Lot 17. Tommy John’s 1966 Gibson F25 Folksinger Acoustic Guitar. Beautiful like-new premium guitar that John received from Jethro Burns, one-half of the Grammy-winning country music comedy team of Homer and Jethro. In 1959, they won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance - Musical for satirizing the Johnny Horton song The Battle of New Orleans with The Battle of Kookamonga. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. When he pitched for the Chicago White Sox, John became friends with the duo. Strung for a left-hander, the guitar is unused and free of any structural defects. Close-up, it reveals some light, minimal “veining” in the finish on the front and some very light scratches on the back. Introduced in 1963, the F25 guitar was produced until 1971. The body is mahogany, and the soundboard is made of spruce. Brazilian rosewood was used to produce the fret board and bridge. This example, Serial No. 8209734, features double white pick guards, 12 frets and dot inlays. Housed in a Gibson case, it comes with a Letter of Provenance signed by John.
Winning Bid $1,044
Lot 19. Jim Gilliam 1970s Los Angeles Dodgers Warm-Up Jacket from Tommy John’s Collection. Gilliam’s lifetime statistics belie his contributions to the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. The 1953 N.L. Rookie of the Year, he was a fixture with the Dodgers for more than 20 seasons. After he was done playing, he became one of the first black coaches in the major leagues. He might have become the first black manager if a brain hemorrhage had not claimed his life in 1978. Davey Lopes described him as “father, friend, and locker room inspiration that will never be forgotten.” Walter Also paid tribute to him as a player who “did the little things to win ballgames…. He was one of the most unselfish ballplayers I know.” Gilliam gave his lighter-weight warm-up jacket to Tommy John during one of their seasons together in Los Angeles in the 1970s. The size 44 Goodman & Sons jacket has Gilliam’s uniform number, 19, on a label sewn inside. A Letter of Authenticity from John accompanies the ex-m jacket.
Winning Bid $198
Lot 144. Yankees 1980s Home and Road Team-Issued Jerseys, Caps from Tommy John’s Collection. Nm Wilson size 48 jerseys without tags and with No. 53 on the back. During the 1980s, nine different players wore No. 53. John autographed each jersey. His signatures are mint 9. Two autographed caps game-used by John come with the jerseys, and so does one of John’s game-worn undershirts. John autographed the bill of each cap; the signatures are nm 7 to nm-m 8. The underside has his uniform number. The Wilson size 36 pants for the road uniform were team-issued, but not necessarily game-used. In the waist, they have an “83 2 30” tag for Stefan Wever, who played for the team in 1982. The home pants from Majestic were not issued by the team. John’s name is printed in the waist in marker. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $148
Lot 145. Leon Wolf Original Paintings of Mickey Mantle, Ron Guidry and Willie Randolph. Wolf’s paintings have appeared on the covers of books and magazines, including Beckett publications. His works have been exhibited at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Typically, Wolf’s paintings are acrylic on canvas. He has produced works for many sports figures, including Tommy John. A 16” x 20” painting from John’s collection features two images of Mickey Mantle, a portrait and an action image. The painting is damaged in the upper right outside Mantle’s image. The painting has a facsimile or ghost autograph. A 24” x 20” original painting depicts Ron Guidry and Willie Randolph. Some corner wear; otherwise, nm. Wolf’s commission for original acrylics this size appears to be about $500 each.
Winning Bid $100
Lot 146. 20 Store Model Gloves from Tommy John’s Collection – Walter Johnson, Etc. The Walter Johnson glove from Draper & Maynard is the key glove in this collection. The stampings are very light, consistent with a g glove, while the rest of the glove has a vg-ex appearance. Other early and interesting player endorsed gloves are: Luke Appling, Wilson 654, vg. Smoky Burgess catcher’s mitt, Wilson, apparently A2582, vg+ to ex. Roy Campanella, Wilson Twin Action, g-vg. Hoot Evers, American Eagle (Spiegel), apparently 7019, vg-ex. Nellie Fox, JC Higgins 1759, writing on back strap, otherwise vg+ to ex. George McQuinn Rawlings T80 “The George McQuinn Claw,” ex first baseman’s mitt, great-looking glove. The other player models are: Johnny Bench, Rawlings PRO-RL, vg, L.H.S. written in pocket. Bobby Bonds, Wilson W0100, youth model, g-vg. Rickey Henderson, Rawlings RBG135, youth glove, vg-ex. Jim Catfish Hunter, Wilson A2164, youth glove, ex-m. Dick McAuliffe, Spalding 42-343, vg+. Brooks Robinson, Rawlings GJ110, lefty, vg+ to ex. Bobby Shantz, Pennant Winner 95559, ex. Darryl Strawberry, Regent youth glove, ex-m. Five gloves, including four catcher’s mitts, are not player-endorsed. The fielder’s glove is a Hutch model, vg. One catcher’s mitt is a MacGregor GPP Professional Model, ex-m, and another, Rawlings RL-1-P, some writing on back, vg. The two other mitts appear to be from the 1940s or earlier and are g+ to vg. These gloves come with five “Property of Tommy John” labels.
Winning Bid $321
Lot 148. Eric Fitzpatrick Litho of Salem, VA, Municipal Field Presented to Tommy John. Living in Roanoke, VA, Fitzpatrick has produced a broad range of sports and non-sport art. In a 1994 print, he shows a Carolina League Game in progress at Salem Municipal Field with Salem as an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. At the bottom of the print, Fitzpatrick wrote, “To Tommy John with Best Wishes!” The 18” x 14.5” print is double-matted and framed to 24.5” x 20.5”. Nm-m.
Winning Bid $30
