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1919 John McGraw Signed Stock Certificate from The Stoneham Collection (PSA)
In 1919, an infamous baseball year, Charles Stoneham became the owner of the New York Giants, and Hall of Famer John McGraw already was the team's manager. McGraw became Stoneham's partner, and the club's vice-president. Francis X. McQuade, a New York Municipal Judge, became the team's treasurer. Notorious gambler Arnold Rothstein helped to broker Stoneham's purchase of the Giants, and Rothstein jointly owned a poolroom with McGraw. Charles Stoneham purchased the Giants for one million dollars. McGraw had been the Giants' manager since 1902, and McGraw continued as manager after Stoneham bought the team. Offered is a John McGraw signed February 21, 1919, stock certificate from the Stoneham Collection. The offering, measuring approx. 2.75x7", is the signature portion of what is apparently a larger stock certificate. It is possible that the stock certificate is for shares in the New York Giants, but this is not confirmed. Charles Stoneham was a stockbroker, and the stock certificate could have been for shares in any stock. The portion of the stock certificate that is offered reads, "This certificate and the stock represented therein are and shall continue to be subject to the terms and conditions of an agreement in writing dated February 21st, 1919, between CHARLES A. STONEHAM, as party of the first part, JOHN J. McGRAW, party of the second part, and FRANCIS X. McQUADE, party of the third part." At the time of this Stoneham, McGraw, and McQuade stock transaction, baseball corruption was unfortunately becoming prominent, and yet associations among baseball managers, owners and gamblers were often tolerated. Of course, in 1919 some of the Chicago White Sox were corrupt and, on their way to becoming the infamous Chicago Black Sox. After the Black Sox became exposed in 1920, Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis led a crackdown on corruption, and deals among gamblers such as Arnold Rothstein and baseball executives, such as Horace Stoneham and managers such as John McGraw, became prohibited. The offered certificate has several substantial rips, some holes, in varying sizes and resulting paper loss. The three signees' signatures were all written in black ink from a fountain pen. The aforementioned three certificate signatures upon the signature portion of a stock certificate have been encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified as EX-MT 6.
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