Question on Indianapolis Baseball Letter ??

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

What are your thoughts on this letter? Why is it on power company letter head? Does anyone recognize the name "James A. Perry"? Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

This is just a guess, but James A. Perry probably owned the team and also either owned the Indianapolis Power & Light or worked for them.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

Actually I just googled a few minutes ago and found I was exactly right.

http://tinyurl.com/6kr8yo

Sadly James A. Perry died in a plane crash only a year after sending this letter...his signature is probably quite rare and is probably of interest to Indianapolis collectors.

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Wow! Thanks Dan, I did google his name, but did not see what you found. Is this something you would authenticate?

[Archive]

Posted By: Dan Bretta

No...I wouldn't pay to authenticate it...It's pretty obvious it came from Mr. Perry. Since his only connection to baseball is with the Indianapolis minor league clubs your pool of potential customers for this item is small, but I would bet there are plenty of Indianapolis collectors who would be very interested in his signature.

[Archive]

Posted By: DMcD

I googled [ "James A. Perry" Indianapolis ] and came up with this link: http://tinyurl.com/5lq77k which indicated he was a co-owner of the Indians from 1927-1929 and died in an air crash in 1929. There is a "contact" link at the bottom of the page and the website owner appears amenable to inquiries about American Association matters. Here is a picture of what was named Perry Stadium from 1931-1942. http://tinyurl.com/5hsoeu . I am surmising it was named after James A. Perry although there is a Perry Township in the county (named after the Commodore) that might have something to do with it. Also tried to google "Emil Fertig" but all the hits came up in der cherman language which ich kan nicht verstehen.

Edited to say that it looks like Mr. Bretta beat me to it by a country mile.

Edited again to de-funkify the tinyurl links.

[Archive]

Posted By: davidcycleback

It's unlikely anyone would forge this.

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Here are some news clippings of Fertig. He was apparently the biggest fan and a sports writer of sorts on the Indianapolis team.

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Here is some more stuff that was in the scrapbook. Notice on the ticket stub, that the owner "James A. Perry" is imprinted. It seems like I have seen the post cards before, they have a copyright of 1904 and 1905?

[Archive]

Posted By: DMcD

Any idea what the year is of the clipping in which Indianapolis' champion baseball fan made the bold assertion "that the world's series will be played betwen the pennant winners of the the two big leagues"?

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Okay... I picked up this scrapbook and am steadily going through it as we speak. I just found this article below about the Emil Fertig fan. Notice in the picture of him the scrapbook, that is the scrapbook I am looking through right now!!!!! (really kind of strange) The book is slap full of articles, letters, etc. dating back to the 1870s. The article below is worth reading, cannot imagine all the players he has seen.

David, I will look at the other articles and see if I can figure out the year Fertig was talking about.

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Here are a few more items in the book that I thought were interesting. Has anyone ever heard of this "All Automobile Ball Game" before? I think the names are great... "Hardly A." Churchman

[Archive]

Posted By: Matt

Shawn that photo of him with your scrapbook is very cool!

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

I thought so also... What are the odds of a photo like that being taken!

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Even more cool is that you have a great 19th century autograph on that St. Paul pass of yours! It's Mike J. Kelley, first baseman for the Louisville Colonels in 1899. He died in Minneapolis in 1955.

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Wow! Thanks Jodi... I would think that is why Emil Fertig kept it in his scrapbook. Otherwise it does not really fit with the rest of the stuff other than Indianapolis did play them. I wonder if there is another autograph of Mike Kelley I could compare it with???

Thanks again

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

It's Kelley's autograph. Trust me. I have had three or four of them in my time.

[Archive]

Posted By: Dave F

Jodi-

What would a Mike Kelley autograph like that run?

Also, is this the same Kelley with a D304 card??

[Archive]

Posted By: Shawn

Dave F,

I do not think this is the same Mike "Kelly" that is on the D304, although there does not seem to be a Mike kelly listed on the team roster for Pittsburgh through 1909-1911. I am not sure who that "Kelly" is on the D304???

The Mike "Kelley" that has signed the baseball pass was traded to Pittsburgh along with Honus Wagner and others in 1899-1900, but was then moved down to the minors.

As far as a value on a "Mike Kelley" autograph, I have know clue?

He played on the same team with some really big players of the time: Rube Waddell, Bert Cunningham, Deacon Phillippe, Jack Wadsworth, Chief Zimmer, Tacks Latimer, Tom Messitt, Claude Ritchey, Tommy Leach, Fred Clarke and Honus Wagner...

[Archive]

Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

The signature is unfortunately not overly valuable. Kelley autographs typically seem to sell in the $95-125 range.

Visit www.vintage-autographs.com for the hobby's finest selection of vintage baseball signatures.