We don’t know what happened to the "bushel full" of cards Eddie Boyle claims to have had, but his memories as a 19th century player are still around–and headed for a weekend auction.
For years they were all stored in an attic–so hard to find amid the antiques and personal belongings that it just never saw the light of day.
Somehow the baseball mementos of one Eddie Boyle survived in the decades following his death. The Cincinnati native played just ten games in the big leagues during the 1896 season, while his brother Jack had a longer career in the early days of pro ball.
Along the way, they stored letters from Charles Comiskey, a few Old Judge baseball cards, tickets, their player contracts and other pieces. Great-grandson Mike Eckhoff wound up with them and has consigned it all to Hunt Auctions’ upcoming sale.
“The story told by all these pieces is pretty amazing,” Eckhoff told Cincinnati.com, which has a story on the family’s treasures.