Don Miller autograph 1927 Yankee

[earlywynnfan]

[QUOTE=Michael B;1153452]

Originally Posted by PhilNap

A couple of months ago, out of desperation to fill the hole in my collection while I am still breathing, I did the unthinkable. I took an exacto knife to a team ball. To do so was completely against everything I believe in. But, it was a reasonably affordable ball, Ruth was a clubhouse and Miller was on the bottom of a side panel. So I was able to perform the surgery and keep the rest of the ball intact so as to not completely destroy history.

I am sorry, but am I missing something? From what I have gathered he did not play a game for the team. Why would you need him for a complete team? I would also ask why would you destroy and item for a signature of a non-entity? Intellectual curiosity and nothing more.

As a second Q, I'm wondering what kind of display you're doing with these? What kind of medium would look complete with a tiny scrap of a leather ball included? As above, not necessarily judging, just confused!
Ken

[prewarsports]

People are so obsessed with the 1927 Yankees that guys who at one point in time that were on the roster (even Spring Training) are highly sought after by collectors. I have had a handful of Roy Chesterfield autographs in the past and they sell for $500++ and he never played a game in the majors but is in that 1927 Yankees Spring Training team photo. Even the batboy sells for more than $5000! I get it to some degree, but no other team has anything even close as far as fans wanting anythig and everything associated with the team.

Rhys

[mr2686]

Am I correct that Rube Marquard was on the 27 Yankee roster late in the season but never made it in to a game and didn't play in the series?

[GKreindler]

Mike,

I can't speak for Marquard, but I know Stan Coveleski signed with the club as a reliever in mid-July, but if I remember, never appeared in a game that season or during the games against Pittsburgh.

Maybe I'm a bit biased, as I've been watching Phil put together some of the pieces to his '27 Yanks collection, but I think it's definitely been a fun project to really go all out for. And that's even though I know the hell he went through to get the Miller autograph.

But for someone as passionate about the ballclub (especially from that season) as he is, it had to be a labor of love. I definitely gotta take my hat off to the man.

Graig

[mr2686]

Graig, Coveleski might be the one I was thinking of. I knew it was a HOF pitcher towards the end of his career. I'm a completionist at heart and include players with no ab or IP as long as they were actually in a game. I have to draw he line at roster players that never played...unless of course they are easy to find.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Graig, Coveleski might be the one I was thinking of. I knew it was a HOF pitcher towards the end of his career. I'm a completionist at heart and include players with no ab or IP as long as they were actually in a game. I have to draw he line at roster players that never played...unless of course they are easy to find.

Would you include or exclude Basketball HOFer Bill Sharman from a collection of 1951 NY Giants? I did not research, but I seem to recall he would have been on deck if Thomson did not hit his homerun.

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Would you include or exclude Basketball HOFer Bill Sharman from a collection of 1951 NY Giants? I did not research, but I seem to recall he would have been on deck if Thomson did not hit his homerun.

Actually, Willie Mays was on deck, however if Sharman would have been on deck I think it would be of interest to include him unless he was so scarce that it didn't make financial sense.

[prewarsports]

Everyone thinks Urban Shocker is the toughest player autograph to find because he died young. In fact the toughest are Joe Giard and Walter Beall, each of which will set you back somewhere between $3,000-$10,000 for a flat (album page, team sheet etc.).

Rhys

[PhilNap]

[QUOTE=Michael B;1153452]

Originally Posted by PhilNap

I am sorry, but am I missing something? From what I have gathered he did not play a game for the team. Why would you need him for a complete team? I would also ask why would you destroy and item for a signature of a non-entity? Intellectual curiosity and nothing more.

[QUOTE=earlywynnfan;1153462]

Originally Posted by Michael B

As a second Q, I'm wondering what kind of display you're doing with these? What kind of medium would look complete with a tiny scrap of a leather ball included? As above, not necessarily judging, just confused!
Ken

It's really not too hard to understand. Though he didn't play in a game, he was a member of the team and did appear in the official team photograph. If one is putting together a display of signatures along with that photo, it would be incomplete without his signature. Whether that signature is on a GPC, a payroll check or a 'tiny scrap of a leather ball', it's still a signature. Sure that signature may not be as attractive as the others but in the case of Don Miller one does not have the luxury of making choices. You take what you can get or you get nothing at all. Going the route I did with the ball was simply a case of taking what I could get.

[David Atkatz]

That photograph is far from "official." Historically, anyone who was working out with the team and in uniform the day the photos were taken would appear. The "official roster" probably existed only in Huggins' head.

[PhilNap]

Originally Posted by David Atkatz

That photograph is far from "official." Historically, anyone who was working out with the team and in uniform the day the photos were taken would appear. The "official roster" probably existed only in Huggin's head.

I guess I used that term loosely. He actually appears in a couple of the team photos. The one I am referring to may not be "official" but it is the most prominent and often published.

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by PhilNap

I guess I used that term loosely. He actually appears in a couple of the team photos. The one I am referring to may not be "official" but it is the most prominent and often published.

Phil, wasn't there some Ted guy that was pretty tough too??

[JimStinson]

I don't know what this adds to the 1927 "MIX" but I have a 1927 Yankees check made out to and endorsed by E.J. Herr who was then a scout ($650.00) also have a 1939 Yankees check made out to and endorsed by MARK ROTH who was the travel secretary on the 1927 team signed on the front by Barrow ($350.00) . Sorry this post ended up here instead of the BST but it was (I thought) on topic
_______________________
jim@stinsonsports.com
web site
stinsonsports.com

[jerseygary]

So what would be the ultimate master list for the 1927 Yankees autograph collector? The 25 players who got in a game and the manager and coaches are easy but what about scouts, doctor, etc? And for the record, don't worry, just curious, not attempting to assemble the thing!

I tried finding a 2010 Detroit News article about Don Miller but everything led to a dead link - anyone have a copy of it?

STAFF
Jacob Ruppert - owner
Miller Huggins - manager
Art Fletcher - coach
Charley O'Leary - coach
Eddie Bennett - batboy

CATCHERS
Benny Bengough
Pat Collins
Johnny Grabowski

INFIELDERS
Joe Dugan
Mike Gazella
Lou Gehrig
Mark Koenig
Tony Lazzeri
Ray Morehart
Julie Wera

PITCHERS
Walter Beall
Joe Giard
Waite Hoyt
Don Miller
Wilcy Moore
Herb Pennock
George Pipgras
Dutch Ruether
Bob Shawkey
Urban Shocker
Joe Styborski
Myles Thomas

OUTFIELDERS
Earle Combs
Cedric Durst
Bob Meusel
Ben Paschal
Babe Ruth

[Michael B]

[QUOTE=PhilNap;1153678][QUOTE=Michael B;1153452]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

It's really not too hard to understand. Though he didn't play in a game, he was a member of the team and did appear in the official team photograph. If one is putting together a display of signatures along with that photo, it would be incomplete without his signature. Whether that signature is on a GPC, a payroll check or a 'tiny scrap of a leather ball', it's still a signature. Sure that signature may not be as attractive as the others but in the case of Don Miller one does not have the luxury of making choices. You take what you can get or you get nothing at all. Going the route I did with the ball was simply a case of taking what I could get.

Thank you for answering. I can appreciate your perspective.

[Johnw67]

Just a quick note to go along with this, I called the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and they sent me images of photos they had on file and the one team photo that I wound up buying did have Don Miller in the photo in fact he was standing right next to Babe Ruth. I really wanted to get the signature of every one that was in the photo(coaches, ball boy, team doctor). I have really nice pieces so far of every one except Don Miller, that is why I started this subject.
Thanks for all of the input. John

[earlywynnfan]

[QUOTE=PhilNap;1153678][QUOTE=Michael B;1153452]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

It's really not too hard to understand. Though he didn't play in a game, he was a member of the team and did appear in the official team photograph. If one is putting together a display of signatures along with that photo, it would be incomplete without his signature. Whether that signature is on a GPC, a payroll check or a 'tiny scrap of a leather ball', it's still a signature. Sure that signature may not be as attractive as the others but in the case of Don Miller one does not have the luxury of making choices. You take what you can get or you get nothing at all. Going the route I did with the ball was simply a case of taking what I could get.

Trust me, I understand the completionist mentality way too much!
I'm just wondering how you have these displayed so that a scrap of leather is more meaningful than having a ball sit on the shelf next to a binder (or whatever). Do you have some sort of large framed display?

Ken