This week we have some really great items for sale and even more new acquisitions listed on our website at www.qualityautographs.com. Be sure to contact us at 800-241-4809 or qualityautographs@msn.com to reserve your finds early. Don’t miss out on some great new items! Kevin Keating has been a prominent hobby figure for a long, long time. Known for his deep knowledge of sports autographs, Keating has developed a loyal following of those who share his passion for famous signatures. This week we will look at collecting the individual member signatures on flat items of the 1961 Yankees.
Manager: Ralph Houk
Starting eight: Substitutes:
Bill Skowron 1B Johnny Blanchard (d.09)
Bobby Richardson 2B Hector Lopez
Clete Boyer 3B (d.07) Bob Cerv
Tony Kubek SS Billy Gardner
HOF–Yogi Berra OF/C Joe DeMaestri
HOF–Mickey Mantle OF (d.95) Earl Torgeson (d.90)
Roger Maris OF (d.85) Deron Johnson (d.92)
Elston Howard C (d.80) Jesse Gonder (d.04)
Jack Reed
Bob Hale
Tom Tresh (d.08)
Lee Thomas
Pitchers:
HOF-Whitey Ford Coaches:
Bill Stafford (d.01) Frank Crosetti (d.02)
Ralph Terry Jim Hegan (d.84)
Rollie Sheldon Wally Moses (d.90)
Bud Daley Johnny Sain (d.06)
Jim Coates
Luis Arroyo Other:
Bob Turley Batting practice pitcher Spud Murray
Art Ditmar Trainer Gus Mauch (d.83)
Hal Reniff (d.04) HOF-broadcaster Phil Rizzuto (d.07)
Tex Clevenger HOF-broadcaster Mel Allen (d.96)
Danny McDevitt General Manager Roy Hamey (d.83)
Al Downing Co-owner Dan Topping (d.74)
Johnny James Co-owner Del Webb (d.74)
Duke Maas (d.76) Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard
Since most team collectors attempt to assemble their items on flat items in order to display the completed team together, we will apply the scarcity index key (SIK) below only to our estimate of the total number of signed flat items we have seen for each person listed above:
SIK-I: Extinct (we have never seen one)-none in this category
SIK-II: Extremely Rare (we have seen 1-10)-none in this category
SIK-III: Very Rare (we have seen 11-25)-none in this category
SIK-IV: Rare (we have seen 26-100)-Duke Maas, Gus Mauch, Bob Sheppard–*See note 1, Dan Topping, and Del Webb
SIK-V: Uncommon (we have seen 101-500)-Roy Hamey, and Spud Murray–*See note 1
SIK-VI: Readily available (deceased with little or no autograph-show or private signing participation but examples are routinely offered in the market largely or primarily due to volume mail responses; check or other document releases; and/or overall widespread collecting of that person during their lifetime)-Jim Hegan, Elston Howard, Deron Johnson, Wally Moses, Earl Torgeson
SIK-VII: Plentiful (deceased but seemingly endless quantities exist from participation in modern shows, private signings, and/or fan-mail responses or a combination
thereof)- Mel Allen, Johnny Blanchard, Clete Boyer, Jesse Gonder, Roger Maris, Hal Reniff, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Sain, Bill Stafford, and Tom Tresh
SIK-VIII: living-all else
Notes:
Even though they are living, Bob Sheppard and Spud Murray are both remarkably uncommon autographs. We do know that Murray has done at least one private signing. Sheppard has never done a signing that we know of. He has also never answered any of our mail requests for his signature, and we have rarely seen his autograph surface on flat items of any kind.
Summary: One reason this team is so widely collected is that it is possible to readily obtain nearly all of its members. Moreover, most of the players can be found for a reasonable cost and all of its key members can be readily obtained if one has the means to acquire them. For the completionist, however, Duke Maas can be a challenge to find from those players who appeared in at least one game for this storied team.
Items for Sale:
1961 World Champion Yankees team-signed 8×10 B&W photo!
31 nice, mixed sharpie and ballpoint ink signatures include: Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Rollie Sheldon, Frank Crosetti, Wally Moses, Earl Torgeson, John Sain, Ralph Houk, Tom Tresh, Hal Reniff, Clete Boyer, Tony Kubek, Bill Stafford, Bill Skowron, Bobby Richardson, Hector Lopez, Bob Turley, John Blanchard, Jim Coates, Luis Arroyo, Bill Gardner, Bob Hale, Joe DeMaestri, Bob Cerv, Ryne Duren, Art Ditmar, Bud Daley, Ralph Terry, Al Downing, and Tex Clevenger. A fabulous image with signatures of most of those pictured, many deceased, making it impossible to duplicate. The 1961 Yankees is arguably the most widely collected team of the second half of the 20th century, and signed photos of this group are vastly more rare than signed team balls. This is the first one we have offered in many years and it’s a beauty!–$3495
Monte Pearson nicely signed 1973 B&W TCMA P/C photo (Yankees)–$95
Allie Reynolds OAL (B. Brown) baseball boldly signed on the SS-NrMT/MINT!-$495
