next-to-impossible list. Good choice, though!

[tothrk]

As far as baseball & realistic, mine would be Roberto Clemente. Obviously a great player as well as a great person. Todays athletes could learn a thing or two from him. As far as anyone in history, I'd go with Thomas Jefferson (until I give it more thought.)

[GrayGhost]

http://www.autographalert.com/joejack1.jpg

I recall seeing that in a major auction a few years back. THAT is an awesome item, I think it was for Joe's pool hall or something, to Lefty, or vice versa?

[asoriano]

Originally Posted by JBirkholm

Good luck even finding a pen indentaiton in his hand! His signature is right up there on the next-to-impossible list. Good choice, though!

Jodi,

I figured his autograph is very difficult to obtain. I've always been intrigued by his antics, both on and off the baseball field.

Have you ever seen any examples of his signature?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I've seen a forgery! Does that count?!

I'm certain I've seen a photostat of a team-signed document from the Giants, but that must have been way back, as I do not have an example in my files.