Visiting The Game's Past

[softball66]

Thirty to forty years ago three young men decided to write to former major league baseballers for their autographs and did this by sending index cards for the former and current players to sign. Many of the old timers were honored to be remembered and wrote little notes to the boys.
We were lucky enough to run across these 350 plus of these signed cards recently and discovered many names we'd never heard of, more than a few who had more games in than "Moonlight" Graham of "Field of Dreams" fame. Here are some that I'd never heard of>
Stephen Yerkes
Ralph Miller
Bert Niehoff
Fred Carish
Lou North
Al (Lefty) Leifield
Some of these our students of the game will recognize. And there are others. A few of these then lads played on pennant winners or played for the likes of Mack and McGraw. Some played in the 1890s. Some are on T206 and T207, Turkey Red cards.
And yes I did turn up a group of the latter 1920s players that had store model endorsement gloves.
The real joy of this for me was looking up the records of these various big leaguers of base ball and imagining what they were like in their "heyday."

[Number9]

Cool story. It's always fascinating when you can make a connection to the early years of the game. Best of all, I'm sure you can even read their names!

[softball66]

Hi Bill, RIGHT you are. Some really beautiful penmanship with these fellows who took pride in their signatures. And yes, sort of like reading "Glory of Their Times."
I was able to match up the following autographs with Reds gloves that I have: Horace Ford, Joe Nuxhall, Bucky Walters, Frank McCormick, Johnny Vander Meer, Eddie Joost, Wally Berger, Walker Cooper, Ray Mueller and 'Red" Lucas. Even a "Bubbles" Hargrave and I think the signed card is worth more than my Hargrave c. mitt which is nice.
If anyone is looking to match up a glove with a signature, just let me know, I may have it.