The first Baseball Hall of Fame induction celebration in 1939 was quite a party. Big crowds descended on little Cooperstown, NY to see some of the greats from pro baseball’s first 50 years in person.
It was also one big autograph party.
In the absence of the type of security you see today, fans were able to mingle and get autographs from Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Nap Lajoie, Walter Johnson, Connie Mack and the other icons who were enshrined.
Some fans bought first day covers with Hall of Fame stamps issued by the postal service and got the players to sign them later. Those go for big bucks.
On this week’s Antiques Roadshow, another signed item from that day nearly 85 years ago made an appearance:
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