Check Out Some Vintage Brooklyn Dodgers Memorabilia at Lelands

Now this is the kind of memorabilia I like to see.

Currently, Lelands auction house is running their 2019 Fall Classic auction and there's a bunch of Brooklyn stuff in it. There's vintage porcelain, clothing, jewelry, advertising art and spring training collectibles. The best piece of all, though can be seen above.

Featured at the very top is a game-used Baseball (Auction Link) from Game 1 of the 1916 World Series between the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) and the Boston Red Sox -- a team headed by then star pitcher Babe Ruth. Best yet, the ball comes directly from the personal collection of Ruth teammate Dick Hoblitzell. Per the auction description:

Which One of You Stole This!

I don't know how I missed this when I first looked through the catalog. Featured here is purported to be an actual Press Box sign that hung outside of the area Vin Scully broadcasted from inside Dodger Stadium. It is currently at auction through Lelands (auction link). How cool would it be to have this hanging up in your man-cave?

The Vin Scully Avenue street sign is a presentation piece that was never used on the city street.

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Lelands has Vintage Pics of Dodgers' as Negro League Ballplayers

Lelands just opened up their Spring auction and it includes several incredible Negro League items featuring future Dodgers. The best of the bunch is the above 1939 photo of an 18-year old Roy Campanella (on the right) as a member of the Baltimore Elite Giants. (Auction Link) Crouching with Campy is his catching mentor Robert 'Eggie' Clark. Eggie was about 33-years old at the time and would soon be a backup to Campy the following season.

Dodgers Memorabilia at Hake's, Lelands and Goldin Auctions

With spring baseball in full swing I thought it would fun to take a look at some of the Dodgers-themed memorabilia current available on auction. There isn't a whole lot of stuff that I thought unique, but the items I did see are fantastic.

For instance, check out some folk art at the very top. It is currently available through Lelands (auction link). Featured is a 1987 wooden painted scene created by New York artist Harry Glaubach. It celebrates Ebbets Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers -- complete with ballplayers, a Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs sign, a Palace Theater sign, a Roxy Theater sign, the Three Stooges, Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin. It has a current bid of $100.

This next item is entirely new to me. On the right is a circa 1950's era pin featuring Willard Mullin's famed Brooklyn Dodger 'Bum' on a 3.5" pinback from Hake's. In fact, this is the exact image the club used on their 1953 Dodgers Yearbook (see that below). (Auction Link) It currently has a bid of $200, and it is expected to sell for more than twice that amount.

1958 Packard Bell Dodgers Regional Set - The Dodger Cards

I was recently checking out the current Lelands Winter Classic auction and came across the above 1958 Packard-Bell poster advertising "pictures" of three Dodger players. (Auction Link) Featured are skipper Walter Alston, beloved player and future coach Jim Gilliam and should-be Hall-of-Famer Gil Hodges.

As you know, 1958 was an important year for the club. It marked the franchise's first season in Los Angeles, and as you can imagine it fueled plenty of interest throughout the Southland. West coast baseball fans without a Major League hometeam to root for came out of the woodwork, so businesses were eager to latch their name/product to the team. The poster featured above is an example of one those early efforts.

Blog Kiosk: 12/5/2018 - Dodgers Links - Some Odds and Ends

I'm fairly certain I've shared this pic in the past, but it's so good I figured it's worth another look. Featured above is a March 6, 1957 United Press photo of a contingent of Los Angeles politicians wooing Dodger owner Walter O'Malley at Vero Beach. (eBay Auction Link) As you can see, Duke Snider and the famed clown Emmett Kelly (the Dodger Bum) also joined them. Per the descriptor on the reverse:

It May Happen - Officials from the city of Los Angeles arrived at the Brooklyn Dodgers training camp here March 6th to confer with Dodger officials on the possibility of the team moving from Flatbush to the west coast city. Left to Right are: Kenneth Hahn, of the LA Board of Supervisors; LA Mayor Norris Poulson; Dodger slugging star Duke Snider; and Dodger President Walter O'Malley.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History: In 1973 the Dodgers traded outfielder Willie Davis to the Expos for relief pitcher Dr. Mike Marshall. Dr. Marshall went on to win the NL Cy Young Award that next season. He pitched in 106 games, finished 83 of them and recorded a league high 21 saves as a reliever. In 2011 the Dodgers signed free agent utilityman Jerry Hairston to a two-year $6 million contract. He would soon thereafter retire and join the Dodgers broadcast crew.
• Happy Birthday, Jamie McCourt, Gus Mancuso, Don Padgett, Steve Rachunok, Raleigh Aitchison, Billy Shindle & Ray Moss! 

Check Out Some Historic Dodgers Memorabilia at Lelands

Lelands 2018 Invitational auction is now open and hidden within its catalog are numerous Dodger items that I thought worth sharing here.

For instance, check out this watch.

A Dodgers-Mets Connection at Lelands Auction

I thought this would be fun to share -- even if it's not entirely about the Dodgers.

The New York Mets played their first season of Major League ball in 1962, and in order to create excitement and interest within the community management reached out to several former Brooklyn players. They signed up former Brooklynites Charlie Neal, Don Zimmer, Roger Craig, Billy Loes and the great Gil Hodges. Then they had Casey Stengel skipper the troupe.

As an homage to both the ol' Brooklyn team and the new New York club noted Daily News sports cartoonist Bill Gallo created the above image, and as you can see it also includes an outline of another old Brooklyn friend -- the Dodgers Bum originally created by Willard Mullin. (Auction Link) BTW, the jovial looking man in the background is Mets GM George Weiss.

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Lelands has the Coolest Dodgers Pillow You Will Ever See

I want this so bad.

Unfortunately, my wallet is holding me back. At this point -- it's currently priced at $365 at the time of this posting with three days to go -- I am confident it'll close at a value well beyond what I am willing to pay.

Oh well... I guess I'll have to enjoy it from afar.

Featured is a real vintage Brooklyn Dodgers flannel jersey that has been sewed up into a pillow. According to the auction (link here) it was created by the wife of one-time Dodger and future Hall of Famer Paul "Big Poison" Waner. As you may know, Waner wore Dodger Blue intermittently over a four year period from 1941 to 1944 -- during the tail end of his illustrious career.

As for the pillow, it is not likely to be game-used by Waner. As a Dodger he only wore the numbers #1 and #24, so this isn't one of his. He also never coached for the Dodgers during his retirement. Although, he could have worn this as a guest during one of the numerous Old-Timers Games throughout the years, so that's a possibility.

BTW, the #43 was first worn in franchise history by pitcher Johnny Van Cuyk starting 1947 -- three years after Waner's last season in Brooklyn. So, how he and his wife came across the jersey is anybody's guess.

All I can really say about this pillow is that it is one of the greatest oddball memorabilia items I've ever seen.

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Lelands -- Dodger Goodies Abound in Spring Auction

As Spring Training begins to encompass the minds of Baseball fans everywhere, collectors too find themselves immersed in a new season -- a collecting season. After all, the month of March also ushers in a whole slew of sports auctions that will no doubt occupy the minds of hobbyist. Today I focus on Lelands March auction that closes in a few weeks, and as always there are a bunch of Dodgers' collectibles I thought worthy of mentioning here.

Museum Worthy Jackie Robinson Memorabilia at Lelands

Imagine that your the first African-American to play on a Major League field -- the highest honor a ballplayer can ask for. Then imagine doing it at a time when racial discord and animus ruled the day. Layer on top of that a game where throwing at someones head was par for the course. Then mix that all together and you have recipe for violent confrontation.

This is what Jackie Robinson faced when he first donned Dodger Blue in Major League Baseball. He was cursed at, spiked at and thrown at. In fact, he got beaned nine times during his rookie campaign -- falling just one shy of the league lead -- and you know it wasn't because he leaned into them. Pitchers were throwing at his head, and that can cause some serious damage. So, how do you protect against that when the kind of batting helmets we see today did not exist?

Who is this African-American Ballplayer in Dodger Blue?

Lelands currently has a huge auction filled with Baseball history. In fact, there are some fantastic Jackie Robinson memorabilia that I'll write about a little later. What I want to do today is point to an item that has me intrigued.

We all know about the numerous Negro League ballplayers who joined the Dodgers franchise during those early years of integration -- Jackie, Campy, Newk, Joe Black, Don Bankhead and the often forgotten John Wright. What we have here, though, are a couple of vintage photographs, dated to 1947, taken by legendary Dodger photographer Barney Stein of a ballplayer that no one seems to know. Check them out above and below. (Auction Link)

Brooklyn Dodgers Goodies at Lelands - Mullin Drawing, Koufax Jersey and the Movie "42"

It's not often that you see a Willard Mullin original in color, so when one crosses your view you've got to pay attention. Featured here is his classic depiction of the Brooklyn Dodger "Bum" in a heated exchange with with an uninterested umpire. (auction link) It is one of several Dodgers-related goodies currently up for auction at Lelands. Below are a couple more items I thought were worth noting.

A Vintage Dodger Pennant for the Collection - First Annual Dodger Dinner 1958

As I've said many times, I'm not much of a pennant collector. So I rarely focus on adding them to my collection. In this case though, it couldn't be helped.

Several weeks back I won a vintage memorabilia lot of both Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers collectibles, and among the litter of goodies was the above 18 inch pennant from the teams first week in Los Angeles. It commemorates the First Annual Dodger Dinner sponsored by the Baseball Writers Association of America, Los Angeles Chapter held on Thursday, April 17, 1958. Per a mention at Walter O'Malley.com:

A Collection of Claude Osteen Items at Lelands Auctions

As previously promised, here is a quick peek at some of the items from the Claude Osteen collection currently available at Lelands Auctions.

Claude Osteen was a workhorse of an starting pitcher for the Dodgers from 1965 to 1973.  In that span he recorded 147 wins against 126 losses, a 3.09 ERA, 100 complete games, 34 shutouts, a 3.15 FIP and a WHIP of 1.217.  In other words, he provided some needed innings and ace workmanship after the Dodgers struggled to compete following the retirement of Sandy Koufax in 1966.

Dodgers Memorabilia at Lelands Current Auction

Lelands current auction, dubbed the "Steel Curtain" auction due to large number of Pittsburgh Steelers jersey's available, includes several fantastic Dodger items.  I'll highlight a couple of them here and focus on a group of other stuff from the collection of former Dodger pitcher Claude Osteen later on. 

Dodger Ties to the Irish Independence Movement and Great Irish Tenor John McCormack

I keep running into fascinating Dodgers ephemera at Lelands most recently closed auction, and as long as that continues I'll be sure to share what I find.  Featured here is a vintage leaflet/program detailing various upcoming events at Ebbets Field for the latter months of the 1919 year.  It did not sell at Lelands recent auction.  (Auction Link)

As you will recall, 1919 has a spacial place in Baseball history -- and not for the right reason.  This was the year of the infamous Black Sox scandal -- when a clearly superior Chicago White Sox team lead by Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Collins surprisingly lost to the Edd Roush and the Cincinnati Reds in what we now know was a fixed match.  Eight ballplayers; including the great Shoeless Joe, would subsequently be banned from the game a couple years later.

As for the Dodgers, they were bad... Really, bad.  They finished the season in 5th place (69-71) and a full 27 games behind the Reds.  The season had an inauspicious start when they traded away one of their most productive and popular players, first baseman Jake Daubert, to the Reds before spring.  He would eventually help lead the World Series bound Reds to a championship. 

Blog Kiosk: 1/25/2016 - Dodgers Links - Press Conference, Quakes New Logo and an Mysterious Vintage Cap

Here is one last item from the current Lelands Auction that I thought was worth mentioning.  Featured above is a vintage photograph of the empty stalls within the Dodgers clubhouse.  As you can see, Roy Campanella's uniform is prominently displayed among throngs of Dodger flannels on wire hangers.  Check out the auction here.

Initially, I assumed that this photo was taken in the Brooklyn Dodgers clubhouse -- pre-1958.  But now, I'm not so sure. I say this because of a certain ball-cap above Campy's jersey.  Do you see it?

That's a "LA" hat with the "L" crossed with the "A" just like the current Dodgers logo, but the color scheme is all wrong.  The "L" is a dark color (unsure which considering this is an B&W pic) and the "A" is clearly white.  Heck, it almost looks like the caps the old Los Angeles Angels of the PCL wore before the Dodgers came to town, but again the color scheme is wrong.  Those hats, if I remember correctly, had a white "L" and a red "A". 

So, what the heck is that hat?  Were did it come from?  And, was this photo actually taken in the Dodgers clubhouse in the Coliseum?  Best yet, is this photo from Roy Campanella Day at the Coliseum -- when 93,000 fans jammed the stadium in 1958?

I dunno, and I don't know if we'll ever find out.  Unfortunately, the photograph itself has no relevant markings on the reverse to let us know.  If you happen to have any insight please pass that along.

Below are more links to check out:

• This Day in Dodgers History:  In 1981 in Game 5 of the World Series the Dodgers won their thrid straight game against the Yankees to take 3-2 series lead.  Pedro Guerrero and Steve YEager hit back-to-back homers, and Jerry Reuss pitched a 2-1 complete game for the victory.
• Happy Birthday, Pedro Martinez!

A Couple Vintage Dodgers Collectibles at Lelands Auctions -- The Sym-Phony Band and an Wrigley Flag

With our teams unceremonious exit from the 2016 postseason, I thought it would be fun to take one last look at the current Lelands Auction for some more vintage Dodgers memorabilia.  After all, there is no better way to get over the hump of another disappointing Baseball season then by seeking out the past for some guidance, and this auction is filled with stuff that could assist us.  For instance, last week I dived into this auction and shared pics of a couple of great vintage editorial cartoons featuring the Brooklyn Dodgers "Bum" (link here) -- which seems fairly apt considering how things ended for us.

Extraordinary Vintage Dodgers Drawings of Brooklyn "Bum" at Lelands Auctions

Lelands current auction is fantastic.  It's filled with a bunch of Dodgers-related memorabilia; including collectibles from the ever-impressive collection of Sal LaRocca (I'll write about some of those soon).  Featured items here, though, do not come from Sal, but who cares?  When artwork featuring Baseball's most lovable clown pop up I take a moment to take a look, and since you're here I figure you're interested in a peek too.  Shown here are two original drawings (one by Willard Mullin and another by NY Journal-American cartoonist Burris Jenkins) featuring the Brooklyn Dodgers "Bum".  

At top is a classic drawing by famed NY artist and Dodgers muse Willard Mullin.  As you may know, he is the original creator of the Dodgers "Bum" in 1937.  (Auction Link)  As you can see above, Mullin's creation is having a heated and animated argument with an umpire.  Best yet, the drawing is in color -- a rarity for collectors.

Below is an editorial cartoon by artist Burris Jenkins, and it features the Brooklyn "Bum" being strangled by the "Yankee Stadium Jinx".  (Auction Link)  As the auction description states, this drawing originally came out on the morning of October 8, 1956; which was on the day of Game 5 of the 1956 World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees.  Furthermore, on that day Yankee hurler Don Larson threw his "Perfect Game"; thereby confirming that the Dodgers were jinxed at the Bronx. 

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