My Longest Hobby Project - 62 years and counting

[frankbmd]

My Longest Hobby Project has taken 62 years and I am still not finished. Don Larsen's 1956 World Series Perfect Game 5 occurred in October of 1956. As a single digit kid (9 y/o), I began to collect autographs in March of 1957.



The Philadelphia Phillies spring training games were played in Jack Russell Stadium about half a mile from my elementary school. With bike, book and ballpoint pen I would go to the stadium after school. That spring I accumulated roughly 120 autographs of major league players and prospects. Both the Dodgers and the Yankees played a game in Clearwater that spring. Some of the autographs are a little shaky and they are not well spaced, but they are authentic.



Gil McDougald is clearly not a ten, but it is better than Ralph Terry below it, and



Sal Maglie's work encountered a near fatal foreign substance.

Over 30 years later in California I was in a card shop when a fellow walked in with a ticket stub that he sold to the owner for $30. Always up for a quick flip the owner sold it to me for $50 before the door to the shop was closed from the previous owner leaving.



The ticket was not signed when I bought it, but finding Larsen at the National in Anaheim was not too difficult and later Berra was obtained through the mail.

Over 40 years later I visited my parents at their condo in Pinellas County. My mother clearly remembered tossing my card collection during a move, but the condo had a storage locker and they weren't getting younger. I got the key and went down to explore the locker. The contents smelled a bit and consisted largely of uninteresting items, hardly worthy of being saved. My 56 Topps cards were gone along with the others from the late 50s, but just before quitting the search in the last box, lo and behold, my Autograph Book appeared. It was worth the effort.

Particularly when I started to flip through the pages



The Dodgers were not the friendliest team after the spring training game (they must have lost to the Phillies), but my autograph book ended up on their team bus for so long I thought the bus would leave with it, when they left for Vero Beach. The book was returned though just before they pulled out. This was in the spring of 57, less than 12 months before the tragic accident involving Campanella.

Mickey Mantle didn't make the trip to Clearwater with the Yankees, who often played two games in a day with an A team and a B team, but I did recognize this fellow when he left the clubhouse.



Only recently did I spring for a Mantle autographed book.



It occurred to me then that combining the ticket, the boxscore & the autographs would make an interesting project, The Perfect Game Ticket and Autograph Collection, but how many did I need.

Nine Yankees and Casey made 10 in the perfect game and I now have 9, lacking only Billy Martin.

I'm not as close on the Dodger side, having only Furillo & Snider in addition to Sal, Roy and Walt.





Gilliam is on the way to make 6. The dodgers 27th out was a pinch hitter, so 11 Dodgers would be needed.

To complete the project I would still need Amoros, Reese, Hodges, Robinson & Dale Mitchell the PH, in addition to Martin.

I haven't shown all that i have, but as I acquire the last 6, I will utimately post the rest. I don't have 62 more years to finish, so I better pick up the pace.

[JollyElm]

Great stuff!!!!

[h2oya311]

Great write-up, Frank! The biggest take-away...you aren’t as old as we all thought.

[Throttlesteer]

Love it! Very inspiring for collectors. Keep at it!

[Leon]

Nicely done!! Good luck with the rest of them.

[LuckyLarry]

Just great Frank!

[Bigdaddy]

Great story Frank, thanks for sharing.

Don't know if you saw this or not, but there is a member on the autograph thread that is selling a large collection on ebay and it has a ton of Billy Martin stuff, signed and unsigned.

Thread is here

[AGuinness]

Great read, what a fun project. Glad the autograph book survived and best of luck wrapping things up. Looking forward to reading and seeing the finale!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WillowGrove]

Dr. Frank that is just great! I'm really happy for you that this survived and you can relive all the memories with your new project.

[vthobby]

Frank,

Incredible story crossing generations. Love it. I knew I had one of your needs but it just took me 2 hours of sifting through thousands of index cards and VOILA!!!!

My LAST Pee Wee in my 3x5 collection and it is a stunner! I met Pee Wee twice in my short lifetime both times in Cooperstown on the golf course (in the days when you could still do that). He was so gracious when I met him both times. This one was not in person (on those 2 occasions that I met him) but came from a large collection of 100% authentic autos that I bought in the late 1980s.

Frank, I had a wonderful experience on here this week with Johnny (MrVster) and have always had solid dealings with everyone including yourself. I'm honored to call you my friend and always look forward to your posts and your advice. On that note, a $20 bill is not what I am looking for here......please PM me your address (I had it but lost it....oops), and I will send you my last Pee Wee for the low low price of.......FREE my friend. I'm a big believer in karma and would like this beauty to reside in your collection so you will now be down to 5!!! Thanks Frank for always treating me fairly and its payback time buddy!

Peace, Mike

PS Quite frankly, I've always viewed this incredible forum as a place to trade info and knowledge and to help others. Leon has certainly set this site up as a wonderful place to do all of that! Glad to help you Frank if you will accept my gift.

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[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by vtgmsc

Frank,

Incredible story crossing generations. Love it. I knew I had one of your needs but it just took me 2 hours of sifting through thousands of index cards and VOILA!!!!

My LAST Pee Wee in my 3x5 collection and it is a stunner! I met Pee Wee twice in my short lifetime both times in Cooperstown on the golf course (in the days when you could still do that). He was so gracious when I met him both times. This one was not in person (on those 2 occasions that I met him) but came from a large collection of 100% authentic autos that I bought in the late 1980s.

Frank, I had a wonderful experience on here this week with Johnny (MrVster) and have always had solid dealings with everyone including yourself. I'm honored to call you my friend and always look forward to your posts and your advice. On that note, a $20 bill is not what I am looking for here......please PM me your address (I had it but lost it....oops), and I will send you my last Pee Wee for the low low price of.......FREE my friend. I'm a big believer in karma and would like this beauty to reside in your collection so you will now be down to 5!!! Thanks Frank for always treating me fairly and its payback time buddy!

Peace, Mike

PS Quite frankly, I've always viewed this incredible forum as a place to trade info and knowledge and to help others. Leon has certainly set this site up as a wonderful place to do all of that! Glad to help you Frank if you will accept my gift.

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My sincere response has been sent via PM, Mike, but I am Frank so

I'm waiting for my Jackie Robinson friend to step forward.

Seriously I do appreciate all the responses so far more than ya'll (as Leon would

say) can imagine. And I write this as I'm listening to a song that is 95 years old,

"It Had To Be You". Appropriate, eh?

[Leon]

A superb gesture from an outstanding member. Kudos!!

Originally Posted by vtgmsc

Frank,

Incredible story crossing generations. Love it. I knew I had one of your needs but it just took me 2 hours of sifting through thousands of index cards and VOILA!!!!

My LAST Pee Wee in my 3x5 collection and it is a stunner! I met Pee Wee twice in my short lifetime both times in Cooperstown on the golf course (in the days when you could still do that). He was so gracious when I met him both times. This one was not in person (on those 2 occasions that I met him) but came from a large collection of 100% authentic autos that I bought in the late 1980s.

Frank, I had a wonderful experience on here this week with Johnny (MrVster) and have always had solid dealings with everyone including yourself. I'm honored to call you my friend and always look forward to your posts and your advice. On that note, a $20 bill is not what I am looking for here......please PM me your address (I had it but lost it....oops), and I will send you my last Pee Wee for the low low price of.......FREE my friend. I'm a big believer in karma and would like this beauty to reside in your collection so you will now be down to 5!!! Thanks Frank for always treating me fairly and its payback time buddy!

Peace, Mike

PS Quite frankly, I've always viewed this incredible forum as a place to trade info and knowledge and to help others. Leon has certainly set this site up as a wonderful place to do all of that! Glad to help you Frank if you will accept my gift.

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