LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2006 October Signature Sports Auction #705  / 

19178

1966 Handwritten Notes Casey Stengel HOF Induct.

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Autographs (Original) Start Price:300.00 USD Estimated At:1,200.00 - 1,500.00 USD
1966 Handwritten Notes Casey Stengel HOF Induct.
<B>1966 Handwritten Notes for Casey Stengel's Hall of Fame Induction Speech from the Casey Stengel Collection.</B></I> Titanically important offering is believed to represent the first time a Hall of Famer's induction speech notes have ever been offered for public sale. Unceremoniously "filed" in a tremendous stack of Stengel's paperwork, these three pages were spotted by a sharp Heritage staffer who recognized them for what they are. An 8.5x11" lined yellow page begins with the words, "Hall of Fame & Museum, Cooperstown, N.Y., July 25th 1966," and goes on to mention a fellow inductee "Ted Williams, perfect swing, can hit distance, greatest batter hitting L. handed in my experience in the American League." He discusses "old bats, gloves, shoes, uniforms and shape of shirts with collars, mustaches, sliding pads, woolen shirts...This year am enducted (sic), Chosen by B.B.W.A. of America." A second yellow page seems to be a false start, but begins much like the first. Another page approximately the size of a legal pad continues with notes like "New Building, Abner Doubleday, game of Base-Ball, One-Cat Two-Cat or Rounders." Later he lists the names of all original inductees, "Wagner, Grover Alexander...," noting "one alive." Far too much terrific content to include here, but whether these pages were on the podium with Casey when he accepted the greatest honor in baseball, or were just early drafts, the tremendous importance and value of these pages cannot be denied. All ink is in 10/10 condition, and pages are oddly folded but show no noteworthy damage.
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