April Pickup Thread
 

Hard to find Babe Ruth related Providence Grays items that don't cost a mortgage.....with the added bonus of it being beer related!

When Ruth joined the Grays on August 18, 1914, they were in first place in the International League standings, but in the heat of a pennant race with the Rochester Hustlers and Ruth’s former Baltimore Orioles.

Ruth first took the mound for the Grays on August 22nd, in front a packed crowd at Rochester’s Melrose Park, in a crucial game against the Hustlers. Interestingly enough, the Rochester lineup against Ruth featured a 1st Baseman named Wally Pipp, who later in his career would be infamously replaced in the New York Yankees lineup by Ruth’s future Murderer’s Row partner Lou Gehrig, beginning Gehrig’s record 2,130 consecutive games played streak.

The teenaged Ruth pitched marvelously against Pipp’s Hustlers, conceding only one 7th-inning rally that left the Grays trailing 4-1 into the top of the ninth. However, this only provided an opportunity for the man who became known as “The Sultan of Swat” to show his true genius. With a runner on third, one out, Ruth strode to the plate in front of the raucous crowd. Wielding his famous 42-ounce bat, he made contact with a pitch and sent the ball hurtling deep into the crowd beyond centerfield, so far out of the field of play that it was recognized as the longest ball ever hit at Melrose Park. However, due to an idiosyncratic house ground rule, balls hit out of the field of play were deemed triples, rather than home runs. Ruth wound up scoring the tying run to lead the Grays to a comeback victory, but it wasn’t for two more weeks when he finally recorded his first home run.


On September 5th, Ruth led the Grays into Hanlan’s Point Stadium, located along the sandy beaches of Toronto Island, to take on the hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Ruth blanked the hapless Leafs, posting a one-hit shutout. However again, it was what he did at the plate with his gargantuan bat that became etched forever into Toronto lore.

In the top of the 6th inning, with two runners on base, and two outs, Ruth sent a ball soaring out of the yard and into oblivion, never to be seen again. According to Toronto folklore as well as a former Toronto mayor during the unveiling of a plaque commemorating Ruth’s appearance, the ball landed in Lake Ontario and was lost to its waters. According to the newspaper account of the game, the ball landed in the bleachers and so was presumably taken home by a fan who couldn’t have known the mythic future ahead of the visiting teenaged pitcher.

Whatever the case, Ruth’s home run in Toronto, like the long professional career that followed it, became the stuff of legend.

Shortly after the Grays arrival back in Providence, a local newspaper took stock of the potential showed by the young Bambino.

“Babe Ruth appears to have gotten in on the ground floor with the fans as a result of his baffling southpaw brand of pitching and his ability to give the horse-hide vigorous punishment with the wagon tongue,” wrote the Providence Journal.

Behind Ruth’s efforts, the Grays would go on to beat out Rochester for the 1914 International League title after which Ruth would return to Boston to begin his storied Major League career in earnest.

Added this photo to my Kansas collection. If you haven’t had a chance to catch a Joe E Brown movie you’re missing out. This movie features Brown playing baseball for the fictional Rosedale Rosie’s out of Kansas.

I added this recently too. I also collect Kansas college and high school letter sweaters and patches. This one is from 1925-1927 and features a crude gorilla from Pittsburg State.

The crude gorilla sweater is awesome! What a mascot :D

Thanks Scott it’s one of the first renditions of their mascot. They had a group of guys that supported athletics and cheered the teams on calling themselves gorillas. The school adopted the gorilla as a mascot soon after. I’ve got yearbook pictures of guys wearing this exact shirt. The little things that make us happy right😁.

That is awesome... My new favorite mascot! :D

A nice $10 pickup. Baseball Centennial fountain pen.

I was at an Antique Fair in the UK today and was pleasantly surprised to find this 1950s "Star of the Diamond" decal bat. The decal is a little hard to read but it's Ray Boone from the Tigers. So that places the bat to the 1950s.

If anyone has any info about the series, I'm keen to learn more about it. I think the 252J model was a little league bat but are there other players in the "Star of the Diamond" series?

Couple of new items…

c. 1870 CDV with a blank back and c. 1870 tintype with Cannon Falls, MN ad on back. Possibly from the Cannon Falls team or the nearby St. Paul Saxons.

Rob M

Attachment 567141

Attachment 567142

Antique store find today.

Rob, I like the cdv and tintype. Nice to see.

Thanks Bruce. Might be available if interested. Rob

A few more April pickups...Harry Davis and Cy Williams Spalding bats which brings my total to 7 of the Spalding Autograph bats. Next is a wonderful bat which weighs probably around 60 ounces..nice knob and great patina. The last item is a ticket stub from Game 4 of the 1938 World Series which was Gehrig's last WS game.

Tigers
 

Just arrived today.

Picked up a few odds and ends from an online seller.

Can’t go wrong with Strohs and Tigers👍 Nice pickup.

Thank you. I thought it was a cool advertising piece. Previously, I had purchased five of the seven pieces (missing the Stroh's sign and beer) and thought the piece was complete. The seller even thought the piece was complete and then I saw the one pictured above.

some Great pickups Jim

Congrats

Thanks! Now if I could only remember where I’ve put them!

A few photos...

That is awesome! Strohs was my Dad's beer. I still remember the distinctive smell. :p

Justin Verlander 2nd no-hitter game ball
 

I'm really excited to have added this signed & inscribed game ball from future HOF'er Justin Verlander's 2nd of 3 career no-hitters.

FYI, I now have game balls from all of the top no-hit pitchers in the modern era.
Also in my collection are game balls from 6 of Ryan's 7 no-hitters, a game ball from Sandy Koufax's 1st no-hitter, a ball from Bob Feller's 3rd (and best) no-hitter.

NOTE: Three career no-hitters puts Verlander in rarified air.
In MLB history, only HOF Larry Corcoran (1800's pitcher), HOF Cy Young, HOF Bob Feller and Verlander have hurled 3 no-hitters.

Only two players have thrown more:
HOF Sandy Koufax had 4 including a perfect game in 1965 and HOF Nolan Ryan had his unparalleled MLB standard of 7 career no-hitters.

Mark, thanks for your comment! I just seen it.

Scott another perfect addition to your amazing collection.

Congrats Scott!

Great photos. I always loved the Walsh Conlon.

Picked up a Baby Ruth cigar box.

I really like the Big Ed Walsh too! :cool:

Hi Ron
Thanks for the visual feast. I love the idea of getting a complete set of Spalding bats! The ticket is significant and cool as hell. And the 60 ounce bat has tons of personality. who could have used such a thing?
Mark

Thanks Clint & Doug!
Ron V., your collection is stunning!

Thank you Mark, I am slowly trying to accomplish the Spalding set but I know there are some toughies out there...as far as the 60 oz bat, its amazing how big some of these bats were back in the day. I've heard Wagner and Chief Meyers used bats 50-60oz lol. This bat pre dates those guys but simply amazing how heavy the bats were.

Thank you Scott for the kind words!

Picked up a cool 6” trophy

Thanks Ben and Scott!