Yastrzemski Thoughts Appreciated
 

But first , a quick back story…

I got a small collection of signed early 60s Red Sox photos in a recent Leland’s auction. I wanted them because they are all personalized to former Red Sox Dave Hillman…a really cool guy that I got to talk with a few times and with whom I shared some unique path-crossing in our common hometown.

Dave played a couple years with the Sox and departed them after the ‘61 season…Yaz’ first.

All of the personalized autos are similar to the ones pictured…and, to me, seem to really be of the bon voyage/happy trails variety…Dave was well liked and these look like parting sentiments…no real question in my mind that they are original and authentic.

My question is about the Yaz auto pictured. The photo is clearly of a young Yaz. It is personalized to “Dave” and it appears to be authentic ink on the photo.

But it does not look anything like even early Yaz signature examples I have seen. I just think it would be a little odd for a rookie to have a secretary or clubhouse person sign this when all his teammates pretty clearly went to the trouble. I guess it is possible that these were sent after Dave retired, but that seems a bit less likely to me. Sturduvant was only a Red Sox in 1960 and I think spring training ‘61…wertz played a half season in Boston in ‘61.

Is there any chance this is an authentic rookie year Yaz auto?

Thanks for any thoughts and for wading through my ramble.
Mike

I think its Real but could have a tough time proving unless its authenticated.

PSA has a few Examples on their AutographFacts Page for him that seem to be from the time period and share a very large bit of characteristics, most notably the "Y" and the "Z"

Thanks Stefan. I checked those PSA exemplars and, like you, thought I saw some similarities….but just enough differences to confuse me.

I certainly didn’t buy the photo lot because of the Yaz alone…just think it would be super cool if it really is an authentic rookie era signature…I don’t have one of those. It seems very “deliberate” …like I would imagine a rookie signing or a clubhouse attendant…and it just seems odd that a rookie would have a clubhouse person sign this for him…but maybe

Bonus question: does anybody recognize the photo issue for these? The Yaz is different than all the others. They do t match the Jay photo packs of team issued packs for the early 60s when I try to match them up via TCDB

I could be wrong, but this piece is pretty neat so I did some digging - it looks like the Red Sox Issued some 8x10s in 1961(-ish). IDK if they were sold as photo packs or in the gift shop, but this particular photo looks to be from his rookie year and has been used in some modern "things" (you'll see what I mean if you AI-Search it on Google)

How does Carl remember how to spell his name?

I found versions of the Wertz photo that are the same picture, but the name/font are different. And most are 5x7. I see some folks selling black and white 8x10s like these and are guessing that they were “team issues” but they just have been in the gift shops like you said…they are making the “team issue” lists on tcdb or keyman

I double checked the backs hoping to find some sort of identifying mark…completely blank
.

This is a piece that my dad owns. It was an album page that was signed by carl, carl sr and Maddie yastrzemski… the album was either dated to 60 or 61.

Your sig looks more like Richard’s as opposed to Carl jr…

Now that is interesting. I agree that my signature looks more like another of his family members. But I think the Yaz signature in your dad’s piece looks like a slightly later exemplar.

The other thing I was thinking when I said my signature looked “deliberate”…it’s like when I have seen folks in this board post signatures from early, official documents of folks like Williams, Mantle, etc on checks, etc, they always look different…at least to me. Yours looks like an autograph…mine like an official signature. Almost like the team secretary was collecting those photos for a Hillman event, and put it in front of young Carl and said “don’t scribble it, rook”

Or the secretary just signed it and moved on. That Yaz photo is Defoe felt not from the same picture pack

Just bumping this one last time to see if there are any more Yaz experts that could chime in

I went back and looked at early Yaz examples and there are parts of those…a few letters, some slant, the “z” , that look similar…and then parts that are way off. But honestly…looking at many of the examples, they are wildly different from each other. No idea how any of them were authenticated, but I know my signature probably varied wildly in my 20s.

No help on the auto but noticed you mentioned Dave Hillman and crossing paths with him a few times in your home town. You must live close to me. I met him a couple times also and got him to autograph the book "The Bilko Athletic Club". He lived not far from me but I never visited because I hate to bother people. I collected him on his Cub's cards.

Yes indeed. Once upon a time I had the vintage “Hillman’s” sign from the family clothing store from downtown Kingsport!

His generation wrote their name. If he was born today his signature would barely have two letters

Doug…so do you think that might actually be his signature?

I have no idea, I'm just pointing out that nobody had to be told not to scribble back in those days, people were proud to sign their name and wanted people to know it. "Autographs" today are more like internet trolls.

Not authentic IMO.

Roger that. It just seems off that it would have been secretarial. It wasn’t done to deceive or anything….

Maybe i could ship it to the next signing he does and ask him if he remembers signing this for Dave hillmans going away party…😊

Rog that.