Signed postcard - postmarked April 14, 1955 - Sandy's second day in the Major Leagues
Fans would hand ballplayers pre-addressed and stamped postcards as they were leaving the ballparks after a game in the hopes that the ballplayer would sign the back and drop them off to be mailed. Hard to imagine this happening today.
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Autographed 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers Spring Training Roster Program
Brooklyn's only World Championship year
Sandy Koufax's first year with the Dodgers
Sandy Koufax's first year with the Dodgers
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Signed by 50 Dodgers at the spring training camp in 1955, this is the only item I have ever seen that is signed by all 10 of the Dodger Hall-of-Famers from the 1955-1965 Championship era. It is unusual to see Lasorda (who only played in 4 games in 1955 and would make the Hall as a manager), Koufax (who joined the team in 1955), Drysdale (who wouldn't make the team until 1956), as well as Walter O'Malley, Walter Alston, and Vin Scully, on the same document as the core Brooklyn HOF players Robinson, Campanella, Snider, and Reese. Also note the rare "Junior" Gilliam autograph. It appears that someone named Walter Maasen, who also signed the program, was able to secure the autographs at spring training.
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1955 Signed Dodger yearbook - Brooklyn's only championship
Signed by the whole team, the inscription at the bottom reads: " To Irene from Happy Felton". Happy Felton presided over a local TV show "The Knot Hole Gang", featuring Brooklyn Dodger players teaching youngsters how to improve their baseball skills.
Signed Menu from 1956 Dodger Boosters' Club
A dinner celebrating Brooklyn's only championship in 1955
Signed Postcard with Ebbets Field pictured on front - August 15, 1956
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Sandy Koufax 1956-7 signed contract to play winter ball with Puerto Rico Caguas
Rather than tour Japan with the Brooklyn Dodgers during the off-season, where he probably wouldn't have received much opportunity to work on his pitching, Koufax signed to play for Caguas in Puerto Rico. This would turn out to be the only professional team he played for other than the Dodgers. Pitching there for 3 months, Koufax had mixed results, and returned to the U.S. in December. Here is the contract he signed (in both Spanish and English), and a letter from the Caguas President informing the league that Ryne Duren, a pitcher for the Kansas City A’s, was being substituted on their roster for Sandy Koufax, who was leaving on an Eastern Airlines flight to return to the states. Apparently league rules prevented teams from importing more than 3 big-leaguers to a team at any one time.
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Army Reserves - 1957 Meal Card
After the end of the 1957 season and before spring training in 1958, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale served in the Army Reserves at Fort Dix. This was Sandy's identification card. The back is signed with the rarely seen "Sanford" Koufax. Koufax reportedly gave this to a fellow soldier serving with him at Fort Dix.
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1959 World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers Program- signed by entire team
Signed postcard - postmarked August 12, 1959
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4/29/63 Koufax/Drysdale dual signed baseball
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Signed postcard - postmarked July 19, 1965
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Motel Registration Card
Signed on Sandy's Induction Day into the Baseball Hall of Fame Aug. 7, 1972
After being inducted into the Baseball HOF in Cooperstown NY earlier in the day on August 7, 1972, Sandy and his wife stopped at this motor inn on his drive back to his home in Maine, making this a rare documented induction day signature.
George Sosnak painted baseball ca.1970 - Commemorating 3rd Sandy Koufax No-hitter
George Sosnak spent decades as a minor league umpire, and was a self-taught artist. While waiting to work a minor league game in Idaho in 1956, he was asked by a fan if he could paint her favorite player on a baseball. The amateur painter said yes and gave her the baseball as a gift. He went on to paint, and give away, hundreds more. He started roughly 3,000 baseballs, and completed an estimated 800. The subjects of his work went well past baseball players to include civic leaders, politicians, and many others, the demand for his work came from all areas. He was sometimes paid for the work. However, he would often finish a baseball and simply present it as a gift.
Vintage Autographed Topps Cards
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And A Little Koufax Humor
