[Shoeless Moe]

Tom,

1st let's address my use of the words Holy Grail, this is an opinion, of mine. And can be used on any number of pieces and its all in the eyes of the beholder. You collect 1963 Topps cards, I'm not familiar with those but perhaps a Pete Rose signed one would be consider a Holy Grail item to all the 63 Topps collectors, as this may be to Ticket Collectors, there is only one other, that's pretty rare, and 1939 was a pretty historical season, so not sure what makes your opinion better than mine. If there is such a Holy Grail among the 63 Topps set, it would be to 63Topps guys, not to me...and if you said it was, I sure wouldn't jump into one of your posts and say it wasn't. Again why so offended by use of the word Holy Grail? It's all in the eyes of the beholder.

Are you a ticket collector? If so their your opinion would hold more weight, but you just joined a month ago and I'm assuming of course but your a card guy right? Take a look at the pop report on PSA for Yankees season passes for the Ruth/Gehrig years, some years there are none, some 1, some a couple, these are very rare, unlike cards where they are mass produced. So I'm not retracting this is a holy grail type item to me and to some ticket collectors. See your lucky there are probably 4000 Elston Howard cards. So when I see something like this and belonging to a teammate of Gehrig or his wife as you say, it's pretty cool.

2nd you made a comment does your wife go everywhere you go. Times now are very different than 1939 and Knickerbocker was a journeyman ballplayer, he played for the Yankees in 1938, 1939 and 1940, he also played 9 seasons and for Cleveland, St. Louis, Chicago and Philly, and on another pass of his/hers lists her location as a hotel. So I take it they were on the move together a lot, and where else is she gonna go, especially since there is evidence they were pretty much traveling every couple years. I would think that makes it even more likely she might be with other players wives and attending games, being in a town, NY, away from their families. If you were from say Kansas City, and were a member of the Yankees and played next to Gehrig, or lets say Jeter, and your wife lived with you in the town you played, and she had no family there, and had a pass to attend your home games, and again this is 1939, not a lot else to do, I would hope your wife would go. I know mine would.

And yes he was a utility man who played sporadically, but all you did was show was that he was on their roster all season long and rode the bench alot, did his wife know in advance if he was playing or not playing, don't they announce lineups for the most part the day of. So perhaps she went every game in rare hopes of seeing her husband play, you can just as sure assume that as assuming she didn't go as you did playing devil's advocate.

And with a planned Lou Gehrig Day, and all the Yankees in attendance old and current, and her husbands name on the plaque they gave to Lou, you really think she stayed home/at the hotel????

And you say "it didn't belong to Knickerbocker" but rather his wife, another negative comment. Sure it belonged to him, they were married. You just like to nit pick. And re-read the post did I ever say she used it at every game, um no.

And your comment "I do not believe Mrs. Knickerbocker took the time to hang out at the ballpark if her husband was not playing during the regular season games." REALLY? now who is assuming things. So if this was yours and you were selling it, would you add that comment, "I do not believe MrsKnickerbocker took the time to hang out at the ballpark". I hope your not in Sales. Again if I'm playing for the Yankees I want my wife their every game, especially if I'm a bench player, who knows when I'm getting in, so be there every game just in case. I think that is a more likely theory then your knowledge on 1930's ballplayers wives thoughts. Also, look at the use on the pass, looks pretty used to me. If it were pristine, then maybe you'd have a point. But......you don't.

And what better year to be a bench player then the year Lou took himself out of the lineup and sat on the bench the rest of the season himself. Your showing the games Bill did play shows they probably spent a lot of time on the bench together. Lucky Bill.

Anyhow I'm done responding, I know how cool this piece is and to each his own, you may be a card guy, I have no interest there I'm a ticket guy, nothing I said in the original post was incorrect, please re-read it. It's your opinion if you don't think its a holy grail item, mine is it is. And the price said or best offer.

Oh and thanks to the fellow NET54-er who agreed with me that it was not bloody likely she stayed home Lou Gehrig day.