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Negro League Legends Mutli-Signed Original Photograph w/Satchel Paige, plus Judy Johnson and Buck Leonard (PSA)
Displayed is a multi-signed original photograph, an image that we have never seen before, that features three Hall of Famers who were Negro Leagues legends: Satchel Paige, Judy Johnson, and Buck Leonard. The 8x10" color photo was taken by the consignor. Leroy "Satchel" Paige (second from left) had a baseball career that spanned five decades. He played for countless teams, all over the baseball world. In the Negro Leagues his main teams were: The Kansas City Monarchs (1935-38 and '47) and the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932-34 and '36). Not only did Paige officially play for many of the teams in the Negro Leagues, but at one time or another he was on loan to pitch in exhibition games for almost every team in the Negro Leagues. Paige became "Organized Baseball's" oldest rookie in history when he made his Major League debut for the Cleveland Indians at 42 years old, in 1948. He thus became the first African American pitcher in the American League and also the first pitcher who had played in the Negro Leagues to appear in a World Series (1948). Paige pitched for Cleveland in 1948-49, and for the American League's St. Louis Browns in 1952-53. Paige estimated that in his overall professional career he had pitched in 2,500 games, including his many barnstorming games, not having a decision in many because he often pitched only the first few innings to draw a crowd, saving his arm to pitch on an almost daily basis at times. In the Major Leagues, Paige had a 28-31 record, with an ERA of 3.29. In 1965, at 59 years-old, he pitched in an official regular season game for the Kansas City Athletics against the Boston Red Sox, amazingly throwing three scoreless innings and giving up only one hit - a double by Carl Yastrzemski. Judy Johnson is in the third from left of the six men pictured. Johnson is also a Hall of Famer from the Negro Leagues. William Julius "Judy" Johnson was a Hall of Fame third baseman who played in the Negro leagues from 1921-37, as a player and also as a player-manager. He was a star with the Hilldale Daisies (1921-29) and also played for the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and he was the third baseman on the 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords, the consensus choice for the best team from the Negro Leagues of all time. Buck Leonard, Hall of Fame first baseman, is second from the right in the photo. Leonard usually batted fourth, behind the great Josh Gibson for many years, on the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the powerhouse team for which Leonard played from 1934-50. In 1999, The Sporting News selected Leonard as number 47 in a ranking of the best baseball players in history. Also pictured in the photo are three other Negro League players, Sy Morton (on the left), Buddy Burbage (third from the right), and Ted Page (on the right), a star outfielder for many teams, including the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. Each of the three Hall of Famers signed the photo using blue fountain pen ink. The photo is in excellent condition, and it has been encapsulated and PSA/DNA certified as AUTHENTIC AUTO. The signed photo, including the Three Hall of Famers, provides a wonderful remembrance of some of the greatest stars from the Negro Leagues.
Past Sports Card, Memorabilia, Non-Sports Card and Collecitble Auction Items
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1982 All-Star Team Signed Poster (25x27”)
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Hall of Fame Signed Bat with Mantle & Williams (35”)
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