Lot 168. Baseball Bat Signed by 44 Negro League Players – O’Neil, Manning, Irvin, Black, Etc. This bat is from the collection of Negro Leagues star pitcher Wilmer Fields, who passed away in 2004. It is accompanied by an 11” x 17” b&w photo boldly autographed (mint 9 to gem mint 10) by Fields and a signed copy of Fields’ hardback book, “My Life in the Negro Leagues.” His signature on the flyleaf is a 10. The 34” dark-brown bat may be a side written example from Hillerich & Bradsby. Fields’ collection contained a large number of such bats. This bat is signed by Charley Rivera, Casey Jones, Nap Gulley, Jim Cohen, Max Manning, Eugene Scruggs, Lefty LaMarque, Otha Bailey, Willie Pope, Wild Bill Wright, Stanley Glenn, Bo Wallace, Lester Lockett, Robert Scott, Willie Lee, Bobby Robinson, Curly Williams, Connie Johnson, Sammie Harris, Sherwood Brewer, Joe B. Scott, Artie Wilson, Armando Vazquez, Gordon “Hoppy” Hopkins, Cowan Hyde, Russell Awkard, Mahlon Duckett, Jim Wilkes, Charlie Biot, Edsall Walker, Buck O’Neil, Bill (Ready) Cash, Al Wilmore, Larry Kimbrough, Verdell Mathis, Jose A. Figueroa, Wilmer Harris, Monte Irvin, Joe Black, Gene Smith, Elbert Isreal, Gene Benson, Bill Peace and Rodolfo Fernandez. Virtually all of the autographs are strong. How intensely they display is affected by the tone of the bat, which varies. Their appearance ranges from ex 5 to gem mint 10 and averages nm 7. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Current Bid $185
Lot 169. 20 Autographs of Negro Leaguers on Photos, Cards: Duckett, Fields, Radcliffe, O’Neil, Etc. This group contains more than one autograph of some players, but all are on different media. Eight players signed 8” x 10” b&w photos: Sherwood Brewer, Wilmer Fields, Buster Haywood, Monte Irvin (with Newark Eagles), Max Manning, Buck O’Neil, Bill Powell and Double Duty Radcliffe. Eight more are on Ron Lewis Negro Leagues postcards: Gene Benson, Bill (Ready) Cash, Wilmer Fields, Josh Gibson Jr., Cowan “Bubba” Hyde, Max Manning, William Bobby Robinson and Armando Vazquez. Three of the remaining autographs are on index cards: Mahlon Duckett, Fields and Vazquez. In addition, Art “Superman” Pennington autographed a 1986 Larry Fritch Negro League Baseball Stars card. This group includes some of the leading stars of the Negro Leagues. Their autographs are nm-m 8 and better. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Current Bid $83
Lot 170. Negro Leagues Collection of Signed Caps, Baseballs and Photos. This collection contains autographs of Lyman Bostock Sr., Bill (Ready) Cash, Wilmer Fields, Lester Lockett and Red Moore. Bostock (died 2005) was a first baseman who played for various Negro Leagues teams and the Jackie Robinson All-Stars. His son played in the majors. Cash (d. 2011) was an All-Star catcher for the Philadelphia Stars. The ace of the Homestead Grays pitching staff in the 1940s, Fields (d. 2004) was good enough to play in the majors. After the Grays folded, however, he concluded that he could better support his family by playing in Canada and in the winter leagues. In Canada, he pitched, played the infield and generally batted well above .300. From 1950-58, he won eight MVP awards. An outfielder, Lockett (d. 2005) was a three-time Negro Leagues All-Star and later played in Canada. Moore was a first baseman with outstanding defensive skills. He was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He turned 96 last November. Bostock signed a Birmingham Black Barons cap and added the team name and the years he played, 1940-46. Nm-m 8. Cash’s signatures are on a Philadelphia Stars replica cap and an 8” x 10” b&w photo. To the bill of the cap, he added the team name and “1943-1950.” The signatures are mint 9 to gem mint 10. The Fields autographs are on a Homestead Grays replica cap and a photo of Ron Lewis artwork. Mint 9 to gem mint 10. Lockett signed an 8” x 10” photo and the sweet spot of an OAL Budig ball. Both signatures are nm 7 with a trace-over on the first “L.” Moore placed a gem mint 10 autograph on a mint Budig baseball. Three signed caps, three signed photos and two signed baseballs. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $75
Lot 171. 4 Negro Leagues Autographs – Bell, Dandridge, Leonard and Benson. James “Cool Papa” Bell (died 1991), Ray Dandridge (d. 1994) and Buck Leonard (d. 1997) are all in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Dandridge’s signature is on a color photo taken while he was playing in Mexico, and Leonard signed a b&w photo. Both photos are 8” x 10”. In 1974, our consignor made several photocopies of part of a “New York Post” article describing Bell’s Hall of Fame induction. Then he had the new Cooperstown inductee autograph them. These autographs are bold, nm-m 8 and better. Gene Benson (d. 1999) signed an 8” x 10” b&w photo; nm to nm-m. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $50
