BucCollector's Pirates Autographs, 1970-1979

[BucCollector]

1978 AAA Columbus Clippers - clockwise from top right, we have Fred Breining, Mickey Scott, Tom Shopay, and Tom Walker, all of whom played in MLB with other teams.

 

[BucCollector]

1979 AAA Portland Beavers (Warthen, Pentz and Sandt near the end of their careers) and AA Buffalo Bisons Luis Salazar (near the start).

 

[Therion]

Not done yet! These are from the 1976 AA Shreveport Captains - none of these guys made the majors, although Randy Sealy (bottom right) played in the Senior Professional Baseball League, one of the few non-MLB players to do so.

View attachment 360405

These are amazing. I grew up on the Captains and have never seen these before!

 

[mrmopar]

1979 AAA Portland Beavers (Warthen, Pentz and Sandt near the end of their careers) and AA Buffalo Bisons Luis Salazar (near the start).

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I like that Salazar. Got to like him when I was following the Padres in the Garvey era.

 

[BucCollector]

Angel Mangual played for the Pirates in 1969 and was in their minor league system in 1970. He signed this via Pastpros.

 

[BucCollector]

A new one! I don't have too many people to TTM, so it's rare that I get one back, but yesterday I did. Tom Briercheck was a Pirates batboy for several years and appears in the front row in this team picture.

 

[mrmopar]

A new one! I don't have too many people to TTM, so it's rare that I get one back, but yesterday I did. Tom Briercheck was a Pirates batboy for several years and appears in the front row in this team picture.

View attachment 360711

My immediate thought was you outplayed me by wanting this for your team collection, but I remembered that I would be a taker if a Charlie "The Brow" DiGiovanna autograph was made available to me at a reasonable price. Brow was the kid well known for the 50s era clubhouse signed Dodgers balls. He was actually a bat boy for the team for a good amount of time and moved with the club to LA. He was an adult most of the time he was with them. He died young and not long after he moved to LA, so a signature from him, rather than his ghost signatures, would probably bring way more than I'd pay.

That may leave either a couple long time stadium organists Helen Dell & Nancy Bea or the very long time clubhouse manager Nobe Kawano as my oddest DODGERS related signatures.

 

[BucCollector]

That may leave either a couple long time stadium organists Helen Dell & Nancy Bea or the very long time clubhouse manager Nobe Kawano as my oddest DODGERS related signatures.

Great idea, the organist! Pittsburgh had a pretty legendary one, Vince Lascheid, who played for the Penguins as well. On my list!

 

[BucCollector]

Oswaldo Olivares played in the Pittsburgh minor league system from 1977 to 1979 but never made the majors. He had a long career in Mexico and in the Venezuelan winter league, which is where these cards originated. The flipped one is a blue ink signature. Via eBay.

 

[mrmopar]

I have a few of those types of cards. Vic Davalillo in fact, along with maybe a couple others. Carlos Monasterios and maybe Peraza or someone with similar name that played for Dodgers.

 

[BucCollector]

More guys who were Pirates minor leaguers in the '70s - DeLeon from a Facebook autograph group member, Norman a steal on eBay, Pena is a certified auto, and Collins signed TTM.

 

[BucCollector]

A couple of bonus Venezuelans for @mrmopar - both cards are unnumbered, so not sure if they are from sets or if you would find Dodgers in them.

 

[Therion]

Those Venezuelan issues are among my favorite (C27S)

 

[BucCollector]

Another Pirate minor league guy from the '70s - from a Facebook group seller.

 

[BucCollector]

Here's yet another Sanguillen I picked up a while ago - his 1981 Donruss photo, signed. It was from an eBay seller who had a bunch of these - I also picked up a Rennie Stennett (Giants).

 

[BucCollector]

Burnel Flowers was a career minor-leaguer who never appeared on a card. He was, however, mentioned on the back of Bob Johnson's 1974 Topps Traded card. He signed this, on the reverse as requested, sent TTM to his home in Cincinnati, in 2016.

 

[Therion]

That is next level. I love it.

 

[BucCollector]

Here are a couple more from the 1979 Buffalo Bisons, both of whom signed TTM. Caliburn is an uncorrected error; should be Cliburn.

 

[BucCollector]

More from the 1979 Portland Beavers. All were signed TTM. My favorite is Gilbreath; I like the fine tip and how he fit his auto into the blank space.

 

[BucCollector]

Dick Cole played for the Pirates in the 1950s and then coached in the Pirates minor league system in the 1970s. He signed this Topps Archives reprint TTM in 2017 and included his business card.