Monday, June 27, 2011

Seals Win Pennant (1957)

Photos of Carl Sawyer





Dedication of Seals Stadium (April 8, 1931)

Spencer Abbott, Portland manager, shakes hands with San Francisco skipper Nick Williams, in background is Ty Cobb; little Billy Putnam is in front.

Joe DiMaggio Photo - Seals

Casey Stengel and Wally Westlake Photo

Luke Easter Photograph #2 (1949)

lelands auction 2001.01 winning bid in 2006

Luke Easter Photograph (1949)

2006 lelands auction, winning bid $395.88.

Frank Shellenback Photo (1931)

Tony Lazzeri Photograph

Tony Lazzeri on Seals, photo from SF Examiner; auction at Lelands; winning bid in 2006 is $147.49.

Joe Brovia Photograph - TSN Archive (1949-52)

Dario Lodgiani Photograph - TSN Archive

Bill Sweeney Photo

Smead Jolley Photograph, Circa 1933

Buzz Arlett TSN Archive Photograph - Wearing Suit

George Boehler Photograph - TSN Archive




Boehler, the 1925 PCL strikeout king, is featured in this vintage 6.5 x 8.5 inch photograph; auction in June 2011 mears online auction, unsold despite minimum bid of $10.

Buzz Arlett Photograph - TSN Archives

Jim Thorpe Photograph - TSN Archive



Measures 6.5" x 8.5". First baseman Frank Brazill is pictured here during one of his numerous minor league stops. "Frank Brazil" handwritten on reverse with Property of The Sporting News stamp. Sporting News Hologram. (B0928)
This image originated directly from the archives of "The Sporting News" and was intended for use in its pages. Designated as a Generation 1 photo, this image was developed directly from the original photographers negative within approximately one to five years of the depicted person/event. In some instances, usually when a date stamp is present, the photograph was developed within a year or even days of the listed event. Photographers included in the collection include Charles Conlon, George Burke, George Brace, William C. Greene, Alex P. Silverberg, and George Dorrill. Some are identified; many are not but were provided by these world class photographers. Unlike standard wire photos, these images were often hand developed by the photographer sent to the Sporting News magazine. Therefore, the result is an actual first generation photographers print -again, not be confused with the more commonly found wire photo image. First major collection to enter the market of exclusive Generation 1 Photos.mears online auctiom sold for $346.15 in December 2010.

Frank Brazil Photograph - TSN Archive, Circa 1930-35

Smead Jolley Photograph - TSN Archive

Measures 7.5" x 9.5". Outfielder Smead Jolley is pictured here during his tenure with the Chicago White Sox. "Smead Jolley" handwritten on reverse with Property of The Sporting News stamp and other various notations. Sporting News Hologram. (B1307)
This image originated directly from the archives of "The Sporting News" and was intended for use in its pages. Designated as a Generation 1 photo, this image was developed directly from the original photographers negative within approximately one to five years of the depicted person/event. In some instances, usually when a date stamp is present, the photograph was developed within a year or even days of the listed event. Photographers included in the collection include Charles Conlon, George Burke, George Brace, William C. Greene, Alex P. Silverberg, and George Dorrill. Some are identified; many are not but were provided by these world class photographers. Unlike standard wire photos, these images were often hand developed by the photographer sent to the Sporting News magazine. Therefore, the result is an actual first generation photographers print -again, not be confused with the more commonly found wire photo image. First major collection to enter the market of exclusive Generation 1 Photos.sold for $28.75 in March 2011 on Mears Online Auctions.

Steve Bilko Baseball Bat

Offered is a block letter last name only G122 model, 35.5” and weighs 35.1 oz. There is a vintage ink signature “To Paul” and the number 20 in black marker, a number he only wore with the new Los Angeles Angels in 1961-62. The bat shows heavy game use with deeply embedded ball marks (esp. above the barrel stamp), surface marks, and rack marks. It garners a base grade of 5 for factory records with 3 pts for heavy use with no condition problems of any kind. There is an additional 1 pt for the vintage signature and 1 pt for pinpointed use and uniform number for an overall A10 and an absolutely un-improvable Bilko game bat. Bilko played in organized professional baseball from 1945-63 having some of his best years in the PCL where he was a declared superstar and fan favorite (he hit 313 homers and batted .312 in his minor league career). He played for the PCL Angels from 1955-57 batting better than .300 each season and joined the Angels again with the new expansion in 1961-62 (the team this bat originates from) In addition, he played stints for the Cardinals (1949-54) , Cubs 1954, Reds 1958 and Detroit 1960. His minor league teams included Allentown, Salisbury, Winston-Salem, Rochester, Lynchburg, and Spokane PCL (his last season). sold at mears online auction for $415.95.

Steve Bilko Photograph (1957)

Steve Bilko Photographs - Shaking Hands After a Home Run


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Steve Bilko Belts 50th Home Run - Photo (August 27, 1956)






Steve Bilko Photograph - Batting

Bill Sweeney

Bill Sweeney, Fred Haney, and Abbot and Costello Photo

Bill Sweeney and Gail Patrick Photos

Ted Williams Photo

Ted Williams ...

1913 Sacramento Wolves PCL Pennant

Outrageous Sacramento "Wolves" Pacific Coast League pennant features the "Wolves" team logo (wolf with crossed bats and glove) in full color and the legend "Sacramento Watch Our Smoke" on a very high quality dark blue felt. The Sacramento team was called the "Wolves" only in 1913 and 1914, in honor of their manager, former major leaguer Harry Sterling Wolverton. Wolverton was the manager of the Yankees in 1912. Though he led the Yankees to a distant last place finish in his only season managing a major league club, it was with great fanfare that the Sacramento team of the Pacific Coast League hired the former big league manager to lead their team in 1913. Wolverton did not disappoint. Sacramento landed second place in 1913, but fell to second to last place in 1914. In 1915 the team moved to San Francisco, dating this pennant with certainty from either 1913 or 1914. All early PCL pennants are extremely rare, but this is an incredible rarity we have never even seen before, and a particularly extraordinary example in terms of design, condition, and significance to the rich history of the Pacific Coast League. Length: 34.5 inches. With flawless colors, and original pennant tassels complete and intact. In Near Mint condition. Reserve $400. Estimate $800/$1,200. SOLD FOR $2,610.00 at robert edwards auction in 2005.

1941 San Francisco Seals Signed Baseball




















Twenty-four members of the circa 1941 San Francisco Seals have signed this Official Pacific Coast League baseball. Signatures include PCL legends Tony Lazzeri ("8") and Lefty O'Doul (sweet spot, "8/9"), as well as Ferris Fain ("8"), Sam Gibson (PCL HOF, "8/9"), Win Ballou ("8"), Roy Partee ("8"), Larry Woodall ("8/9"), etc. The balance of the signatures grade an "8/9" and the ball itself is in Excellent condition. LOAs from Mike Gutierrez/GAI and James Spence & Steve Grad/PSA DNA and Kevin Keating/QAMV. Reserve $300. Estimate $800/$1,200. SOLD FOR $920.00 in 2004 at robert edwards auctions.

1909 San Francisco Seals Postcard

Extremely rare postcard issued in 1909 to commemorate the San Francisco Seals' first Pacific Coast League Championship. In addition to being very rare, this is certainly one of the most unusual baseball picture postcards ever created! The postcard features portrait images of sixteen members of the Seals, who, on this postcard, have literally become seals. Each player's photo portrait has been artistically placed upon the respective neck of an illustrated seal, all of which are seen basking on a rock in the San Francisco Bay. The printing in the lower right notes the team, year, and photographer: "The Seals/San Francisco/Copyright 1909/Law Co." The San Francisco Seals were a charter member of the Pacific Coast League, which was founded in 1903. In 1909 the Seals, under the managerial leadership of both Jack Gleason and Dan Long, compiled an amazing record of 132-80 to capture their first PCL Championship in franchise history. That mark also helped solidify the club's status as one of the greatest PCL teams ever assembled. (MILB.com, the official website of minor-league baseball, ranks the 1909 Seals as number seventy-one in its list of the 100 greatest minor-league teams of all time.) According to our research, the Seals official roster in 1909 numbered twenty-six players, including seven of whom later advanced to the Major Leagues: Ping Bodie, Claude Berry, Frank Browning, Joe Corbett, Doc Miller, Tom Tennant, and Rollie Zeider. Since none of the players are identified by name on the postcard, we cannot state with certainty who is represented here; however, one can only assume that if someone went to the trouble to create such a memorable postcard, they would have made sure that the team's top stars were represented. The postcard (5.5 x 3.5 inches) has not been inscribed on the reverse or mailed. The number "60" is written in pencil on the reverse. There are two very slight creases, in the lower right and left, respectively, that can only be seen when viewed at certain angles; otherwise the card is in Excellent condition overall. From the Ron Menchine Collection. Reserve $200. Estimate $400+. SOLD FOR $1,410 in 2011 robert edwards auction.



1910 E221 Bishop & Co. Los Angeles Team PCL Card

Offered is the Los Angeles club (blue background) from the E221 Bishop PCL team card series. E221 Bishop Team cards are among the rarest of all "E card" issues, and one of the most highly prized of all PCL issues. Distributed by Bishop & Company of Los Angeles, E221s are noted for their brightly colored backgrounds (red, blue, yellow, purple, or green), unusual design, and extreme rarity. These team photographs were issued as premiums in five-cent packages of Bishop's Milk Chocolate. There were six teams in the PCL in 1910, but to date only five different Bishop Team cards are known. The sixth team (Sacramento) has yet to surface, suggesting that it may have never been issued. E221s measure 10 x 2.75 inches. They are printed on thin stock and are therefore particularly susceptible to damage. The offered example is an uncommonly sharp, high-grade sample. Please note that all E221s have a single thin vertical centerfold, as this is how they were issued. Ex-Mt. Reserve $800. Estimate $1,500/$2,500. SOLD FOR $4,025.00 in 2004 at robert edwards auction.

George Hildlebrand Photo, Circa 1930

later umpired in big leagues, played in PCL for XX years; 5x7 photo from TSN archive, sold for $17.50 in March 2011; mears online auction; circa 1930 ...

Padres versus Mission Reds at Seals Stadium (1937)

Billy Martin and Jackie Jensen Photo (1949)

Buzz Arlett Autograph Model Bat

Buzz Arlett bat, 35 inch, 32 oz. autograph model bat; sold for $174.80 at mears auction in February 2011;