Classic Cleveland baseball memorabilia at auction – baseballs, photos, letter, banner, more

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Several nostalgic Cleveland baseball items are up for auction, including team-signed championship baseballs, a special banner, personal letter and more.

The items, via Lelands Auction, ends 10 p.m. Saturday, June 11.

Other items in the auction include a pair of Michael Jordan 1985 Chicago Bulls game-worn Air Jordan I rookie-era sneakers, a rare 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card, a 2000 Tom Brady rookie autograph and LeBron James’ first-ever Lakers 75th anniversary “City Edition” game-worn jersey.

Here are some Cleveland baseball items. For details, click on the link in each item’s title:

Cy Young-signed baseball

Namesake of the award given to the leagues’ best pitchers, Cy Young holds multiple records, including most wins – 511. Young played more than half of his 22-year career in Cleveland and was elected to the Hall of Fame in the second induction year, 1937. His large, neat signature is written in blue fountain pen. The ball has some stains and scratches.

Lot No. 647. Starting bid: $2,500.

High-Grade 1929 Cleveland Indians team-signed baseball

This official American League ball is signed in black fountain pen by 16 members of the 1929 Indians: Manager Roger Peckinpaugh is on the sweet spot, plus Joe Sewell and Luke Averill, Wes Ferrell and Willis Hudlin are among players who signed. The ball is considered to be in excellent to mint condition. Team balls from this decade are rare. The 1929 Indians went 81-71.

Lot No. 651. Starting bid: $500.

1945 Cleveland Buckeyes team baseball – Negro League World Champions

The rare team ball commemorates the Buckeyes’ 1945 Negro League World Championship and bears the inscription “Cleveland Buckeye’s World’s Champs 1945″. Eighteen team members signed, including Sam Jethroe, in blue fountain pen. The Buckeyes competed in the Negro American League from 1942 to 1950. The auction house says items relating to Negro League teams are scarce. The ball is in very good condition.

Lot No. 656. Starting bid: $500.

1948 Indians world champions team-signed baseball

The official American League ball is signed in blue ink by 29 members of the 1948 Indians. The auction house says it is the most complete 1948 Indians ball it has seen and includes signatures from owner Bill Veeck, general manager Hank Greenberg, Satchel Paige, Lou Boudreau and Bob Feller. It has a few abrasions but is in very good condition.

Lot No. 661. Starting bid: $800.

1954 Indians American League champions team-signed ball

The official American League ball is signed in blue ink by 29 members of the 1954 American League champion Indians, including manager Al Lopez and pitcher Hal Newhouser on the sweet spots, plus Larry Doby, Bob Lemon, coach Mel Harder and others. The Indians won a then-record 111 games that season.

Lot No. 664. Starting bid: $300.

1944 Tris Speaker signed letter

This one-page typed letter, dated Aug. 10, 1944, is signed by Hall of Fame outfielder Tris Speaker. In the letter, Speaker regrets an autograph request came late and he was unable to provide the signatures requested, but he was enclosing an autographed picture. Speaker was working for the Indians as a broadcaster and scout at the time.

Lot No. 777. Starting bid: $200.

Eddie Murray signed 2,985th hit – baseball and banner

In 1995, as Eddie Murray got closer to his 3,000th hit, the Indians began collecting his hit balls and conducting a countdown via a banner displayed on a stadium wall. Murray inscribed the ball “Eddie Murray 2985.” The banner is 24 square inches and shows 15 – the number Murray needed to reach 3,000. Murray inscribed the banner “Eddie Murray #33.” His 2,985th career hit occurred June 12, 1995, against Baltimore. The banner wasn’t displayed for long; his next hit came an inning later in the bottom of the fifth. (Murray’s 3,000th hit occurred June 30.)

Lot No. 870. Starting bid: $300.

Indians collection of 120-plus items

This Indians memorabilia collection comprises more than 120 items. Items come from one man’s collection and include: A gold tooth Stanford pottery bank; 1940s banks with a feather; 1950s salt and pepper shakers; 1950s ashtray with tooth match holder; 1948 glass ash tray; 1940s milk glass ash tray; 1940s Gibbs-Conner bank; two 1947 statues by Mazzolini; 1960s gold base nodder with mascot head, pens, pencils, pins, cigarette cases and more.

Lot No. 956. Starting bid: $2,000.

1999 Manny Ramirez Indians Golden Tomahawk Award

In 1963, members of the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America established The Gordon Cobbledick Golden Tomahawk Award, which was presented annually to the team’s most underrated player. Cobbledick was a longtime sports editor and writer with The Plain Dealer who would be inducted into the journalism wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The award was discontinued after the 2002 season. The auction house says this award, given to Indians outfielder Manny Ramirez – is one of only a few it has ever seen come to auction. The 1999 award was Ramirez’ second consecutive year in which he won it. He hit .333 with a league-leading 165 RBIs. Ramirez was named to the All-Star team, and the Indians finished first in the American League Central. The award is 21.5 by 14.5 inches.

Lot No. 961. Starting bid: $300.

1941 Indians season pass – valid for Joe DiMaggio’s 56th game hitting streak

This 1941 Indians season pass – issued to “International News Ph. Inc.” – is rare at its particular graded level. It granted entry to what turned out to be the final game of Joe DiMaggio’s historic 56-game hitting streak. The game took place at Cleveland’s League Park on July 16, 1941. The ticket bearer would have been able to witness the end of the streak, which occurred July 17 at Cleveland Stadium. The auction house says tickets from any of the games during the streak are scarce. The pass is 4 by 2.5 inches.

Lot No. 1031. Starting bid: $200.

1930s Bob Feller high school photograph

The personal photo of Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller is from the 1930s. Feller, who grew up in Van Meter, Iowa, was 266-162 lifetime. The photo is estimated to have been taken not long before Feller’s big-league debut at age 17. It is in its original frame, and the piece measures about 5.25 by 7 inches.

Lot No. 1149. Starting bid: $200.

I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

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