PITTSBURGH PIRATES: 1933 Amazing collection of signatures from the Pirates Signatures: "Ralph Birkofer", "Leon Chagnon", "Adam Comorosky", "Doc Crandall", "Hal Finney", "Larry French", "To my/Little friend/Pete Lear/from Gibby", "Earl Grace", "Bill Harris", "Grover Hartley", "Waite C. Hoyt", "Woody Jensen", "Fred Lindstrom", "Heine Meine", "Leo Nonnenkamp", "Val Picinich", "Tony Piet", "Hal Smith", "Gus Suhr", "Steve Swetonic", "Bill Swift", "Tommy Thevenow" "Harold 'Pie' Traynor", "Floyd Vaughan", "J. Honus Wagner", "Lloyd Waner", "Paul Waner" and "Floyd Young". The way the powerful Pittsburgh Pirates were swinging the bat in 1933, they seemed unbeatable. However, the Pirates finished second in the National League that year to the New York Giants. Pittsburgh out-hit New York .285 to .263 for the season, but the big difference between winning and losing the pennant was the pitching.

BABE RUTH The Great Bambino signs a check for $190 Check filled by Ruth and signed: "G H Ruth", 1p, 8x3. October 17, 1938. Drawn on the Chemical Bank & Trust Company. Check number 4529 for $190.00. Ink bleed affecting "h" in the last name, otherwise fine condition. Few would contest that Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was the greatest baseball player who ever lived. While his record for career home runs (714) has been surpassed by Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds, and his single season mark of 60 by four players, many other records stand unchallenged. One of the new statistics devised to measure baseball value perhaps says it best: Wins Above Replacement (WAR). How many more games did his team win by having the Babe on its roster instead of a replacement-level player? Over his career, his teams won 190 more games with him than they would have won in his absence, and he had the American League's best WAR in 12 seasons: two with the Boston Red Sox (1916, 1919), and 10 with the New York Yankees between 1920 and 1931.

WORN BY BONDS DURING HIS 73 HOME RUN SEASON! BARRY BONDS. Pair of his cleats worn by him during the 2001 season, signed: "Barry Bonds" on the right shoe. File size 11½. "25 Barry Bonds Authenticated" hologram (obtained directly from Bonds) affixed to shoe to the right of the signature. FILA brand shoe. "25 Barry Bonds Authenticated" certificate of authenticity included. In 2001, San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds set the major league record of 73 home runs.Bonds moved to second place on the all-time home run list, behind only Hank Aaron (755), after passing Babe Ruth's previous second best of 714 in May 2006. Fine condition.

BABE RUTH Stunning 1941 sepia toned photograph of the Great Bambino Photograph inscribed and signed: "To Kay/The Bowling Bambina/With Best Wishes/Babe Ruth". B/w with sepia hue, 9x7. Two illegible letters between "To" and "Kay" were gone over by Ruth. "1941" penned (unknown hand) at lower right corner. Head shot wearing Yankees hat and pinstripes. From Brett Ballantini's article, "Tales of the Bowling Bambino", in "Bowling Digest", August 2003: "Ruth was skilled in many sports but was always drawn back to bowling. Ruth and his friend, Ford Frick (later baseball's commissioner), regularly bowled together at Bronxville Lanes in Frick's home town of Bronxville, N.Y. In fact, Ruth loved bowling there so much he wanted to purchase the Bronxville alley. And along with scores of his baseball memorabilia, Ruth's bowling ball is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ruth was also drawn to duckpin bowling, a sport born in his hometown of Baltimore. (Duckpin bowling uses a 4-pound ball, smaller pins, and a slightly different set of rules.)" Lightly rippled, touching writing.

CAL RIPKEN, JR.'S CONSECUTIVE GAME STREAK A baseball used in his record-breaking game, signed by Ripken and all four umpires and authenticated by an umpire. Baseball Signed (Game Used): "Cal Ripken, Jr." (on the sweet-spot), "Larry Barron #22", "Greg Kosc/#18", "Al Clark/A.L. Ump/#24" and "Dan Morrison/#34". Official Ball American League, Gene A. Budig, PRES., with "Ripken 8 2130 2131 Orioles" printed on the ball, which was used during the September 6, 1995, game in which Ripken (uniform #8) broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive game playing streak of 2,130 games by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game. The baseball has been signed by Ripken and all four umpires of game #2131. Lightly worn and stained, all signatures legible. Accompanied by TLS: "Dan Morrison", American League Umpire #34. New York, 1995 September 6. On official 8½x11 stationery of The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs. In part: "To whom it may concern: The Cal Ripken Jr. #8 commemorative baseball which accompanies this letter was used on the historic night in baseball history.

BABE RUTH Stunning sepia toned photograph of the Great Bambino circa 1940s Photograph inscribed and signed: "To my good friends/ Elsie & Charles,/ Sincerely,/ Babe Ruth.". In black ink. Sepia toned, 7 x 9. Overall size of 19½ x 21½. Mounting tape remnants on verso. Minor separation of the frame at the upper left corner, chip at left side of frame. Not framed by the Gallery of History. Fine condition. Accompanied by PSA/DNA LOA. Few would contest that Babe Ruth (1895-1948) was the greatest baseball player who ever lived. While his record for career home runs (714) has been surpassed by Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds, and his single season mark of 60 by five players, many other records stand unchallenged. One of the new statistics devised to measure baseball value perhaps says it best: Wins Above Replacement (WAR). How many more games did his team win by having the Babe on its roster instead of a replacement-level player? Over his career, his teams won 190 more games with him than they

TED WILLIAMS Williams signs a Louisville Slugger along with a “521 H.Rs.” inscription. Baseball bat signed: "Ted Williams / 521 H.Rs.". Signed in blue ink. Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Hall of Famer Ted Williams played outfield for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960, taking off time to fight in World War II and Korea. He was the last to hit over .400 (.406 in 1941), leading the American League in hitting six times. His lifetime batting average is .344 with 521 home runs. The Splendid Splinter's accomplishments include two Triple Crowns, two MVPs, six American League batting championships and 18 All-Star Game selections. Fine condition.

1950: GEORGE M. WEISS Corporate records of Amsterdam, New York Yankees farm team, including five signed by Weiss. THE COMPLETE YANKEES CORPORATE RECORDS OF THE AMSTERDAM EXHIBITION COMPANY, INC. FROM THE MINUTES OF THEIR FIRST MEETING ON JANUARY 18, 1950 TO THEIR DISSOLUTION MEETING ON MAY 21, 1953. The Amsterdam Exhibition Company, Inc. owned the Class C Minor League team, the Amsterdam Rugmakers of the Canadian-American League. The team was organized in 1938. Because of WWII, no games were played during the years 1943-1945 due to the lack of players. Resuming play in 1946, the New York Yankees bought the team after the 1949 season. From 1950-1951, the Amsterdam Rugmakers were the Yankees farm team in the Canadian-American League. When the league disbanded after the 1951 season, so did the team. The Yankees continued ownership, finally dissolving the corporation in 1953. Included is a stock certificate signed: "George M. Weiss" as President of the Amsterdam Exhibition Co. and "J. Arthur Friedlund" as Secretary, certifying that "New York Yankees, Inc.

CAL RIPKEN, JR. Baseball used during the Hall of Famer's 2,131st consecutive game, voted "Baseball's Most Memorable Moment" Baseball signed: "Cal Ripken Jr." Rawlings Official American League "Gene A. Budig" baseball. On September 6, 1995, at Baltimore's Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken, Jr. surpassed Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played. The celebration of that milestone achievement, culminating in Ripken's "victory lap" around the stadium, was BASEBALL'S MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT as selected by more than 1.1 million fans in balloting sponsored by MasterCard and announced by Major League Baseball before Game 4 of the 2002 World Series. The milestone by the Baltimore Orioles' shortstop received 282,821 votes. The excitement and emotions generated on that evening also helped ease the pain of the 1994-1995 players' strike and greatly restored the National Pastime's tarnished image in the heart's of many fans. To further commemorate that historic event, Rawlings provided specially designed game balls which were used only during Ripken's record tying and record breaking games.