Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

I'm saddened to report that we lost a hobby legend, a Hall of Famer. John Graham, passed peacefully on Friday due to his pulmonary fibrosis according to his wife Vicki.

John was the Texas gentlemen and all-around good guy. Everyone respected John because of the way he dealt with them, and he did a lot of deals to put together one of the largest high-end collections ever assembled.

We got together most every time he traveled out West to SoCal and the one time I went to “The Big D” (Dallas) as he called it, to see his collection in all its glory before he wrote his book. I always looked forward to seeing him. We did so many deals together and I will miss him, especially his calm, gentlemanly southern or Texas drawl.

If you have a nice memory of John, please post it here. I don’t know where to begin.

JD

Sorry to hear of his passing . I did a few deals with him over the years . He’ll be missed .

Sorry to hear this news. John was a giant in the hobby and always friendly to deal with. I had fun spending time with him at the first National I set up at and hosting him at my home a few times on his trips to New England.

I am again saddened to report that Joe Phillips, TGC (The glove Collector), the father of our hobby, has passed away. Over the years, I corresponded with Joe at least a couple of times a week but not less than a couple of times a month until he stopped responding to my notes altogether in late November. I got a bad feeling but continued to send him notes about glove news nonetheless. Turns out, Joe had a stroke late November and couldn't respond physically. I continued sending him notes hoping someone would read them to him, hoping he would love to hear some glove chatter. Of course he would. I would. I knew he couldn't reply but I sent notes anyway. Lots of 'em. Eventually, his son responded and read my notes to him and has been keeping me in the loop about Joe's condition through his e-mail address. I got this one first thing Saturday morning.

Joe was the best. He created a unique subset up the larger hobby and communicated to us through his bi-monthly newsletters. He was kind enough to let me post them all for the hobby to enjoy in the Glove Library here:

https://baseballglovecollector.com/glove-library/

Joe was always quick to answer a question or help someone out so I tried to model myself after him. Joe made us all realize that gloves were so much cooler than cards. When are the card guys gonna get it? We have. We all collected cards, but gloves are so much better. I met with him a few times in person over the years (starting in the 90's) and for that I'm grateful. We hit it off. He sent me so much information over the years even all his personal communications - all the dope, all the glove chatter. I accumulated a lot and wanted to share it with everyone, well most of it. I put most of it on the the site, every article, every Newsletter and everything I could think of, as that's what Joe would have done if he could. He laid the groundwork.

Anyway, with John and Joe, we have lost a couple of hobby legends. The hobby lives on stronger than ever now thanks to them. He was especially close with Roy Anderson and Ron Carlson as well. The four of them in the Dallas area were the Four Musketeers (you too Parker). They often made me feel like the Fifth/Sixth even when I couldn't attend their get togethers as they always told me about them and for that I'm grateful. I miss 'em.

JD

Very sad to hear about Joe. If not for him and his TGC newsletter I doubt that I would have gotten into this hobby that has given so much enjoyment over the years. He will be missed.

Very sad to hear about Joes passing. He is the reason this forum exists and he brought together so many people over the years that developed great friendships. I remember him and my dad having many long phone conversations just talking about their passion for gloves and the hobby. He was always kind to me and was very supportive when I started the forum because I didn’t want to infringe on his collector newsletters. A true icon and Mt Rushmore figure of the glove collecting hobby.

Celebration of Life Details from Joe's son, Joe Mark.

Joe Phillips Celebration of life- A come and go event!!!!
Date: Sunday April 12th
Time: 11am-1pm
Address: 3351 Virginia Pkwy, McKinney, TX 75072
Event Space - The Bistro
Lite Lunch will be provided...

JD

And here is the obituary.

JD


Joseph L. Phillips, born August 31, 1939, passed away peacefully in McKinney, Texas on March 14, 2026, at the age of 86.

A passionate sportsman, musician, and renowned authority on vintage baseball gloves, Joseph lived a rich and accomplished life marked by quiet strength, family devotion, and a deep love for America’s pastimes. His professional and personal pursuits brought him national recognition in the world of baseball memorabilia while allowing him to provide for and cherish his family.

Joseph enjoyed a multifaceted career that blended athletic participation, musical performance, and expert scholarship. He played five years of semi-pro baseball, reaching the State Finals of the National Baseball Congress in Texas in 1964. He was a standout slow-pitch softball player from 1967 to 2012, earning National All-Tournament honors four times (2001–2003 and 2005), and earlier pitched in an Army Air Force All-Star Game in 1960. A charter member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and a lifetime member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, he also performed musically, playing in a band with Hall of Fame steel guitarist Tom Brumley in 1959–60 and recording the song “The Fly” in 1964.

His greatest legacy in the sports collecting community came through his expertise on baseball gloves. Joseph authored the definitive book *Nokona Ball Gloves: A Texas Tradition*, published numerous articles including six for *Sports Collectors Digest* (where he served as a columnist), and wrote and edited over 90 issues of *The Glove Collector* newsletter. He was featured in a *Sports Illustrated* article on baseball gloves and was quoted in *The New York Times*. His passion led to memorable conversations and interviews with baseball legends including Brooks Robinson, Robin Roberts, Bobby Richardson, Johnny Bench, Nolan Ryan, Andre Dawson, Jim Piersall, and Marques Haynes, as well as discussions with golf icon Jack Nicklaus, NFL coach Tom Landry, and former American League President Bobby Brown. He had the honor of meeting Presidents Gerald Ford and George W. Bush.

Above all, Joseph cherished the bonds that held his family together through the years and found his deepest fulfillment in their shared moments.

A Celebration of Life (a come-and-go event) will be held in his honor on **Sunday, April 12, 2026**, from **11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.** at **3351 Virginia Pkwy, McKinney, TX 75072**.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Danalee Phillips; his son, Joe Mark Phillips (Spouse Deanne Phillips); his daughter, Sherrill Phillips; his granddaughter, Erika Martinez spouse Austin Martinez), Abby Phillips and Ava Isom; and his great-grandchildren, Blakely Crump and Cohen Martinez. His memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joseph’s memory to a charity of one’s choice that supports family causes or youth sports.

It sounds like Joe lived a very rewarding life. He had strong family ties and excelled at his hobbies. His enthusiastic replies to posts on here or topics from his newsletter always made my day. I still refer to his Glove Catalog Source Book on a regular basis.