Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2012

A St. Louis Brown Shines As Autograph All-Star

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This logo and
lots of other gems
are waiting at
www.thestlbrowns.blogspot.com.
 
Make it official: I’m a Nick Diunte fan.
 
Any article of his is a treat. Nick isn’t the pompous professor of baseball-ology type of journalist. His writing is smart, yet FUN.
 
That’s why I had to share this note:
 
“I figured that this article might be of interest to you and your readers. It was inspired by the great TTM return I had earlier this month from Frank Saucier, who after a few months, not only signed by items, but sent along a few articles about his career and his military service. The articles he sent fueled the article that I wrote. He’s the second old timer who has sent me a multiple page reply of articles and photos about his career after I talked a little baseball in the letter.”
 
 

Who’s A Collectible Baseball Autograph?

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An obituary got me thinking. I hope it does the same for you.

Bill Behm never wore the Tigers uniform. However, Detroit’s trainer contributed to two World Series winners, the championship teams of 1968 and 1984. How many men got to be a part of both celebrations?

Who is worthy, autograph collectors? Only players? Only those active-duty, cap-and-jersey roster members? Only the people who appear in a card set?

Think hard about your definition of collectible. Bill Behm’s obituary appeared everywhere. Pages and pages of search-engine listings. His passing reminds us that the window of opportunity for unconventional baseball autographs closes quickly.

Coming Wednesday: Hitting the jackpot with one of the last St. Louis Browns!

What’s The Best Baseball Book Of 2012?

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Help Mike Shannon Honor
The Best Baseball Books
Of 2012

This blog likes baseball letters. There’s a special power in letters.

Did you like a new baseball-related book this year? If so, you have two choices.

1. You could write a letter to the author. Tell the author why you liked the book.

2. You could SHOW the author how you liked the book by nominating the book for an award.

3. Why not do both?

To help make an author’s day is one Mike Shannon. (No, Cardinals fans. The OTHER Mike Shannon!)

Here’s the invite he’s shared:

Please consider this your invitation to nominate baseball books for the 2012 CASEY Awards, the 30th Anniversary of the Award!

You may nominate up to 10 books but only books which you have actually read; no hearsay please.
All books to be nominated must carry a 2012 copyright.

Only works published as real physical books are eligible; works published ONLY in an electronic format are NOT eligible.

You may send in nominations via email or via USPS to: Spitball, 5560 Fox Road, Cincinnati, OH 45239
Deadline for nominations: October 31, 2012

NB (for publishers)* Publishers do not have to formally Nominate their books. All baseball books received for review by Spitball are automatically considered for the CASEY Award. However, we must have a finished copy of the book in the Spitball office; galleys and proofs do not meet this requirement. If your title is listed on the “Current Baseball Books” page of our website, then we do have a copy of the book. If the title is NOT LISTED, then we DO NOT have a copy of it and we need one to be sent to the Spitball office, please, asap.

Thank you for your cooperation and important contribution to the CASEY Award process.

Mike Shannon, Editor
Spitball: The Literary Baseball Magazine
5560 Fox Road
Cincinnati, OH 45239
www.spitballmag.com

Check out his website. When it comes to baseball literature, Mike is the genre’s biggest booster!

The Autograph Card In Action!

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Frank Viola!
One of the superb examples pictured
on The Autograph Card Facebook site.
 

You’ve gotta love an answer like that.

I checked in with some of my favorite guys in the hobby at The Autograph Card.

Co-creator Brian Flam, fresh off an appearance at the National Sports Collectors Convention (offering a show-only card set!) said he was busy when I checked in for an update on some of the great hobby products he’s offering. Check back in October.

Too busy counting his huge profits?

Nope. He’s using what he makes.

Brian was getting ready for a trip to ‘graph the Arizona Fall League. Smart move, getting tomorrow’s stars today. You know what he’ll be getting autographed when he’s there.

Brian and partner Russell Miles believe in what they make. They’re still collectors.

Check out their Facebook page or website. There’s no reason to struggle with blank index cards when you have artful alternatives like The Autograph Card.

Collecting And KNOWING Roger Maris!

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Andy served as a
technical advisor
for the movie.
From fan to friend.
 
That’s the amazing tale of Andy Strasberg and Roger Maris. Yes, this is evidence of what a sincere fan letter can accomplish.
 
The one question I wanted to ask Andy was about Roger Maris, autograph signer. He replied…
 
“Tom,
 
We never discussed his fan mail or his philosophy regarding autograph requests.
 
In the early 1980s, while I was working for the Padres my boss, Elten Schiller asked me if I could get Roger to autograph a few first day covers for his collection. I asked Rog and he said absolutely which made me look like a hero to Elten.
 
Here’s a few other Maris autograph stories:
 
Soon after Roger passed away, I received in the mail a baseball that an artist had painted Roger’s image on and it had Roger’s autograph. The ball was sent as a friendly gesture from long time collector Barry Halper who knew of my admiration for Maris.
 
 
And a couple of years after Roger passed away, I received a surprise package from Roger’s wife, Pat who had enclosed a few autographed items for my collection and thought that I would enjoy them.
 
And finally, while I was working as a consultant on the HBO movie 61*, Barry Pepper, who played Maris in the movie, remarked that he was trying to get an autograph photo of Roger and one day while we were taking a break in between shots on the set of the Yankee Clubhouse I surprised him and gave him an autograph photo of Maris hitting #61. Barry was speechless and tears welled up in his eyes as he thanked and hugged me.
 
Andy”
 
I can’t say enough about Andy’s new book Baseball Fantography. Get two: one to savor, and one to share. It’s a perfect present for a fellow fan.
 
Coming Wednesday: Kiss blank index cards goodbye!