June 12, 1939, Baseball Hall of Fame Dedication Program

Sold For:

$450

Year:

1939

Auction:

2018 Fall

Lot #:

2197

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Official program issued for the Baseball Centennial Celebration, held at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., on June 12, 1939. This is the program that was issued on the day the Baseball Hall of Fame was dedicated, and its forty pages are filled with photos, articles, and a timetable of the various events taking place that day. The culmination of the day's festivities was an exhibition game played at Doubleday Field between an American and a National League team made up of players from all sixteen Major League clubs. The teams were captained by Eddie Collins and Honus Wagner, respectively, and score sheets (unscored) for each club are included within the program. This is an extremely significant souvenir from that historic day and one that is also exceedingly rare. Programs from the June 12, 1939, Hall of Fame dedication are seldom encountered and we cannot recall having seen more than just a few others over the years. (This program should not be confused with programs issued for other events and games held at Doubleday Field throughout the summer, all of which feature the same cover. The offered program was only issued on the day of the Hall of Fame dedication as noted by the interior score sheets and itinerary.) The program (8.5 x 11 inches) displays light-to-moderate handling wear. In Excellent condition overall. Reserve $300. Estimate (open).