Rare Tommy John Signed 1954 Photo Showing Him with HoF Coach Adolph Rupp.
Lot 96. Rare Tommy John Signed 1954 Photo Showing Him with HoF Coach Adolph Rupp. Only 10 years old then, John was the “mascot” for his hometown basketball team, Gerstmeyer Technical High School of Terre Haute, IN. The photo was taken at the University of Kentucky Field House, where Gerstmeyer faced Lafayette Lexington of Kentucky in a tournament game. As the university’s head coach, Rupp attended the game, in part to recruit Billy Ray Lickert, a Lafayette player inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame last year. Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in college history. Among college coaches, he ranks fourth in career victories and second in winning percentage. His teams won NCAA titles in 1948, 1949, 1951 and 1958. The vintage 8” x 10” b&w photo is laminated to a 13.25” x 11.25” wood plaque. John signed atop the lamination, and his autograph is mint 9 and authenticated by Kevin Keating. Winning Bid $121.
