Early Ruth, Keeler Memorabilia Highlight Next SCP Auction

SCP Auctions will offer more than 750 lots of  sports memorabilia and cards in its next auction, set to launch Wednesday, May 26 including a number of historic, never-before-seen items.

High grade vintage, rare baseball and other sports cards will join some museum-quality memorabilia for the auction, which will come to a close two weeks later.

Highlighting the sale is a trove of memorabilia from the estate collection of Cy Jones,  which is entering the market for the first time.

An avid sports fan and connoisseur of history and popular culture and as an employee of the famed New York Concessions conglomerate, Harry M. Stevens, Co., Cy Jones established and maintained relationships with many famous athletes beginning in the 1930’s and continuing through the 1980’s.

Those he counted amongst his personal friends were the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Sid Luckman, Babe Ruth, Fran Tarkenton, George Halas and Jack Dempsey just to name a few. Throughout his life Cy accumulated objects directly from many of the most prolific athletes of his day. Furthermore, his pioneering sensibilities as a collector and his affable personality enabled him to forge relationships with living legends from bygone eras such as Ty Cobb, as well as family members of deceased sports icons, including Claire Ruth the wife of his pal “The Babe”.

Highlights from the Cy Jones estate collections include:

• 1914 PROVIDENCE BASE BALL CLUB INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS ORIGINAL LARGE FORMAT TEAM PHOTOGRAPH FEATURING BABE RUTH AND SIGNED BY BABE RUTH (PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10)

• 1927 NEW YORK YANKEES 11″ BY 14″ TEAM PHOTOGRAPH SIGNED BY BABE RUTH AND INSCRIBED “THE GREATEST TEAM OF THEM ALL 1927”.

• CHRISTY MATHEWSON AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF HIS BOOK “PITCHING IN A PINCH” DATED JUNE 3, 1912 (PSA/DNA MINT 9)

• JOE DIMAGGIO AUTOGRAPHED 1946-49 H&B PROFESSIONAL MODEL GAME USED BAT (PSA/DNA GU10) WITH ARTICLES OF PROVENANCE

• FRAN TARKENTON MINNESOTA VIKINGS JERSEY WORN BY TARKENTON DECEMBER 20, 1975 TO TIE AND BREAK NFL CAREER TOUCHDOWN RECORD – WITH HANDWRITTEN LOA AND PHOTO FROM TARKENTON

• JACK DEMPSEY FIGHT WORN SHOES AND SIGNED PHOTO WITH HANDWRITTEN LOA FROM DEMPSEY

SCP is offering a huge collection of game-used bats once used by some of baseball’s most legendary players.  Four of the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame are represented.   Highlights include:

• 1918-21 BABE RUTH LOUISVILLE SLUGGER GAME USED BAT (MEARS A8.5)

• 1907-08 TY COBB SPALDING PROFESSIONAL MODEL BAT (MEARS A8 AND PSA/DNA GU8)

• 1917-21 HONUS WAGNER SIDE WRI 1917-21 SIDE WRITTEN PROFESSIONAL MODEL BAT (MEARS A10)

• 1918-21 GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER LOUISVILLE SLUGGER SIDE WRITTEN GAME USED BAT (MEARS A9.5) (PSA/DNA GU10)

• RARE 1920 WALTER JOHNSON LOUISVILLE SLUGGER SIDE WRITTEN GAME USED BAT (MEARS A10) (PSA/DNA GU9)

• RARE 1931 LEFTY GROVE LOUISVILLE SLUGGER GAME USED WORLD SERIES BAT (MEARS 8.5) (PSA/DNA GU9)

• MEL OTT 1943-44 H&B PROFESSIONAL MODEL GAME USED BAT WITH TEAM SOURCE PROVENANCE (PSA/DNA GU9)

• 1960 WORLD SERIES MICKEY MANTLE AUTOGRAPHED ADIRONDACK GAME USED BAT (MEARS A10)

• ROBERTO CLEMENTE AUTOGRAPHED 1971 H&B PROFESSIONAL MODEL GAME USED BAT ATTRIBUTED TO 1971 WORLD SERIES (PSA/DNA GU9.5

The SCP Auctions sale, which bconcludes June 10^th, will feature additional property from a number of private estates and collections, including that of Hall of Fame great Willie Keeler.

The originator of the phrase, “Hit ‘em where they ain’t”, Keeler pursued this policy so cleverly that he had a lifetime average of .341 between 1892 and 1910.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1939, Keeler donned the uniforms of the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Superbas and New York Highlanders during his prolific 19-year career.

A group of six items mostly related to the 1896 Temple Cup Series have been consigned to the auction by one of Willie Keeler’s closest living descendants.

Most notable is a double-signed 1896 handwritten diary with daily entries documenting the entire 1896 Temple Cup Series between Keeler’s Orioles and the Cleveland Spiders.

Described by SCP Auctions officials as “One of the most fascinating and important 19th Century baseball manuscripts ever discovered”, the well-traveled 3 ¼” by 6” leather bound volume is a personal diary kept by Keeler while he was with Baltimore in 1896. The Temple Cup was a forerunner of the World Series, with the first and second place teams in the National League meeting in a best-of-seven playoff. Baltimore defeated Cleveland in four straight games.

A wide variety of quality pre and post-war card lots in the auctionl showcase cards from nearly every vintage baseball issue, as well as the most impressive selection of football cards ever assembled by SCP Auctions to date.

The pre-war card category features a newly discovered Cuban baseball set.  The 1924 Agulitas Cigars set of 900 subjects includes 44 baseball players and is housed in the original album.   One of the most prodigious and substantive tobacco card issues ever produced in Cuba, the 1924-25 Aguilitas Segundas series was a promotional vehicle for the Aguilitas Cigarette brand.

The series includes  cards that feature a broad array of celebrities from various sports and entertainment fields.  Among the highly coveted selection of baseball players are several members of the Cuban and National Baseball Halls of Fame and Negro League stars. Notables include Cristobal Torriente, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Jose Mendez, Oscar Charleston and Biz Mackey.

“For a multitude of reasons, the population of 1924-25 Aguilitas Segundas baseball cards is extraordinarily thin, leaving collectors with a scant sampling of mostly low-grade specimens to compete for,” said SCP Auctions’ Managing Director Dan Imler.  “Needless to say, finding a complete set of 44 baseball players in tact is rare. Finding a complete high-grade set in an original 9 ¼” by 11 ¾” Aguilitas Segundas album, along with all 856 other cards is a monumentally important event in our hobby.”

Other pre-war card highlights include:

• 1888 N162 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS BASEBALL PLAYER SET BREAK INCL. LOW POP NM PSA 7’S

• 1887 N175 GYPSY QUEEN $10,000 KELLY PR SGC 1

• 1909-11 T206 TY COBB (GREEN PORTRAIT) NM SGC 84

• 1909-11 T206 EDDIE PLANK GOOD PSA 2

• “LOUISIANA FIND” OF 1911-19 REGIONAL TOBACCO CARDS INCL. MINO, KOTTON AND T213 COUPON CIGARETTES

• 1916 M101-1 BLANK BACK #87 JOE JACKSON NM+ SGC 86 (1/1)

• 1933 GOUDEY #106 NAPOLEON LAJOIE MINT PSA 9

• RARE 1935 PEBBLE BEACH CLOTHIERS JOE DIMAGGIO AUTOGRAPHED POSTCARD

The post-war card category of the auction is loaded with prominent multi-sport offerings including impressive singles, high-grade complete sets, near sets and lots. Post-war card highlights include:

• 1952 TOPPS #311 MICKEY MANTLE EX SGC 60

• 1953 BOWMAN COLOR COMPLETE SET WITH 141 SIGNED CARDS

• 1953 TOPPS BASEBALL COMPLETE SET OF 274

• 1954 DAN DEE POTATO CHIPS MICKEY MANTLE NM-MT PSA 8

• 1955 BOWMAN FOOTBALL COMPLETE PSA GRADED SET – FOURTH HIGHEST RANKED SET ON PSA REGISTRY

• 1957 TOPPS FOOTBALL #151 PAUL HORNUNG ROOKIE MINT PSA 9

• 1961-62 FLEER BASKETBALL PSA GRADED NEAR SET (59/66) 72% NM-MT PSA 8

• 1961 TOPPS BASEBALL HIGH GRADE COMPLETE SET OF 587

• 1962 TOPPS BASEBALL HIGH GRADE COMPLETE SET OF 598

• 1963 TOPPS BASEBALL HIGH GRADE COMPLETE SET OF 576

• 1964 TOPPS BASEBALL HIGH GRADE COMPLETE SET OF 587

• 1971 TOPPS BASEBALL NEAR SET (81% COMPLETE) INCLUDING (603) PSA 8’S

• 1971 TOPPS FOOTBALL COMPLETE SET – THE NUMBER ONE FINEST PSA GRADED SET OF ALL TIME

Other  significant autographed pieces, game used items, rings & awards, programs, display pieces include:

• 1915 BOSTON RED SOX WORLD CHAMPIONS LEATHER DISPLAY

• 1920 JACK DEMPSEY HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION TIMEKEEPERS POCKET WATCH
• FINE BABE RUTH SINGLE SIGNED BASEBALL

• RARE 1948 ORIGINAL PHOTO “THE BABE BOWS OUT” BY NAT FEIN (PSA/DNA TYPE 1)

• 1955 MICKEY MANTLE NEW YORK YANKEES GAME WORN AND SIGNED HOME JERSEY-PHOTO MATCHED (MEARS A7)

• CARL YASTRZEMSKI 1967 BOSTON RED SOX GAME WORN HOME JERSEY (TRIPLE CROWN SEASON)

• ROBERTO CLEMENTE 1968 ALL-STAR ADIRNODACK PROFESSIONAL MODEL GAME USED BAT

• 1974 LIMITED EDITION (10/22) BRONZE STATUE OF GALE SAYERS BY ARTIST T. HOLLAND

• 1968-2007 SUPER BOWL I-XLI NEAR COMPLETE RUN OF FULL TICKETS (37/41)

Each of the 750-plus items will be featured in SCP Auctions full color catalog as well as on the SCP Auctions website at www.SCPAuctions.com.  The auction will close June 10.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]