Presented here is an incredibly scarce autograph from the late 19th to early 20th century baseball renaissance man who did a little bit of everything in the sport. Bobby Wallace started out as as a pitcher with the Cleveland Spiders and then became a shortstop for the St. Louis Perfectos (Cardinals) and later the St. Louis Browns. Wallace was considered by many to be the best shortstop in the America League from 1902 to 1911. He stills holds the unflattering distinction of having the longest MLB career (24 years) without playing in a World Series. Following his playing career, he became a manager, umpire and scout, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1953. The 3x5 index card is signed by Wallace "Thank you, Mr. Bob Wallace" and dated "3-5/53" in blue ink that rates 6-7/10 in our book. Encapsulated PSA/DNA Authentic and part of the "Dave Hill Collection."
Provenance: How does one acquire over 9,000
autographs, covering just about every Major Leaguer from 1900 to 2000?
Very diligently with an unbelievable amount of patience and
determination. For Dave Hill, the quest lasted practically his entire
life. Born in St. Louis in 1929, Hill was a standout pitcher who played
in college and then a few years professionally in the White Sox
organization before landing a position with the Central Intelligence
Agency where he had a long and decorated career. The management and
organization skills Hill developed at the CIA certainly came in handy as
he meticulously built his massive memorabilia collection.
Hill grew up a die-hard St. Louis Browns fan and always had a passion
for collecting. It became as much a hobby as an obsession as he tracked
down player after player by attending games or events where one was
present, writing them letters with his request, or purchasing from other
collectors (some autographs were dated before Hill was even born). The
relentless man did not stop until well into his 60’s. Most signatures
come on 3x5 index cards or cuts, and many are done on the player’s
baseball card, photo, news clipping or mailed postcard/GPC. The list is
mind-blowing, some signatures so rare that records of their mere
existence are blank. As a hobbyist, Hill was also recognized for his
extensive collection of St. Louis Brown photographs used to produce two
official “Brownies” albums by team archivists.
The Dave Hill Collection is easily one of the largest autograph
collections ever documented. Its size and scope is beyond anything we’ve
had the pleasure of representing. Luckily, Hill was meticulous about
keeping it organized in alphabetical order and, according to the family,
his wife Jewell deserves much of the credit. Even the years of each
player’s birth [& death] and MLB debut are noted. A total of 186 Hall of Famers
are included (out of a possible 323) and the most significant autographs
have been encapsulated by PSA/DNA, branded “Dave Hill Collection.”
David W. Hill passed away in 1995 at the age of 66.