THE BROOKLYN DODGERS - COMMEMORATIVE COVER SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: AL "THE LITTLE ITALIAN" GIONFRIDDO, ANDY "HANDY ANDY" PAFKO, DICK WILLIAMS, BEN (BENJAMIN STYRON) WADE, JOHNNY BABICH, PETE COSCARART, SPIDER (JOHN) JORGENSEN, CLIFF DAPPER, EDDIE "FIDDLER" BASINSKI, DUKE SNIDER, NEWT (NEWELL) KIMBALL - HFSID 287165

THE BROOKLYN DODGERS: EBBETS FIELD
Commemorative Envelope featuring Ebbets Field, honoring its 40th anniversary, signed by 12 former Dodgers
Commemorative Envelope signed: "Al Gionfriddo", "Andy Pafko", "Dick Williams", "Ben Wade", "Pete Coscarart", "Spider Jorgensen", "Eddie Basinski", "Cliff Dapper", "Johnny Babich", "Newell Kimball" and "Duke Snider", along with four unknown signers. 6½x3¾. Ebbets Field, named for club owner Charlie Ebbets (d. 1925), was located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. Opened in 1913, it was demolished in 1960. Ebbets was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers, known affectionately as the Bums. Over time it also was home to professional football. The Brooklyn Dodgers became the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958. In 1955, the Dodgers won their only World Series while in Brooklyn, beating their long-time nemesis: the New York Yankees. Edwin Donald "DUKE" SNIDER (b. 1926), also known as "the Duke of Flatbush," played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1947 to 1962, compiling a career batting average of .295 with 407 career homers and 1,333 RBIs. "The Silver Fox" led the league with 136 RBIs in 1955, and he hit four home runs in the 1952 and 1955 World Series. In the last game ever played in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, Snider homered twice. He entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. Al Gionfriddo (1922-2003) played four years in the majors (1944-1947), mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is best remembered, however, for a spectacular catch of Joe Dimaggio's bid for a 3-run, game tying home run in game 6 of the 1947 World Series, preserving a lead for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers won the game but lost Game 7 the next day. Ironically, his best remembered play came in Gionfriddo's last game in a major league uniform. Andy Pafko(1921-2013) played for three teams (Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves) in his 17-year NL career, and was on a pennant-winning team in each city. The emotional Dick Williams (1929-2011) is the only manager to win pennants with three different teams (the Red Sox, A's, and Padres), as well as win titles in all four divisions. But despite his teams' successes, he always alienated management and players alike with his driving, hard-bitten, "my way or the highway" attitude. He managed six different teams in a career that stretched over 21 years and often included clashes with similarly single-minded owners. Ben Wade (1922-2002) pitched for five seasons in the Major Leagues (1948, 1952-1955). He won eleven games as a starter for Brooklyn in 1952 but spent most of his career in the bullpen. He appeared in two games of the 1953 World Series. Middle infielder Pete Coscarart (1913-2002) played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1938-1941) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1942-1946). His was an All-Star in 1940. However, Coscarart was a few years too early as a player activist. His efforts to form a union and to encourage a player strike ended his playing career. John "Spider" Jorgensen (1919-2003) spent five seasons in the National League with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1947-1950) and New York Giants (1950-1951). He was the Dodgers' regular third baseman in his rookie season, and Jorgensen appeared on his way to a fine career, but an arm injury in the off-season relegated him to a backup role. Eddie "Fiddler" Basinski played infield for the Brooklyn Dodgers and then the Pittsburgh pirates from 1944-1947. Catcher Cliff Dapper (d. 2011) played only eight games for the Dodgers (1942), but hit .471 and played errorless ball. Then he was drafted into World War II. He returned from the service in 1946, but never to the Dodgers. He set many career records, however, in the Pioneer League. Dapper is the only player ever traded for an announcer (to the Atlanta Crackers for Ernie Harwell). Johnny Babich compiled a solid pitching record in the Pacific Coast League, where the level of play at the time was almost as strong as in the Majors, but he went 14-25 in two seasons with the Dodgers (1934-1935), and also failed to stick with the Boston Braves and Philadelphia A's. He did manage to whip the Yankees five times without a suffering a defeat. Newell "Newt" Kimball pitched for the Dodgers from 1941 to 1943, mostly in relief. Later he managed the Las Vegas Wranglers of the Sunset League. Encapsulated in a plastic PSA/DNA authentication holder. Fine condition.