Fall Premier Auction 2017

In 1958, Baseball Hall of Famer Mel Ott was awarded this American League “Annual Pass to All Grounds” for the eight existing A.L. Professional Baseball Clubs at that time: the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, New York Yankees and Washington Senators. The paper pass, which measures 4.25” wide by 2.75” high and is numbered 351, has been preserved inside a plastic covering. The pass includes the facsimile signature stamp of then-A.L. President William Harridge and an unknown league representative wrote in “Mel Ott” in black ink on the recipient’s line. The pass is presented inside its original wallet-size leather case which includes a gold-embossed stamp on one inside panel that reads: “Compliments of American League.” The overall condition is good, although its leather outer case certainly appears weathered over time. Sadly, just a month following the ’58 MLB season, Ott was severely injured in an automobile accident in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. He was then transferred to a hospital in Louisiana, his home state, and died a week later on November 21. He was just 49 years old. Includes Letter of Provenance from the Ott Family.