Wagner Autograph

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Thought I'd post this to keep the string of autograph posts going! Here is a Wagner signed envelope I picked up from the Wagner estate:

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Posted By: Mark Steinberg

Nice, Jon... that's a beauty! Love the fact that the date and location are pinpointed as well. Congrats on a great pickup!

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Funny, the envelope is addressed to Fern Bell, who debuted with Pittsburgh in 1939. Bell's whereabouts were a mystery for a while. He was never the most cooperative signer, either. He only died a couple of years ago, but his signature certainly doesn't come up too often. He's a real pain to find on a 3X5.

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Posted By: Jon Canfield

Jodi - Thanks so much for that info. I never even so much as thought to see if Fern was a ballplayer. Never crossed my mind to check. At least it makes it a little more interesting.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

I don't have it handy at present, but I have an original snapshot image of Wagner as Pitt. coach holding Fern Bell's infant child! Bell has written extensively about the circumstances of the photo on the verso. Kind of a cool association item to your piece!

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Posted By: Mark Steinberg

That's some great insight, Jodi.

Safe to say that this is the one-and-only Major Leaguer to be named "Fern"?

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Aside from all the Fernandos out there.

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

While not baseball there was a hockey player in the 1950's named Fern Flaman, so he had a fellow professional athlete to cope with.
-Rhett