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2015 Cincinnati All-Star auction features fascinating baseball correspondence

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Letters from umpire turned folk artist George Sosnak. (Courtesy Hunt Auctions)
Letters from umpire turned folk artist George Sosnak. (Courtesy Hunt Auctions and Invaluable.com)

The 2015 All-Star Game proves it. The “official” auction proclaims baseball letters as true collectibles.

Once, something like a cancelled check was seen only as a substitute way of getting a real signature.

Now, the world sees letters as proof that baseball personalities are people, too. Two people connecting over a team, a moment…a chapter of baseball history.

The first two lots come from the family of Herb Carneal. A Ford Frick-winning broadcaster, Carneal announced Minnesota Twins games from 1962-2006. 

Johnny Pesky’s military service, and his value to the Red Sox, are documented in a batch of signed correspondence.

The most fascinating lot surrounds minor league umpire and folk artist George Sosnak. Sosnak’s painted baseball’s are legendary. Here, collectors can see him big-name support for his art. A wonderful Facebook group of collectors of Sosnak art offers a great introduction to his creations.

Online pre-bidding ends tonight (Monday, July 13) at 10 p.m. EST. Check the site for prices realized.

And, realize that those baseball letters you’re getting will have lasting value, too!

 

Kal Segrist: former Yankee, overlooked signer, gone at 84

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In 2010, The Great Orioles Autograph Project blogger Ryan commented about Segrist's shaky signature.
In 2010, The Great Orioles Autograph Project blogger Ryan commented about Segrist’s shaky signature.

Don’t let the card companies tell you the players to write to.

Kal Segrist was another star signer in that quickly-shrinking roster of 1950s players. The only widely available card of Segrist came in 1991, the Baltimore Orioles Crown Oil retrospective set.

A former 1950s Yankee? I expected hundreds of contacts reported on www.sportscollectors.net. Nope. Just 39 attempts, with 33 successes. I blame the lack of a Topps card for why more never bothered writing him.

One of my favorite baseball writers, Nick Diunte, did an all-star job crafting a remembrance of Segrist. 

The missing chapter of Darryl Hamilton?

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(Courtesy of Rich Hanson)
(Courtesy of Rich Hanson)

Most fans know how Darryl Hamilton died.

Whether he signed an autograph for you or not, add a memory to your collection.

Remember how he lived with this moving obituary. I spotted this jewel from a fellow member of the Facebook Group Baseball Player Passings.

Lastly, don’t wait to send those letters. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us.

 

Placing a value on current baseball autographs

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RichsRamblingsRich Klein knows.

Just like that E.F. Hutton commercial, I listened to him when he was part of the Beckett team. The same respect remains today.

Check out his clear insights on the costs of getting an autograph, be it by mail, in-person at a show or from a dealer. And, here’s someone who remembers how important it is for a show attendee to get a chance to meet the guest signer.

Ramblings? Rich is anything but. Check out his archives, too. Hobby shows won’t die, as long as we have old-school supporters like Rich.

SportsCollectors Daily, you have an all-star on your roster!

The League of Outsider Baseball: Perfect for Father’s Day!

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OutsiderBaseballBeing logical is overrated.

Everyone’s talking about the new book The League of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball’s Forgotten Heroes by Gary Cieradkowski.

Immediately, I see a reader out there. The book jacket bio begins “…is an artist…” 

Important: Gary is all that. And more!

Yes, the art is beautiful. However, this man can write, too. He evokes the style and lingo for write-ups you’d find on old tobacco cards. 

Of course, he has a graphic art flair in creating his own take on tobacco cards. He finds baseball ties in the most unlikely places, even commemorating Frank Sinatra, football’s George “Papa Bear” Halas and author Jack Kerouac. 

Back to the book: 

Gary shared a love of baseball with his father. The two would swap obscure tales from baseball’s past, unearthing trivia exposing baseball names large and small. When dad died in 2009, Gary started a blog, Infinite Card Set, posting new art and new stories. Kindred spirits found Gary, and a new baseball history tradition took root.

Author-illustrator Gary Cieradkowski
Author-illustrator Gary Cieradkowski

The book will get the most devout fan through a long off-season. Stories are fast-paced, funny, sometimes poignant and always well-researched. Even after all 233 pages, a fan would get endless hours of joy studying Gary’s depiction of players, real and imagined. 

The back cover notes that Gary created graphics for Oriole Park at Camden Yards. After this book, expect teams and card companies to fight for the services of this insightful, creative artist-author. Thankfully, we all have the Infinite Card Set online, keeping us content until a sequel appears.