Consign Your Best Items with Lelands. We Also Pay Cash on the Spot! Learn More Here.
1947 Bob Feller's All Stars vs. Satchel Paige's All Stars Program
Presented is simply a terrific baseball program. The program does not list a playing date or a venue - evidently because the program (8.5" x 10.5") was made to be used at multiple locations over various dates of a post-season tour between the Bob Feller All-Stars and the Satchel Paige All-Stars in 1946. But Hall of Famers Feller and Paige were far from alone on this barnstorming tour. Each team had numerous stars, in Feller's case from the Major Leagues and in Paige's case, from the Negro Leagues. The sub-text of this competition is that this year's tour has an enormous difference. Jackie Robinson broke the modern "color line" when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and played his first season in this year -1946 - for the Montreal Royals, Dodgers' AAA farm club in the International League. Robinson's just concluded season was one in which he didn't knock gently on the door to baseball integration. No, Robinson kicked the door down. He led the International League in both batting (.349) and runs (113), and he stole 40 bases. He helped Montreal win the Little World Series against Louisville. Everyone knew Robinson was poised to make his Major League debut in 1947, and he was absolutely deserving. What did the many superb players on the Satchel Paige All-Stars think about these developments? Players such as Monte Irvin, who would break the color line on the New York Giants? Like Buck O'Neil, famous for his appearance on Ken Burns documentary Baseball and about to be a posthumous Hall of Fame inductee this summer? And a man who unfairly never did make the Majors, and later became the first African American coach in the modern Major Leagues. Great players such as Max Manning, who deserved to make the Majors, but never did? other greats such as Quincy Troupe and Hilton Smith? Were they happy for Robinson? Did they think they would be signed themselves? Were they bitter for being unfairly kept out of the Big Leagues for so long? Were they afraid they never would get the chance? The Feller All-Stars players had great stars as well. Many of them recently discharged from the service after serving in the military during World War II. They had Hall of Famers Phil Rizzuto, Stan Musial, and Bob Lemon - solid stars such as Ken Keltner, Dutch Leonard, and Charlie Keller. The valuable 20-page program (including front and back covers) has small biographies of each player, some photos, and an unused scorecard. This was Bob Feller's personal copy, and the program has "Feller Library" stamped on the first page. It is in VG-EX condition. The program helps bring baseball fans back to a poignant moment in time when great white players played against great players, with the white players already in the Big Leagues, and the African American players fervently hoping for their deserved chance before the sands of time ran out.
Past Sports Card, Memorabilia, Non-Sports Card and Collecitble Auction Items
Other past auction items that may be of interest to you.
Complete Run of 1955 - 1964 Sports Illustrated Magazines with First Issue
1922 World Series Program
Great Collection of Unused Baseball Tickets (16)
Complete Run of 1955 - 1964 Sports Illustrated Magazines with First Issue
1922 World Series Program
Great Collection of Unused Baseball Tickets (16)
1920s New York Bloomer Girls Scorecard
