The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is celebrated in a new exhibition that features a wealth of memorabilia. The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT is hosting it through November 15. Waterbury has long been a geographic dividing line between the two fan bases.
The exhibition is curated by art dealer and sports fan Neil Scherer of GoingGoingGoneSports. com.
The show includes nearly 20 displays showcasing such moments as Bucky Dent’s 1978 playoff home run. A ticket, program, a piece of the famous Green Monster and autographs of all players who played in that classic game are included. Other tributes include Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak with autographs of the pitchers he victimized.
Mickey Mantle’s World Series home run record is commemorated with a large signed photo, surrounded by tickets from every World Series clout and the autograph of every pitcher he connected off of in the fall classic.
Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game is given special attention with an autographed program.
Another work captures the 1961 chase by Roger Maris to become the new single-season home run holder with tickets and scored programs from his 60th and 61st home runs. A signed Babe Ruth photo along with the rare 1927 game ticket from his 60th home run is represented. The exhibition features autographs of every Yankee player who played in the 1927 World Series, tickets from all four games, program and a check signed by Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert.
Red Sox Fans see “Green Monster Heroes,” which includes the three Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Yaz and Jim Rice with signed photos patrolling left field.
Another work brings attention to the 100 years of Fenway Park with multiple rare items, while art work from Gary Erbe, Adam Port and Ben Ganz round out the exhibition.
Randy Kaplan, whose hobby is collecting baseballs signed by world leaders, scored a biggie a couple of months ago. After years of trying, he landed a signed ball from the pope.
Kaplan is relentless in his quest to get some of the world’s most famous (and not so famous) heads of state. He has some fun tales to tell about his efforts and his interactions.
His unusual collection caught the attention of NPR. You can read (and listen to) their interview with him here.
MLB’s All-Star FanFest continues through Tuesday in Miami. Several former players are on hand to sign autographs as part of the annual event.
The Orlando Sun-Sentinel was there, talking with collectors, fans and even the “official artist” who was in action.
Some great hobby lore from Keith Olbermann, who has been collecting vintage cards since he was an elementary school student in New York a few decades ago. He was a speaker at the inaugural meeting of the SABR Baseball Cards Committee. You can listed to it here.
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