Autograph Addict » vintage autographs

Billy Raimondi

esiason14 — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:02:51 +0000

Billy Raimondi never had an at bat in the major leagues, but Billy is what baseball is all about…playing for the love of the game. Billy was a catcher in the minor leagues from 1931 through 1952, which was longer than any other position player in Pacific Coast League history (Herm Pillette pitched 23 seasons). He is probably best remembered as a member of the PCL Oakland Oaks. I won’t rehash his career here as it has already been written about, but I encourage you to read his story.

Billy Raimondi biography

Billy Raimondi stats

Billy’s PCL HOF page

Billy’s brother Ernie Raimondi who was a WWII hero.

Billy is now 97 years old. I recently wrote to him and included 3 different photos with duplicates for him to keep. Today I received a package, which included a letter from his son, Billy Jr.

Billy Jr. said,

“My father appreciates that you are interested in his baseball career and that he is still remembered…..his handwriting isn’t as good as it used to be, but he still managed to sign your pictures. Thanks very much for the duplicates and your kind words…”

Full note

View Listing

Billy in 2007 at the PCL Reunion

Thanks Mr. Raimondi!

Latest signed 1962 Topps additions

esiason14 — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:56:04 +0000

Today was a great week. I was able to purchase many cards that I needed for my 1962 Topps set. After this weeks’ haul, I currently have 405 from the set. Here are the latest additions:

Joe Torre (future HOF)
AL Batting Leaders (Signed by Cash, Kaline, Piersall) (HOF)
Don Drysdale (HOF)
Tony Kubek
Elston Howard
Billy Williams (HOF)
Ken Boyer
Hoyt Wilhelm (HOF)
Norm Cash
NL Batting Leaders (signed by Moon and Pinson)
Casey Stengel (HOF)
Dick Howser
Billy Martin
Tim McCarver
Johnny Temple
Matty Alou
Al Scholl
Deron Johnson

…..and saving the best for last. This is my second Maris autograph for the set. This one is part of the “In Action” subset, which is titled “Maris Blasts 61st”. This card commemorates his record breaking HR feat in 1961. Maris signed in blue ballpoint pen.

Maris Blasts 61st.
Click to view full size.

View Listing

AL& NL HR Kings

esiason14 — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:40:18 +0000

I picked up a new addition for our 1962 Topps set. This is one of my favorites so far. The card features Roger Maris and HOFer Orlando Cepeda. This card is extra special because it commemorates Roger’s feat of clubbing 61 HR in ’61 (on the back of the card). Maris and Cepeda signed beautifully in blue sharpie.

Once I actually receive the card, I will post a better scan.

AL & NL HR Kings (Maris and Cepeda)
Click for full size

View Listing

Win Clark: 1897 Louisville Colonels Player

esiason14 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:59:09 +0000

I picked up a neat piece today. Not the biggest name player. In fact, he only played in four Major League games. The cool thing is that he played for the 1897 Louisville Colonels, which were part of the National League at the time. This team had three future Hall of Famers: Rube Waddell, Fred Clarke, and Honus Wagner.

Win Clark went on to manage in the minor leagues for 22 seasons between 1900-1939. He later went on to become the Secretary of the Association of Professional Ball Players of America.

The APBPA currently gives out the “Win Clark Award”, which goes to the first year player who had the most outstanding season. Previous winners include: Lee Walls, Willie Davis, Johnny Callison, Jim Lefebvre, Ron Fairly, Tim Wallach, Mark Grace, Jeff Cirillo, Steve Kemp, Tony Gwynn and Jay Gibbons.

1947 APBPA Membership Card
Click for full size

View Listing

Weekly TTM and other additions (2/15 – 2/21)

esiason14 — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:21:05 +0000

Not a bad week. I received several autographs TTM including a couple for my 1962 Topps set.
Jake Gibbs (1962 Topps)
Ed Hobaugh (2nd auto on 1962 Topps Senators team card)
Ed Roebuck (1962 Topps)
Jim Landis (1962 Topps)
Mike de la Hoz (1962 Topps)
Chuck Essegian (1962 Topps)
Jim Thome (2003 Upper Deck Vintage)
Ty Cline (1965 Topps)
Ty Cline (1966 Topps)
Ty Cline (1966 Topps Cubs team)
……
and my favorite return this week was from Marlan Coughtry. I have been looking for Mr. Coughtry for quite some time. Every once in a while I check to see if he is doing any signings. Each time I come up with nothing. I was finally able to locate Marlan and I wrote him a letter asking if it was ok if I sent him a card to sign. He wrote back in under a week giving me the okay. I was thrilled when I got this card back today along with a nice letter. I was able to finish off this Rookie Parade card for my set and met another nice former player TTM. Thanks again!

1962 Topps Rookie Parade Infielders

View Listing

I also made a couple of small purchases:
1951 Dell Sports Album signed by Bob Lemon, Stan Musial, and George Kell.

1951 Dell Sports Album (Lemon, Musial, Kell

View Listing

1959 Topps Pitching Partners (Pascual / Ramos

View Listing

1959 Topps Pitching Partners (Camilo Pascual / Pedro Ramos)

Mantle/Mays multisigned, NL HR Leaders and more

esiason14 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:38:09 +0000

I just received the latest additions to my 1962 Topps set. Some amazing cards here including a “Braves’ Backstops” card signed by Joe Torre/Del Crandall, “1962 NL Homerun leaders” signed by Willie Mays/Frank Robinson/Orlando Cepeda, and my favorite….Mickey Mantle/Willie Mays dual signed “Managers’ Dream”. Plus several more including a few of HOFers (Yogi Berra, Eddie Mathews, Ernie Banks).

Mickey Mantle/Willie Mays

1961 NL HR Leaders

Braves' Backstops

Yogi Berra

Eddie Mathews

Ernie Banks

On top of these, I also received: Tom Tresh, Harvey Haddix, Bill Kunkel, Chico Fernandez, and Mack Jones.

1962 Topps Rookie Parade

esiason14 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 03:56:22 +0000

Added a couple of really nice Rookie Parade cards today. These cards are hard to find unsigned and I managed to find a couple fully completed…and another couple that were partially completed. I hope to finish those off over the next few months.

Rookie Parade Infielders with Joe Pepitone

View listing

Rookie Parade Pitchers with Jim Bouton

View listing

Rookie Parade Infielders 1962 Topps

View listing

Rookie Parade Catchers 1962 Topps

View listing

Phil Rizzuto signed Knicks program

esiason14 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:30:15 +0000

My brother came to our house for the holidays and brought a big box or cards and autographs that I agreed to buy off of him. There were a lot of nice autographs there, most of which I gave him when we were growing up….Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Michael Jordan, Mark McGwire, Dave Debusschere, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Tony Gwynn, Greg Maddux, George Kell, and a few more. The neatest one was one that I had long forgotten about. It was a 1970 New York Knicks program signed by Phil Rizzuto. My dad was at the Knicks-Bulls game on January 31, 1970 and he happened to run into Mr. Rizzuto. He was kind enough to sign and the only item my dad had was the Knicks program.

Phil Rizzuto autograph

View listing

Orlando Cepeda

esiason14 — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:07:56 +0000

A SCN member recently went to the Chicago Sun-Times Sports Collectibles Convention in Rosemont, IL. He was nice enough to bring along two 1962 Topps Orlando Cepeda cards for me.

Orlando Cepeda 1962 Topps #40

View listing

Orlando Cepeda 1962 Topps #390

View listing

Thanks!

Latest 1962 Topps additions

esiason14 — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:58:57 +0000

I added twelve more cards to my 1962 Topps set today. Some really great ones. The one that I’m most happy about it the Jack Kralick. I have been searching for his card for quite a while. He is a notorious tough autograph to find. He lives in Mexico and throws all of his mail out, so signed pieces are hard to come by. Here is the card that I added to my collection today. Not the greatest; a little light, but I’ll take it;

Jack Kralick 1962 Topps

…and here are some of the other great additions including a few multisigned cards!

Rival League Relief Aces (Roy Face, Hoyt Wilhelm) 1962 Topps

AL Wins Leaders (Whitey Ford, Jim Bunning, Steve Barber, Frank Lary) 1962 Topps

The Right Pitch (Bob Purkey, Jim Turner, Joe Jay) 1962 Topps

Redbird Rippers 1962 Topps

I also added these single signed cards:
Norm Larker
Marv Breeding
Gene Mauch
Art Fowler
Joe Koppe
Rocky Colavito All-Star