When it comes to autographs every once in awhile something really special comes along. This is one of them. Manley was an American sports executive. She co-owned the Newark Eagles baseball franchise in the Negro leagues with her husband Abe Manley from 1935 to 1948. Throughout that time, she served as the team's business manager and fulfilled many of her husband's duties as treasurer of the Negro National League. In 2006, she posthumously became the first (and, as of March 2024, only) woman inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, chosen by the Special Committee on Negro Leagues for her work as an executive.
Letter reads as follows
"Dear Mr. Garagiola, I am the woman along with my late husband Abe who owned one of the Negro baseball teams, The Newark Eagles. I am writing to say thanks to you for the nice things you are saying about our old baseball. When you had Cool Papa Bell and Satchel on the list of great players of the past was really wonderful. Now next week you announced you are going to have Monte Irvin on your program. He was one of my boys and the one (If the owners of the Negro Leagues had been asked) Would have been picked to break the color barrier in the majors. He was a perfect player, he could hit, field, run, throw and think. There are not many of them. The presence of the Negro players has made the game more exciting the base stealing has always been something the black players did constantly which made our baseball more exciting. Again thanks a lot Sincerely Effa Manley"
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