This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2014
Alex Pompez stood at the forefront of the internationalization of the Negro leagues during his 35 years as an owner and league executive (1916-50). He successfully made the transition to baseball’s integrated era by working as a scout and, later, director of international scouting for the New York/San Francisco Giants organization. The son of Cuban immigrants, Pompez entered black baseball in 1916 with his Cuban Stars operating as an independent team in the East before participating in the Eastern Colored League (1923-29). His NY Cubans joined the Negro National League in 1935.
Pompez often served as a peacemaker between different Negro leagues factions. In 1924 he helped organize the first Negro World Series and in the late 1920s helped broker peace in the Eastern Colored League before the collapse in 1929. He was elected vice-president of the Negro National League from 1946 to 1948 and was instrumental in bringing the East-West Classic to the East starting in 1946. In a bid to maintain its viability, Pompez later negotiated for the Cubans to serve as a New York Giants farm team (1948-50).
Offered here is an Alex Pompez signed and notarized “Negro National League of Professional Baseball Clubs” player’s contract from 1945. Pompez' black fountain pen autograph rates 7/10, as does his accompanying address likewise written in the Hall of Famer's hand. The document shows typical fold lines and scattered soiling and handling wear. Pompez died in 1974 long before he made it into the Baseball Hall of fame (2006) and long before there was wide collector interest in his autograph. As a result, his signature remains an incredibly difficult challenge even for advanced collectors.
Includes a full LOA from PSA/DNA.