Fall 2019 - Item detail
1919 Claude "Lefty" Williams Chicago White Sox Payroll Check Signed by Charles Comiskey PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10
- Sold For:
- $6,000
- Year:
- 1919
- Auction:
- 2019 Fall
- Lot #:
- 1869
- Category:
- Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos
Chicago White Sox payroll check issued to pitcher Claude "Lefty" Williams, signed by both Williams (as an endorsement on the reverse) and team owner Charles Comiskey (on the front). PSA/DNA has encapsulated the check and graded the signature GEM MINT 10. This Williams payroll check is one of four we have seen dating from the historic 1919 season, all of which appear to have entered the hobby in 2007. Of those four checks, we know of three that have had the signatures graded by PSA/DNA. One was graded NM-MT+ 8.5, while the second was graded MINT+ 95. The third, which is the offered check, merited a near-perfect designation of GEM MINT 10, making it the highest-graded example of the trio. The check, dated July 14, 1919, and drawn on the Drovers National Bank of Chicago, Illinois, is made out to "C. Williams" in the amount of $250.00. It has been signed in black fountain pen along the base by "Chas. a. Comiskey." Endorsed by "C. Williams" in black fountain pen on the reverse. The name "Chas. A. Comiskey" and "Comiskey Park" are preprinted along the top left border. The check (8.5 x 3.5 inches) displays normal bank cancellation stamps and holes, as well as three vertical folds and two staple holes in the upper left corner. In Very Good condition overall.
The historical significance of this check cannot be overstated. Both Williams and Comiskey played major roles in the infamous 1919 "Black Sox" scandal, during which eight members of the White Sox conspired to "throw" the World Series. Although Williams was not the ringleader of the conspiracy (that role went to Chick Gandil), as the second-best pitcher on the team he was certainly one of the most important. It was also Williams who, under threat of physical harm to his family, lost the final game of the Series. Williams and Eddie Cicotte were the only two White Sox pitchers on the take in the Series, and, not surprisingly, they suffered all five losses for Chicago. While Comiskey had no active role in the fix, his penurious ways with regard to player salaries fostered a culture of resentment that made it easy for many of the players to join the conspiracy. The White Sox were one of the most talented teams in the league and had won the 1917 World Series with basically the same roster as that in 1919. Comiskey, however, "rewarded" his players with some of the lowest salaries in the league. Comiskey's disdain for his players is best exemplified by his treatment of star pitcher Eddie Cicotte. Prior to the start of the season, Comiskey promised Cicotte a bonus of $10,000 if he won 30 games or more (Cicotte's salary in 1919 was $5,712). Unfortunately for Cicotte, he finished the year with 29 wins and Comiskey resolutely stuck to the letter of the deal, refusing to compensate him in even a small way for his spectacular season. With resentment over their pay and little loyalty to Comiskey, it's easy to see why eight members of the club made their fateful decision to "throw" the World Series. Reserve $2,500. Estimate (open).
The historical significance of this check cannot be overstated. Both Williams and Comiskey played major roles in the infamous 1919 "Black Sox" scandal, during which eight members of the White Sox conspired to "throw" the World Series. Although Williams was not the ringleader of the conspiracy (that role went to Chick Gandil), as the second-best pitcher on the team he was certainly one of the most important. It was also Williams who, under threat of physical harm to his family, lost the final game of the Series. Williams and Eddie Cicotte were the only two White Sox pitchers on the take in the Series, and, not surprisingly, they suffered all five losses for Chicago. While Comiskey had no active role in the fix, his penurious ways with regard to player salaries fostered a culture of resentment that made it easy for many of the players to join the conspiracy. The White Sox were one of the most talented teams in the league and had won the 1917 World Series with basically the same roster as that in 1919. Comiskey, however, "rewarded" his players with some of the lowest salaries in the league. Comiskey's disdain for his players is best exemplified by his treatment of star pitcher Eddie Cicotte. Prior to the start of the season, Comiskey promised Cicotte a bonus of $10,000 if he won 30 games or more (Cicotte's salary in 1919 was $5,712). Unfortunately for Cicotte, he finished the year with 29 wins and Comiskey resolutely stuck to the letter of the deal, refusing to compensate him in even a small way for his spectacular season. With resentment over their pay and little loyalty to Comiskey, it's easy to see why eight members of the club made their fateful decision to "throw" the World Series. Reserve $2,500. Estimate (open).