Multi-Player Signed ***** League Cap Pick-Up

Had to share this. Been looking to expand my collection to some parts of the hobby that I find a little more cool. It's an Indianapolis Clowns cap signed by 16 ***** League players. Not sure on some of them, but identified these (any help would be greatly appreciated on the rest).

Bill
Leon Day
Buck O'neil
Buck Leonard

Front right (white) panel
"Double Duty" Radcliffe
Lyman Bostock Sr.

Front left (red) panel
Lester Lockett
??? (black signature)
"Wild" Bill Wright

Right side (blue) panel
Artie Wilson

Left side (blue) panel
Max Manning

Back right (white) panel
Sherwood Brewer
Gene Benson
????

Back left (red) panel
Wilmer Harris
Tony Stone (first of 3 woman to play in the ***** Leagues)
Al Wilmore

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Old-*****-League-auto-autograph-signed-Clowns-hat-w-HOFers-16-signatures-RARE-/00/s/MTAwMFg3NDY=/z/PGMAAOxyRNJSi9Dp/$_57.JPG
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Old-*****-League-auto-autograph-signed-Clowns-hat-w-HOFers-16-signatures-RARE-/00/s/MTAwMFg3NDY=/z/IfEAAOxyzi9Si9Ds/$_57.JPG
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Old-*****-League-auto-autograph-signed-Clowns-hat-w-HOFers-16-signatures-RARE-/00/s/MTAwMFg3NDY=/z/PVEAAOxyRNJSi9Dy/$_57.JPG
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Old-*****-League-auto-autograph-signed-Clowns-hat-w-HOFers-16-signatures-RARE-/00/s/MTAwMFg3NDY=/z/1rIAAOxypNtSi9D9/$_57.JPG

very nice piece. Lester Lockett and Bill Wright on there too

Signatures you can actually read...Love it...esp Leon Day and Buck Oniel

383astro said:

very nice piece. Lester Lockett and Bill Wright on there too

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Thanks. Added those to the list above. I'm looking forward to researching the stories as well.

Simply amazing!

BiggioBrooks755 said:

Signatures you can actually read...Love it...esp Leon Day and Buck Oniel

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Some pretty significant ***** League players here which is really cool. At least 2 HOF's in Day and Buck Leonard, and some pretty significant other players in O'Neil, Radcliffe, Wilson etc. Throw in one of the three woman to ever play in the ***** Leagues (Stone) and I'm still doing research on some of the others...

A_Pharis said:

Simply amazing!

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Thanks. It's given me a bit of a project to research these players and there careers, which is really cool. Love that it captures a part of American and baseball history that does not get nearly enough attention.

I believe that's Wilmer Harris under Toni Stone. Harris pitched eight years for the Philadelphia Stars, and died in 2004.

gracecollector said:

I believe that's Wilmer Harris under Toni Stone. Harris pitched eight years for the Philadelphia Stars, and died in 2004.

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That seems to fit. Pretty nice player, career record of 120-45. Thanks!

edit: Unfortunately I'm not sure that any of the players are still alive... Just picked up a book on the ***** Leagues, looking forward to learning more about this (somewhat) forgotten part of American sports history.

Just picked up this book to help me ID the rest of the signatures. Really cool book with some history as well as ways to identify many different ***** League signatures along with how rare they are. (Pricing is outdated since the book is from 1999.) So far identified Al Wilmore who played in the ***** Leagues from 1946-1950.

Wow, you can easily read almost every signature.Players just don't sign that legibly anymore.

It takes a big man not to be jealous of another man's collection.

I am NOT a big man!

That is one of the best pieces I have seen in the history of the Beckett & the FCB.


Sent from my SGH-T759 using Freedom Card Board mobile app

Nate Colbert 17 said:

It takes a big man not to be jealous of another man's collection.

I am NOT a big man!

That is one of the best pieces I have seen in the history of the Beckett & the FCB.


Sent from my SGH-T759 using Freedom Card Board mobile app

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LOL! I appreciate it. I've started gravitating towards items that are a little more unique and give me a way of digging into baseball and American history. Never knew that the ***** Leagues had a few female players (Stone was the first of three) and it's given me a chance to explore some historically great, but largely unknown players. The book I posted above has been really interesting to read, and I'm hoping to still find out who the last few players are, and put together a little bio on them. It's similar to what I've been trying to do with the WWII NAVY signed team baseballs I got from the Stan Musial collection, exploring the past and getting to know a little bit about life in this country at times when it looked vastly different than it does today.

When did you get this signed.How did one player get the "Double Duty" name?

Player catcher and pitched. Amazing numbers.

Awesome collection of signatures. You should check out the ***** leagues museum in KC. Worth the trip out there.

"Double Duty" belongs in the HOF!

...one of my favorite players of all-time.

SINFULONE said:

When did you get this signed.How did one player get the "Double Duty" name?

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I bought the cap as is. I've been trying to figure out when it was signed as I do some research. Obviously the dates when player's passed away offer some indication. Some of the players also had debilitating incidents (for example Buck Leonard had a stroke) which dramatically changed their signatures. It is a little tough because the ink signature on a fabric cap mean that the signatures don't always look exactly like their signatures on paper. The book I mention above often has numerous samples of player signatures from over the years so that helps. It would not surprise me if many of the players signed in the 90's during a ***** league reunion.

Nate Colbert 17 said:

"Double Duty" belongs in the HOF!

...one of my favorite players of all-time.

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Reading up on his I tend to agree. I love the fact that because of the cap he was able to sign so large.

How much was the hat?My friend days he went to one of those ***** League reunions, and got something signed.Says he wants to put some display for it someday.

SINFULONE said:

How much was the hat?My friend days he went to one of those ***** League reunions, and got something signed.Says he wants to put some display for it someday.

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Cost roughly $100. The players who signed were not listed which may have contributed to the price, but a big part of it is simply that ***** League items simply don't get the attention they deserve IMO.

Topnotchsy said:

Just picked up this book to help me ID the rest of the signatures. Really cool book with some history as well as ways to identify many different ***** League signatures along with how rare they are. (Pricing is outdated since the book is from 1999.) So far identified Al Wilmore who played in the ***** Leagues from 1946-1950.

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One of the best books I own, it has helped me find a lot of HTF autos.

George_Calfas said:

One of the best books I own, it has helped me find a lot of HTF autos.

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I imagine with some searching and knowledge there are plenty of significant (and rare) ***** League player autographs that can be identified that most of the world totally overlook. What ***** League signatures do you have? I've been thinking of building a ***** League PC and debating how to approach it (beyond collecting the certified cards.)