Header - Baseball by the Letters

Year: 2014

Baseball Managers of the Year: Matt Williams, Buck Showalter and Justin Evans?

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Justin Evans is a hobby hero. 

While Matt Williams and Buck Showalter were zoned on post-season berths, Justin was building a team of his own.
His Facebook site “Baseball Autographs” proves that collecting is still fun.
The site is a FREE place for autograph fans to gather and share pictures of one signature or a whole collection. Members are sharing opinions on autograph authenticity and other topics.
Justin enforces just two rules:
1. No buying/selling/trading.
2. No profanity. He knows that some members are kids. Discussion of signers and non-signers remains G-rated.
This is the hobby I remember. Only an occasional “what is it worth?” pops up, only to be dealt with by the membership. And the answer remains (from me), “As much or as little as you value the autograph.”
Justin amazes me for another reason. He’s posted the questionnaires he’s received from some of baseball’s oldest names. He’s gotten great insights from long-retired alums who’ve shared tales of their service in the military and on the diamond. A kindred spirit of “Baseball By The Letters.”
Check out one of the brightest spots in the Facebook universe. Whether you choose to join or not, let Justin know that you appreciate his efforts to share all the things good still remaining in the world of baseball autographs. 

Chicago Cub Kris Bryant Amazes

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Anyone who followed the 2013 Iowa Cubs could see
how Bryant “gets” being a fan-friendly public figure.
The Des Moines Register loved Bryant as much for his
attitude as his home runs!

No one’s deserved a headline this year more than Kris Bryant.

Please, check out this feel-good feature about Bryant befriending a collector via Twitter once more. Read between the lines.
They know we’re out there!
My first thought was scary: greedy grabbers bombard the future Cub star with a “give me something, too!” requests.
However, bigger possibilities prevailed. 
I think pointing out to a star that you’ve seen how much his autograph goes for at private signings. Ask if you could have just one, or what charity you could donate to.
The message would be clear: I don’t want a dealer involved. I’m making a sincere, personal connection. 
Hey, it melted Kris Bryant’s heart. It’s a game plan that could work.

Forget The Movie: Girls Leaguers Knew The REAL Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx

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A League Of Their Own was a movie. JUST a movie.

The 1992 movie introduced unknowing baseball fans to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. 
But a fact-based retelling? Magazines were quick to look for real-life equivalents for all characters.
The Tom Hanks character? A down-and-out former player who hit more than 500 home runs, but drank too much, only to get one last chance as a manager?
Well, Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx managed the Fort Wayne Daisies in 1952. He hit 534 homers. Maybe…?
Try asking a real AAGPBL player about the real-life skipper. 
While working on the revised edition of Belles of the Ballpark, I received a kind letter from Dolly Ozburn, a young pitcher for the ’52 Daisies. She wrote:
“Jimmie was a very nice and caring person. He was okay as a manager, but since I was only 15, I had few managers to which I could compare him. I learned the most about baseball from his successor, Bill Allington.”
In other words, there’s history and Hollywood. Seldom, the two will meet.
Dolly was elected to the Milwaukee Brewers Hall of Fame in 2005. She’s been a star in keeping AAGPBL history alive. A tip of the cap to her!

Happy 20th Anniversary, Harvey ‘Address King’ Meiselman!

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The race is on.

Harvey Meiselman has started taking advance orders on his 2015 address lists.
Drop by his website. Harvey has NINE different lists for sale for this coming year.
I am a huge fan of his baseball list. Other collectors swear by his minor league list. (Imagine men who never got their shot at the majors getting remembered by mail. Big results!)
Anyone ordering before Christmas gets a bonus address list of Hall of Famers from all sports.
Why buy now for something weeks away?
Harvey is a “first in, first out” guy. You’ll get your order filled immediately. He’ll have new addresses of sometimes-signers. These men may not keep signing. Fill their mailbox first.
In other words: competitive edge.
Harvey works year-round on the list. Here was an example of a discovery he added to the 2014 list — finding shortstop Harry Chappas. Expect more great detective work in 2015. 
I’m a long-time customer. Harvey has never stopped collecting. His lists are tops. He is, too.

Who Wants World Series Chevy Guy’s Autograph? Me!

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Another MVP Award has to go to
Buzzfeed.com. See the whole Wilde video
and the Chris Farley salute. I love their photo,
by the way. Bumgarner looks ready to
strangle Wilde. Andrews struggles not to laugh.
Selig seems ready to clonk Chevy Guy
with the trophy!

I would!

Rikk Wilde is on my want list. I would love to get a letter to the star-struck, tongue-tied Chevy executive chosen to crown Madison Bumgarner World Series MVP.
I hope that Chevy doesn’t throw Wilde under the bus (oops…Chevy bus?). Isn’t it nice to think that some companies are populated with humans, not robotic wind-up dolls?
Wilde loves baseball. He loves his job. He was Mighty Casey in KC. I’ve been nervous, too. Who can’t relate to that?
He deserves a commercial. He deserves his own baseball card.