Game-Used, Signed Ted Williams Glove Tough to Authenticate; Worth the Effort
by Bill Wagner, "Babe Waxpak"
October 19, 2005
Discuss this article:
Dear Babe: I have a baseball glove signed by the entire 1950 Red Sox team including
Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Walt Dropo, Vern Stephens, Mel Parnell
and Ellis Kinder. A former Red Sox scout who befriended my dad gave it to me in the 1970s. He
told me the glove once belonged to (and was used by) Ted Williams. I have no reason to believe
otherwise. Is this a highly unusual item, and if so, is it worthy of a donation to the Hall of
Fame? The glove is a Wilson Ted Williams signature model A2040.
Richard Shaw, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
We're talking major money if you've got a glove used in a game by Williams regardless of any
signatures. That's the key. A store-bought glove signed by that team, which finished third in
the American league, is worth $1,000-$1,500. The value skyrockets to $25,000-$50,000 if it's a
Williams gamer, said Phil Castinetti owner of Sportsworld-usa.com in Everett, Mass., a suburb of
Boston, Mike Heffner, president of Lelands.com auction house in New York, and Dave Bushing, an
authenticator with www.mearsonline.com.
Your mission is to prove it's a game-used glove. It's not as easy as a bat or jersey for a couple
of reasons. For starters, jerseys are numbered and bats are labeled with names and often coding
on the knobs. There are also plenty of pictures of players in uniform and at bat. There are limited
photos of players in the field with their gloves - at least any that would allow you to identify the
glove.
"Gloves, unlike bats or jerseys, were often just catalog retail gloves purchased by the players
for use," Bushing said. "Sometimes they were custom ordered and sometimes not. Some players
used their models, while others choose player models either sans endorsements or with other players
names stamped on them."
Joe Phillips, who publishes The Glove Collector newsletter out of Dallas and is acknowledged as a
leading expert on gloves, backs that up. In fact, he doesn't even think that Williams used one of his
own gloves.
"We believe Williams used a bigger model Wilson A2034 (Lefty Gomez model). However, he could have
used an A2040, bearing his name," Phillips said.
Phillips' Vintage Baseball Glove Catalog Source Book shows the A2040 first appearing in Wilson catalogs
in 1953. Its final appearance is in 1958. It was generally the most expensive fielder's glove ranging
in price from $22.50 to $30. The 1949 and 1950 catalogs have Williams gloves, but they're A2100, A2210
and A2190. Only the A2210 says it's an autographed model. None are top of the line gloves.
"If it is a pro stock glove, there normally will be a stamped number underneath the wrist strap on
the back of the glove, if this can be done," Phillips said.
Even if the glove shows game use, you have to prove it was used in a Major League game and that Williams
was the one to wear it. Good luck. Without photos or a letter from Williams, proving it is going to be
tough.
I would suspect the Hall of Fame already has Williams game-used gloves, but you never know what it is
seeking.
Dear Babe: I have an autographed baseball-themed Peanuts strip from 1966. Schulz sent it to me
after Charlie Brown Night at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., where I was the stadium announcer. In the
final panel, after Charlie cries "How could we lose 123-0?" Lucy replies, "We never got
any breaks." The strip, an original from 1966, is about 5x16 inches in size. It's black and white
with four windows and is a daily strip. Schulz personally autographed it to me. Although the inscription
has faded, it is still quite readable.
Phil Hochberg, Rockville, Md.
"I think this could have a nice value based on recent auctions of Charles Schulz items," said
David Kohler, president of SCPAuctions.com in Laguna Hills, Calif. He estimated the value at between
$1,000-$2000. Having it personalized will make a difference to some folks.
About the author
Bill Wagner is a veteran journalist with 37 years in the newspaper business as well as being
a former Army combat correspondent in Vietnam. He developed the Babe Waxpak sports card column
in the 1980s and took over authorship in 1993, expanding into sports memorabilia and autographs
as well as answering questions on cards.
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