Lot 105. 1954 Roberto Clemente Autograph. This last-name-only signature of the great Hall of Fame outfielder is on a 3 ¼” x 3 ¾” section of paper, apparently from an International League Toronto Maple Leafs baseball program. In 1954, Clemente spent his only minor league season with the Montreal Royals, a Brooklyn farm club. At the end of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him. The signatures of five Toronto players are also present: Don Griffin, Connie Johnson, Rudy Minarcin, Lew Morton and Ed Stevens. Johnson, who died in 2004, was one of the best pitchers in the Negro Leagues. The signatures are bold, mint 9s and gem mint 10s. The Clemente signature extends over printed portions of the program section. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $324
Lot 106. Roberto Clemente Calendar Autographed by His Family, Large Promotional Photo. Roberto’s wife, Vera Clemente, and sons, Luis R. Clemente and Roberto Clemente Jr., signed the cover of this 1994-95 commemorative calendar in bold silver sharpie. Their signatures are gem mint 10s, and the calendar is #32 of 100 that the family signed. Basic Concepts of Pittsburgh produced the calendar, which is full of Clemente-related photos. The calendar is mint. Accompanying the calendar is a tremendous 20” x 24” close-up photo of “The Great One.” Basic Concepts used the photo inside the front cover of the calendar. The photo by Kurt Gunther is mounted on ½” board and apparently was used for promotional purposes. Ex+. The image is striking. Autographs authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Minimum Bid $100
Lot 107. Rare 1973 Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Clemente Fundraiser Program, Ticket. On Dec. 31, 1972, Clemente’s plane went down on a charity mission to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. During the next year, the world scrambled to honor him, extending even to the Hall of Fame, which waived the five-year waiting period in order to induct him in 1973. On April 9, 1973, the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony conducted a concert to raise funds for “Roberto’s Youth City” in Puerto Rico. Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince served as master of ceremonies, and pitcher Nellie Briles was the soloist. The program included a greeting from Bing Crosby, a vice president with the Pirates. The 22-page b&w program has a vg-ex cover with better contents. On the outside back cover is an autograph of (Manny) Sanguillen. The signature is a 9-10. The ticket stub, which pictures Clemente, is ex. Autograph authenticated by Kevin Keating. This is the first time we have seen this program.
Winning Bid $150
Lot 108. Original 1909 Panoramic Sepia Photo of Forbes Field. This 6 ¼” x 19 ½” photo is copyrighted in the plate and stamped on the reverse by the Chautauqua Photographic Co., a Pittsburgh company that operated from 1897 to 1911. On the back, the photo is dated September, which means that it was taken within a couple of months of the ball park’s official opening on June 30. The photo shows a game in progress with the Pirates in the field. A gorgeous Oakland district cityscape is in the background. Built at a cost of $1 million, Forbes Field was one of the first steel and concrete parks. It stood for almost 62 seasons and played home to the Pirates, Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Steelers. The University of Pittsburgh played there for 14 seasons, including three under “Pop” Warner. This photo documents the field’s earliest days. The new ball park was good to Honus Wagner and his fellow Pirates. After winning 110 games and the NL pennant, they defeated Ty Cobb and the Detroit Tigers in the first ever seven-game World Series. Although the photo has seen some hard times, the image area is impressive and remains very presentable. Three corners have chips of varying sizes. A section on the left about 3” wide has been detached and is held in place with tape. There are extensive tape repairs in the sky on the left, and additional repairs on the right. Remarkably, the grandstand and the game action are untouched except for a tiny area at the top of the grandstand. The focus and contrast of the photo are outstanding. The photo is an important early piece of Forbes Field and Pittsburgh Pirates history.
Winning Bid $100
Lot 109. 1927 Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Scorecard - Traynor, the Waners, Etc. Made up of some of the finest players ever to wear Pirates uniforms, the 1927 team edged out New York and St. Louis for the NL pennant before falling in four games to the New York Yankees. The Pirates boasted five future Hall of Fame players – Paul and Lloyd Waner, Pie Traynor, Joe Cronin and Kiki Cuyler, while Gabby Hartnett and Hack Wilson were in the lineup for the Cubs. The 16-page program, including covers, is scored in pencil for an April 30 game won by the Cubs, 5-4. Twenty-five Pirates are pictured in the program, and so is new HoF member Barney Dreyfuss, the team president. An advertisement inside shows a drawing of Honus Wagner. The program is technically vg, looks better, and is very scarce.
Winning Bid $180
Lot 110. 4 1950s Pirates Yearbooks + 1979. In this collection of yearbooks, Branch Rickey’s influence on the Pirates becomes evident, even though his reign as general manager ended in 1955. One of Rickey’s legacies was an improved farm system, which contributed to the Pirates’ World Championship in 1960. The yearbooks are for 1953 vg-ex, 1957, ex-m, and 1958 and 1959, both ex+. Dick Groat, a rookie in 1952, is pictured in the 1953 edition. Groat spent 1953-54 in military service. Among the stars pictured are Roberto Clemente, Bill Mazeroski, Ralph Kiner, Vernon Law and Bob Friend. Dave Parker is on the cover of the 1979 yearbook, which has plenty of Willie Stargell content. Ex-m. The 1953 and 1957 yearbooks are comparatively scarce.
Winning Bid $110
Lot 111. Rare 1960 World Champs Pittsburgh Pirates Foam Display Cushion. Our consignor found this display item in a bar in Pittsburgh. It’s the first we’ve ever seen. The shape mimics a baseball with screen-printed “Pittsburgh Pirates World Champs” above, below and between the seams and the Pirates’ mascot on the “sweet spot.” The yellow foam, 12” in diameter, has a gold silk rope for hanging at the top. There are some minor edge chips and a larger chip at 7 o’clock. The printed colors remain strong. Scarce 1960 championship collectible!
Winning Bid $75
Lot 112. Unused 1970 Cincinnati at Pittsburgh NL Championship Program. Pittsburgh marked the opening season of Three Rivers Stadium by capturing the NL East title. The Reds then swept them in the Championship Series. The 28-page program, including covers, is nm-m; it is unstapled. The program includes photos of Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Gene Alley and Bill Mazeroski, and Dock Ellis. This program is scarce, especially in this condition.
Minimum Bid $100
Lot 113. Bill Mazeroski Signed 1998 Romito “Maz Wins World Series” Figurine. Beautifully sculpted 9” Mazeroski figurine with a stand designed to look like the back wall of Forbes Field. Maz’s signature on the white plaque in front is a gem mint 10. The pose replicates a photo taken in the aftermath of Maz’s famous World Series-winning home run. Numbered 217 of 500 and in nm-m un-displayed condition. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $113
Lot 114. 1984 Pittsburgh Steelers Autographed Football with Webster, Lambert, Stallworth. Thirty-three Pittsburgh Steelers, including three Hall of Fame members, signed this official NFL Rozelle football in black sharpie. They include: Walter Abercrombie, Craig Bingham, Scott Campbell, Mark Catano, Anthony Corley, Gary Dunn, Keith Gary, Ron Johnson, Bob Kohrs, Jack Lambert, Louis Lipps, Mark Malone, Edmund Nelson, Frank Pollard, Pete Rostosky, Donnie Shell, John Stallworth, Sam Washington, Mike Webster, Blake Wingle, David Woodley and Dwayne Woodruff. Signatures range from ex 5 to gem mint 10 with primarily 8s, 9s and 10s. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $163
Lot 115. Jack Ham Autographed Pittsburgh Steelers Mini-Helmet. One of the greatest outside linebackers in the history of the NFL, Ham was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988. He boldly signed this Riddell Steelers mini-helmet in gold sharpie with his induction year. Nm helmet with a gem mint 10 signature. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $40
Lot 116. Willie Parker Autographed Pittsburgh Steelers Mini-Helmet. Since he joined the Steelers in 2004, Parker has appeared in the Pro-Bowl twice, accumulated more than 4,000 yards rushing and set the record for the longest touchdown ever (75 yards) in Super Bowl history. Parker’s signature grades gem mint 10 on an nm helmet. Authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $35
Lot 117. Pittsburgh Penguins Collection – Lemieux, Jagr Autographs, Lemieux Figurine, Programs, Etc. Are the young Penguins at the precipice of another great dynasty? If so, here’s a great start on a Penguins collection, which includes some of the most famous names in Pittsburgh history. 1. Mario Lemieux 8” x 10” color photo, signed with “66” under his name. His signature in bold blue sharpie grades 9-10. 2. Jaromir Jagr 8” x 10” signed in bold blue sharpie, gem mint 10. 3-5. 1991 Stanley Cup Champions commemorative pucks signed in metallic sharpie by Bryan Trottier, Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens. The Trottier signature is a 9-10, and the two others are 10s. 6. Commemorative puck for the 1990 All-Star Game at Pittsburgh, nm. 7. 1990 NHL All-Star program, 160 pages, nm. This game marked the first time that a national audience had the chance to see Gretzky and Lemieux on the ice at the same time, nm. 8. 1996 Mario Lemieux Salvino Statue, 7” figure numbered 952 of 10,000. Ex+ with the stick repaired at the glove. Autographs authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $121
Lot 118. 4 Mario Lemieux Highland Mint Photomints – 2 Game-Used, 1 Signed. All are matted and framed with a 24Kt. gold overlay medallion and an 8” x 10” photo. Three of the pieces are framed to 13” x 16”, and the other, to 16” x 18”. During his career, Lemieux won three Hart trophies, six Art Ross trophies and a Conn Smythe trophy. At his retirement in 2005, he was the seventh highest all-time scorer with 690 goals and 1,033 assists. 1. Marks his 1997 HoF induction; includes a team collector pin. No. 15 of 2002. 2. Lemieux photograph with the Stanley Cup hoisted over his head, framed with a slice of a game-used hockey stick. No. 25 of 166. 3. Signed photo of Lemieux in his Team Canada uniform. The autograph is a gem mint 10 guaranteed by the Highland Mint. No. 4 of 50. 4. This is the larger item, framed horizontally and titled “All-Star.” No. 38 of 166. The display includes a section of the goalie net from the 2001 All-Star game and a section of game-used hockey stick from 1996-97. Nm to nm-m.
Winning Bid $102
Lot 119. Pittsburgh Penguins Highland Mint Photomints - Lemieux, Jagr and Kovalev. Three items from the Game-Used Collection, each matted and framed to 12” x 15” with a 24Kt. gold overlay medallion, an 8” x 10” photo and a section of a hockey stick or a goalie net. 1. Mario Lemieux, “Super-Mario,” No. 6 of 266, with a section of his 1996-97 game-used hockey stick. 2. Jaromir Jagr, “All-Star Game 2001,” No. 18 of 99, 2001 All-Star game goalie net. 3. Alexei Kovalev, No. 9 of 99, otherwise the same as Jagr. Nm-m.
Winning Bid $45
