Tuesday, October 21, 2008

B&L Auctions: Rare Pre-WWII Brooklyn Cards

I've gotten a little behind in posting about some recent auctions so I'll do my best to catch up. Fortunately, there have been some outstanding items featuring Dodger players available to gaze at.

Brockelman and Luckey Auctions recently concluded their summer offering. This is a new auction service run by a couple of fellow collectors. They feature some very rare pre-WWII Baseball cards, including the below 1887 Kalamazoo Bats card. This card features one of Brooklyn's favorites. Wilbert Robinson (playing the catcher in the card below) managed the Brooklyn Baseball Team from 1914 to 1931 and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1945. He was so beloved in the borough they started calling the team the Robins in his honor. This was during the age when teams were known for their location and league rather than by a team name. The below card sold for an astounding $31,337.00.

Here is another rare 19th Century Baseball card featuring a Brooklyn player. Below is a 1887 Old Judge card of outfielder Ernie Burch of the Brooklyn Grays. He played for the team for only two years from 1886 to 1887 and professionally for only 3 years. This card is notable for it's horizontal photo. On top of that, the mini-photo adds to it's rarity. It sold for $3,245.00.

Nap Rucker played in Brooklyn for his entire career from 1907 to 1916. He won 134 games and had and ERA of 2.42. He recorded an no-hitter in 1908 and won 22 games for the team in 1911. Below is his 1911-14 Brunners Bread card. It sold for an affordable $100.00.

Tommy Lasorda To Be Honored

Tommy Lasorda will be awarded the World Impact 2008 Tom Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award this coming November 15 at the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium Club. Go ahead and spend a Saturday evening celebrating with this great samaritin. Below are the details.
The World Impact 2008 Tom Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award, featuring a reception, dinner, silent auction and live entertainment, will be held at the Los Angeles Dodgers' Stadium Club on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 6 p.m.

This year's recipient is Tommy Lasorda, who helped to win two World Championships, four National League pennants and eight division titles in an extraordinary 20-year career as the Dodgers' manager. This Hall of Famer is baseball's most popular ambassador. He is the spokesperson for the American Heart Association and serves on the Board of the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island Foundation. Master of Ceremonies Craig T. Nelson will headline the entertainment, including world-class flautist Pedro Eustache, a tribute to Tom Bradley and a tremendous video of Tommy's life.

Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the Los Angeles Christian School (LACS). For more than 25 years inner-city children have received a quality education that emphasizes character, competence and confidence. The LACS is unique in that if one can afford tuition, he cannot enroll. It is for those often neglected or forgotten. Being a sponsor of this event is a fantastic way to empower inner-city children to become all they were created to be. The LACS positively impacts the entire families of the students and through them, the Los Angeles community.

Tickets, which are tax-deductible, can be purchased on the event website at

www.tombradleyaward.com