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1909 Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship Trophy Presented to Barney Dreyfuss....
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Sold on Apr 23, 2010 for:
$17,925.00
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Description
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship Trophy Presented to Barney Dreyfuss. Enormous in historical significance, the offered loving cup is believed to be the one and only Championship prize presented to Pirates team owner Barney Dreyfuss for the franchise's first ever World Series victory, therefore effectively making it the first Pittsburgh Pirates World Championship trophy. The appeal intensifies when we recall that it is Dreyfuss himself who is widely credited with the creation of the World Series, as it was his challenge to the 1903 American League pennant winners that gave birth to the Fall Classic. Certainly the presentation of this cup a half-dozen years after his club's surprising defeat at the hands of the underdog Boston Americans in that first Series was particularly gratifying.A posthumous 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, Dreyfuss immigrated to the United States from his German homeland in 1885 and immediately developed an obsession with the uniquely American sport of baseball. In 1890, Dreyfuss became a part owner of the Louisville Colonels, and when he purchased the Pirates in 1899 he brought with him from his former club Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Rube Waddell and Fred Clarke, the foundation of those great early Bucs teams. During his thirty-two year reign as president and general manager of the Pirates the club won six National League pennants and two World Series.
This inaugural Series victory came during the first season at the grand new ballpark built by Dreyfuss, a stadium he named Forbes Field after the French and Indian War general John Forbes (who established Fort Pitt in 1758) despite considerable pressure to name the park after himself. It would serve as home to the Pirates for over six decades. It was here at this new stadium, on October 8, 1909, that the two greatest legends of the Dead Ball Era--Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb--would meet for the first time on a baseball diamond. It would require the full supply of seven games for the Pirates to defeat the Detroit Tigers and earn baseball immortality.
The trophy marking this historic occasion was sourced in 1980 from the Benswanger family (William Benswanger was Dreyfuss' son-in-law and assumed control of the team's daily operations in 1931), and the presentation of the cup is well documented in the November 6, 1909 issue of Sporting Life (a computer printout will be provided). Discussing photographs taken during celebration of the recent World Series victory, the text reads,
"The other picture which will go to Barney's big collection is a flash of the banquet tendered to him by the Westmoreland Country Club, an organization made up of wealthy Jewish residents of the city. They own a $50,000 club house and 75 acres of ground back of Vernon, Pa. This club is an exclusive union and membership is not attainable by everybody. Only four non-members were at the dinner, which was decreed to be a superb event. At the conclusion Col. Dreyfuss was given a magnificent loving cup. The words "Won by clean play and by a clean man" were emphasized by the speaker of the evening when he handed the souvenir to the Pirates' owner."
The gorgeous sterling silver cup bears the mark of "Reed & Barton," the acclaimed silversmiths tasked with creation and production of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The three-handled trophy stands 10.5" in height and 10" in diameter, including width of handles. Weight is approximately 30.5 troy ounces. Expertly engraved on its face are the words, "The Westmoreland Country Club, To Col. Barney Dreyfuss, 'True Sportsman,' For giving Pittsburg The Base Ball Championship of the World, October 27th, 1909." Note that the city name is spelled in its early style, lacking the silent letter "h," as was proper at the time. The trophy presents magnificently with no dents or pitting whatsoever, perhaps just a simple polishing job removed from 100% as-new condition.
Clearly one of the most important Championship awards to appear upon the auction block in recent memory, this elegant early artifact of our National Pastime likewise stands as a glimmering symbol of the American Dream. Just under a quarter century after a poor Jewish immigrant from Germany, speaking not a word of English, arrived on our shores, Barney Dreyfuss had realized his greatest aspiration. We hope and expect that the new owner of this special relic will be inspired when recalling the long and difficult road Dreyfuss traveled to reach the pinnacle of the baseball world.
A link to the "Sporting Life" article discussing the presentation of this trophy to Dreyfuss is available here. Relevant text is near top of second column.
Auction Info
2010 April Signature Sports Memorabilia Auction #717 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
April, 2010
22nd-23rd
Thursday-Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 16
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 5,634
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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