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NEGRO BASEBALL Magazien Signed by Hall of Famer Walter "Buck" Leonard
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Here is a wonderful piece! The is the pictorial year book for Negro baseball for the year of 1944. It has the great cover image of the soldier throwing a hand grenade and the player throwing the ball. What makes this one extra special is that it is beautifully autographed in blue ink by Buck Leonard. Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (September 8, 1907 – November 27, 1997) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball and in the Mexican League. After growing up in North Carolina, he played for the Homestead Grays between 1934 and 1950, batting fourth behind Josh Gibson
for many years. The Grays teams of the 1930s and 1940s were considered
some of the best teams in Negro league history. Leonard and Gibson are
two of only nine players in league history to win multiple batting
titles.
Leonard never played in Major League Baseball
(MLB); he declined a 1952 offer of an MLB contract because he felt he
was too old. Late in life, Leonard worked as a physical education
instructor and was the vice-president of a minor league baseball team. He and Gibson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. In 1999, he was ranked number 47 on the 100 Greatest Baseball Players list by The Sporting News.
Leonard played for the Brooklyn Royal Giants (1933) and the Homestead Grays (1934–1950). During that career, Leonard was an 11 time All-Star (1935, 1937–1941, 1943–1946, 1948), a 3 time Negro World Series champion (1943, 1944, 1948), 2 time Negro National League batting champion (1935, 1938) and is a member of the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor and the Pirates Hall of Fame. The autograph was authenticated by the Beckett Services and it is encapsulated int heir holder for display and preservation. What a great piece of Negro Leagues history!
Item #: T830 Shipping Weight:
2 lbs
Your Price:$395.00 USD
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