REA: A Couple of Rare Brooklyn Dodgers Programs

Robert Edwards Auctions, known for its once-a-year sports cards and memorabilia auction gala, is holding (to my surprise) their 2nd auction of the year right now, and as always it is incredible.  Although not exactly comparable to its big summer auction, it does include numerous vintage items worth taking note.

For instance, take a look at this 1919 "Peace Souvenir" program issued by the Brooklyn Dodgers, below.

(auction link)

Per the auction description:

The special eight-page program was specially produced to honor all of the members of the Brooklyn Dodgers organization, both players and executives, who served in the military during World War I. All of the members are pictured (many in their respective military uniforms), and the rear cover unfolds to reveal a large team photo of the 1919 Brooklyn club. Included among the individual portrait images are Burleigh Grimes (pictured in his sailor's uniform), Zack Wheat, Wilbert Robinson, and Rube Marquard (pictured in his sailor's uniform).

Click on any pic to embiggen.

(auction link)

(auction link)

Since we are in the midst of the 2013 Baseball postseason, I though it would be fun to take a look at this 1920 World Series program issued at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field. Dodgers manager Wilbert Robinson is on the cover.  BTW, the Brooklyn team was nicknamed the Robins due to their love of their portly skipper.  Unfortunately, the Indians defeated the Robins five games to two in the 1920 World Series (it was a best-of-nine affair). 

Per the auction description:

Today, the Series is best known for two famous firsts, each of which occurred in Game 5. In the first inning Indians outfielder Elmer Smith hit the first grand slam in Series play. Four innings later teammate Bill Wambsganss did him one better by completing the first and only unassisted triple play in the history of the fall classic.

(Auction Link)

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Weekend Autograph Opportunities: Garvey Signing This Afternoon, A Card Show on Saturday and Bill Russell on Sunday

Here are this weekends autograph opportunities and events throughout the Southland. As always, be sure to check the Blue Heaven Calendar for other events (a link can always be found on the tab at the top of this page, just left of center), and always confirm with the establishment. Everything is subject to change.  Please email me with any tips about upcoming events in Southern California.  As the rest of the week progresses I'll update this post with other events (if there are any) as I become aware of them.  Also, I don't always list every event below, so be sure to check my Calendar.  I always try to favor free signing events over paying events.  Click on any pic to embiggen.

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Steve Garvey will be signing autographs this afternoon, Wednesday, October 2, 2013 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Barley Bin Liquor in Whittier.  Vic "The Brick" will also be there.  Go here for more information.

Barley Bin Liquor 
5427 S Norwalk Blvd. 
Whittier, CA 90601

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A Free Admission Card Show!

Go here for information.

Veterans Memorial Auditorium 
4117 Overland Avenue 
Culver City, CA 90230

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Bill Russell will be signing autographs at Manuel's El Tepeyac in the City of Industry on Sunday, October 6, 2013.  Time has yet to be released.  Check out their facebook page or twitter for information.

Manuel's El Tepeyac 
13131 Crossroads Pkwy South 
City of Industry, CA 91746
 (626) 488-9432 

Hat Tip: Vin Scully is My Homeboy

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Blog Kiosk: 10/2/2013 - Dodgers Links - Puig, Luis Cruz and Andre Ethier

Here is a look at the Dodgers postseason cap, pic via @Dodgers on twitter.

• "The stuff that legends are made of," via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA.

There have been many comparisons drawn between that historic 1988 Dodger team and the playoff-bound 2013 Dodgers, but up until two weeks ago, one of those comparisons did not include the painful truth that what was once four reasonably healthy All-Star caliber outfielders would quickly dwindle down to two – yet this is exactly what has happened.

• Hey!  Do you remember that time Yasiel Puig got busted for reckless driving while still in the minors?  Well, his court date has been pushed, once again. Via Chattanooga.com.
• Luis Cruz sends his well wishes, via twitter:

Good.luck to my old.teamates  goo blue :)
— luis cruz (@CochitoCruz) October 1, 2013

• Via Jim Callis at MLB.com, "How they were built: Los Angeles Dodgers".

"Mark Walter and the new ownership came in and wanted to win," Dodgers assistant general manager and vice president of amateur scouting Logan White said. "They were willing to spend money to be good. We do place a premium on guys with track record and experience, and we've been able to go out and get them."

• "New father Rodriguez to rejoin Dodgers Wednesday," via Ken Gurnick and Austin Laymance at MLB.com.
• "Ethier's status unclear as NLDS approaches,: via Austin Laymance at MLB.com.

"We're hoping it's a hitting role right now and maybe more as the series progresses," Ethier said after working out with the Dodgers on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. "It's frustrating to be sitting here at this point. We're just trying to figure out a way to have me contribute and help any way I can, especially this first series."

• "Ned Colletti weighs in on Julio Urias and Corey Seager," via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA.
• I believe this is a bad omen for the Braves.  Will they suffer the Sports Illustrated curse?  The Upton Brothers join Kate Upton on the cover.  See it on the right.
• Tom Bartsch at Sports Collectors Digest writes, "Quotable: Athletes Commenting on Cards, Autographs".

“Any American that doesn’t sign autographs for little kids isn’t an American. He’s a Communist.”
– Rogers Hornsby, HOF player-manager

• Banksy is in New York, via This is Colossal.

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A 1887 Silver Bill Phillips Baseball Card - an Old Time Brooklyn Player

Brockelman & Luckey Auctions recently closed up their most recent auction and it included a card of a vintage Dodger player I thought worth noting.  Check it out above.

It is a 1887 Old Judge Cigarettes card of Brooklyn Grays (a precursor team to the Dodgers) first baseman Silver Bill Phillips.  He is known as the very first Canadian born player to ever play in the Major Leagues and is enshrined in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.  This card sold at $245.25 a week back.

Why he was called "Silver Bill" I do not know.  I do know, on the other hand, that he is regarded as one of the best defensive first baseman of the 1880's.  He stood 6 feet tall and weighed some 200 lbs.; which at the time was huge.  So, his size was a benefit to his position.  Silver Bill would often look the part of a modern day basketball player to someone like 5' 6" me.

Via a SABR biography by William Akin:

Cleveland's infield of the early Eighties, labeled the "Stonewall Infield," may have been the finest fielding unit of the era. In 1880 Jack Glasscock moved from second base to shortstop, where he became the slickest fielder of his era, and Fred Dunlap took over at second. Charles Faber rates that group the best double play combination of the nineteenth century (Faber, 50). Writing thirty years later, Al Spink remembered them as "perhaps the greatest infield ever known" (Spink, 196). They led the League in double plays in 1882 and fielding average in 1883. Phillips participated in more double plays than any other first baseman during Cleveland's first five years of NL play.

Silver Bill spent three seasons with Brooklyn - from 1885 to 1887.  It was in the New York borough where he would record his best years at the plate.  He batted .278 for the Grays, knocked in 236 runs, scored 215 runs and even stole 29 bases (which is a lot considering how slow he'e been described). 

Unfortunately, after Brooklyn he would soon find himself out of the game.  He was pushed off the team in order to bring up a kid named David Orr, and played his last game with the Hamilton Hams of the International League in 1899.  He would pass away about a decade later due to complications from syphilis.  

To learn more about this former Dodger be sure to check out William Akin's great biography at the SABR biography Project, right here.

Below are Silver Bill Phillips' career stats, via Baseball Reference:

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A Vintage Brooklyn Bum Cookie Jar on Auction

In The Park Collectibles has an auction running right now that has this great vintage 1940's-1950's porcelain cookie jar made by Gibbs-Conner of Cleveland, Ohio.  It features the famous "Brooklyn Bum", and measures 13" tall. 

Gibbs-Conner was a competitor to Stanford Pottery, but closed their doors in the late 1950's.  Sports based porcelain figurines were not their main market; although they did produce for a sale porcelain bank of Cleveland Indian's mascot Chief Wahoo.  I believe this Dodgers cookie jar is one of just a handful of prototypes that they made, but never got around to mass producing.  As evidenced by its high initial asking price ($1,000.00), it is a very scarce collectible.

(Auction Link)

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Blog Kiosk: 10/1/2013 - Dodgers Links - Hairston, Puig, Scully and the Don

Can Terry Crews play centerfield?  Pic via Jon SooHoo/La Dodgers 2013.

• Jerry HAriston Jr. is suffering through a back issue, via JP Hoornstra at Inside the Dodgers.
• What their saying in Atlanta - "Favored or not, Braves confident facing Dodgers," via David O'Brien at AJC.com.  The Braves seem to think their the underdog.  Considering the recent injuries to the Dodgers, I don't think this holds true.

“Whether or not we get the publicity we should get, it’s just not important to us. We don’t need someone to tell us that we’re going to win or lose. It’s played on the field.”

• David Lauterbach at True Blue LA writes, "A look back at the Dodgers vs. Braves 2013 season series".
• Just to let you know.

Ernie Johnson, Rob Darling and Cal Ripken in the booth for Dodgers-Braves series
— Anthony Jackson (@dodgerscribe) September 30, 2013

• Gellman at Sports Cards Uncensored tells us that the 2013 Bowman Chrome Yasiel Puig Superfractor autographed card has already been pulled and sold to SBay Cards - Is this the Lomita store? Chris Olds at Beckett confirms that it is the Lomita store, and you should expect to see it in an upcoming Super Box repackage product they will be selling.  The selling price of the card is unknown.  See the rare "1 of 1" card on the right.  Click to embiggen.  I'll have pics of the Dodgers' cards from this set up soon.
• Via Chad Moriyama, "Yasiel Puig’s no-good-very-bad September is actually quite promising".
• True to the Blue recaps the recent AJ Ellis signing in Long Beach this past weekend.
• Via Chuck Culpepper at Sports on Earth writes about Vin Scully, "The Hardest Working Legend Around".

"I would say on average, I get here at 3:30, and I work somewhere close to an hour and a half. That gets it to five of five. I have to tape an opening. I have to tape a little thing they put on the board, notes on the game. I'll come in and eat. I'll be finished eating. If my wife isn't at the game, automatically at six o'clock I'll call her to let her know that I'm here and find out what she's going through at home. And then after I make the phone call, I go back to look for any late notes, whatever. I might talk with one or two of the other team's broadcasters, say, 'What's new, who's doing what?' And then, by the time you're ready to go on, you have a head full of stuff."

• "For the Dodgers, Don Mattingly is leader of the pack," via Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times.

"Once the game starts, he's still got that player mentality," pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. "He's pretty competitive. You definitely see why he was a successful baseball player."

Mattingly's calm demeanor in the clubhouse makes the players comfortable. His intensity in the dugout is what earns their respect. They feel as if he's protecting them.

• Emma Span at Sports on Earth shares a "Who to Root For in the Playoffs" flowchart.

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