On July 21, 1969, over 100 of the greatest living players and executives congregated at the Sheraton Park Hotel in Washington, DC to celebrate baseball’s 100th Anniversary. The gala event also named two all-star teams – one called “The Greatest Players Ever” captained by Babe Ruth and the other “The Greatest Living Players” led by Joe DiMaggio. The banquet gathered together the single-largest congregation of living baseball history under one roof, and thankfully, one participant had the foresight to coordinate the collection of the majority of those legends on one single autographed piece.
111 of the attendees/honorees of this Centennial event have signed this broadside. The colorful broadside poster features late-60’s style psychedelic graphics by artist Bill Peak who has signed the piece. Measuring a commanding 24” x 33”, this was one of several produced for and placed on the main stage of the event. An accompanying panoramic photograph of the banquet show this very item displayed on the banquet stage podium. The names of the baseball royalty that have signed are simply staggering: from to the early stars such as Edd Roush, Zach Wheat, Rube Marquard and Stan Covaleski, to Golden Era gods Dizzy Dean, Hank Greenberg, Joe Medwick, Waite Hoyt and Lefty Grove as well as 1950 and 60’s idols Warren Spahn, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ed Mathews and Sandy Koufax on through to contemporary (to 1969) superstars Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Carl Yastrzemski, Vida Pinson and Tom Seaver. Integration pioneers Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige as on here as are legendary managers Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Earl Weaver and Walt Alston. There are players who were front and center for some of the most iconic moments in the game’s history: Ralph Branca of the “Shot Heard Round the Work,” Johnny “Double No-Hit” Vander Meer and Denny McClain, the last player to win 30 games. League presidents and Commissioners Warren Giles, Ford rick, Bowie Kuhn and Spike Eckert have signed along with legends Ted Williams, Bob Feller and Stan Musial, and the player voted “Greatest Living Player,” Joe DiMaggio, are all found on this amazing time capsule. A full 80 of the 111 luminaries who signed this poster now have plaques in Cooperstown. The signatures are all in strong black pen and compliment the eye-popping graphics of the banquet poster. The broadside shows moderate wear – there are edge tears and dings as well as a heavy area of wear on the lower left edge – but the colors and most importantly, the signatures, remain bold and vibrant. The piece has been professionally mounted and framed, creating a one-of-a-kind display piece that collects a century worth of the greatest players in baseball history.
Signatures include;
Walter Alston, Luke Appling, Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Ralph Branca, Bobby Brown, Jim Bunning, Max Carey, Steve Carlton, Phil Cavaretta, Roberto Clemente(d.1972), Rocky Colovito, Earl Combs, Stan Covaleski, Joe Cronin, Dizzy Dean(d.1974), Billy Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, William Eckert(d.1971), Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Nellie Fox, Ford Frick, Frankie Frisch(d.1973), Eleanor Gehrig, Charlie Gehringer, Bob Gibson, Warren Giles, Lefty Gomez, Goose Goslin(d.1971), Hank Greenberg, Lefty Grove, Harvey Haddix, Chick Hafey(d.1973), Gabby Hartnett(d.1972), Harry Hooper(d.1974), Ralph Houk, Waite Hoyt, Carl Hubbell, Catfish Hunter, Monte Irvin, Fergie Jenkins, Tommy John, Jim Kaat, Al Kaline, George Kelly, Harmon Killebrew, Ralph Kiner, Sandy Koufax, Bowie Kuhn, Don Larsen, Ted Lyons, Heinie Manush(d.1971), Rube Marquard, Eddie Mathews, Willie Mays, Billy Mazeroski, Joe McCarthy, Denny McLain, Joe Medwick, Johnny Murphy(d.1970), Stan Musial, Phil Neikro, Hal Newhouser, Joe Nuxhall, Satchell Paige, Jim Palmer, Tony Perez, Gaylord Perry, Vada Pinson, Johnny Podres, Vic Raschi, Sam Rice(d.1974), Robin Roberts, Jackie Robinson(d.1972), Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Pete Rose, Ed Roush, Red Ruffing, Al Schacht, Ray Schalk(d.1970), Tom Seaver, Red Shoendeinst, Enos Slaughter, Elmer Smith, Warren Spahn, Willie Stargell, Rusty Staub, Casey Stengel, Billy Terry, Luis Tiant, Pie Traynor(d.1972), Virgil Trucks, Johnny Vander Meer, Billy Wambsganss, Lloyd Waner, Bob Watson, Earl Weaver, Max West(d.1971), Zach Wheat(d.1972), Billy Williams, Ted Williams, Early Wynn, Carl Yastrzemski.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA.