THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - AUTOGRAPHED SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH CO-SIGNED BY: JOE TORRE, CURT FLOOD, BOB GIBSON, VIC DAVALILLO, PHIL GAGLIANO, MIKE "MOONMAN" SHANNON, RAY WASHBURN, VADA PINSON, STEVE HUNTZ, JULIAN "HOOLIE-THE PHANTOM" JAVIER, DICK SISLER, BILLY MUFFETT, CHUCK TAYLOR, DAVE GIUSTI, CHARLES "BOOTS" DAY, DAVE RICKETTS, RON WILLIS - HFSID 291003

ST LOUIS CARDINALS (1969)
Official team photo, signed by 15 players and coaches near their respective images
Photograph signed: "Julian Javier", "Chuck Taylor", "Phil Gagliano", "Dave Ricketts", "Mike Shannon", "Vada Pinson", "Bob Gibson", "Steve Huntz", "Dave Giusti", "Joe Torre", "Ron Willis", "Boots Day", "Billy Muffett", "Dick Sisler", "Vic Davalillo" and "Curt/Flood". Color, 10x8½. Official team photo of the 1969 St Louis Cardinals. PSA/DNA authentication sticker (#K74768) affixed to lower right corner. Lower margin contains team logo and list of players and coaches, listed in order by rows. When they posed for this picture, the St Louis Cardinals were defending National League pennant winners, have narrowly missed their second consecutive World Championship when they lost a 7-game Series to the Detroit Tigers in 1968. (The 1967 Cards had bested the Boston Red Sox in a 7-game battle.) The team pictured here would finish a respectable 87-75 under manager RED SCHOENDIENST, but finish fourth in the NL East behind the Mets, Cubs and Pirates. This was to be the year of the Miracle Mets. Signers here who appeared in the 1967 and 1968 World Series were future Hall of Fame pitcher BOB GIBSON, stellar center fielder CURT FLOOD, regular infielders JULIAN JAVIER (2B) and MIKE SHANNON (3B), relief pitcher MIKE WILLIS, and reserves PHIL GAGLIANO and DAVE RICKETTS. Joining the team for 1969 were future Hall of Fame catcher and manager JOE TORRE (playing 1B for the Redbirds), outfielder VADA PINSON (previously a center fielder with the Reds, but yielding to the even stronger defense there of Curt Flood), pitchers DAVE GIUSTI and CHUCK TAYLOR, backup shortstop STEVE HUNTZ and outfielder BOOTS DAY. Hitting coach DAVE SISLER (a member of the 1946 World Champion Cardinals) and pitching coach BILLY MUFFETT have also signed. Flood would be traded to the Phillies at the end of the 1969 season. His refusal to report and his nearly successful suit against Major League Baseball foreshadowed the advent of free agency six years later. Worn at edges. Slightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.