- More
LOT #19431
|
Sold for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
1957 Jackie Robinson Signed Retirement Letter. The incredible saga of baseball's most culturally significant career came to...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
1957 Jackie Robinson Signed Retirement Letter. The incredible saga of baseball's most culturally significant career came to a close when this letter was presented to New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham, who had acquired the pioneering Hall of Famer from the Brooklyn Dodgers for the sum of Dick Littlefield and $30,000 cash. In the ten years since his heroic transversal of baseball's color line, the superstar infielder had won over most of the sporting world with his talent and dignity, inspiring an outcry from baseball fans at his departure from the Major Leagues quite different but almost as vocal as was heard upon his arrival. Dodgers general manager Buzzie Bavasi would explain that that the dismissal of Robinson from his beloved Bums had been team owner Walter O'Malley's idea alone, and Jackie would characterize the 2008 Hall of Fame inductee in his 1972 autobiography I Never Had It Made as "viciously antagonistic." Bavasi was personally opposed to the trade, noting, "The only reason he was traded was because Walter O'Malley and Jackie never got along. It was a personal feud between Walter and Jackie, and I was asked to trade him. Walter wanted a trade a year earlier, but I told Walter we could win the pennant in '56 with Jackie and wouldn't without him. So he put it off a year."Though the popular story in baseball culture is that Robinson considered the Polo Grounds the enemy camp and chose retirement over the treasonous act of suiting up in a Giants uniform, the truth is that his denial of such rumors in the text of his January 14, 1957 letter to Stoneham is likely genuine. He writes:
Dear Mr. Stoneham:
After due consideration I have decided to request to be placed on the voluntary retired list as I am going to devote my full time to the business opportunities that have been presented.
My sincere thanks to you and to Mr. Feeney f
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Calculate Standard Domestic Shipping
Sales Tax information | Terms and Conditions
Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments
Glossary of Terms
Auction Info
Auction Dates
May, 2008
3rd
Saturday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 11
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 19,511
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid (minimum $9) per lot.
Viewing at %
Please enter a value between % and 100% and press your "Enter" key. Close
Fit to screen
View Full Size
Brightness
Sold for:
Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)Fine Art
Ends on 06/19/2018
Fine Art
Ends on 06/19/2018
Fine & Rare Wine
Ends on 06/22/2018
Jewelry & Timepieces
Ends on 06/25/2018
Ethnographic Art
Ends on 06/26/2018
Currency
Ends on 06/27/2018
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 06/28/2018
Decorative Art
Ends on 06/29/2018
US Coins
Ends on 07/12/2018
Coming soon:
Luxury Real Estate
Opens about 04/27/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 06/14/2018
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 06/27/2018
Entertainment
Opens about 07/02/2018
Luxury Real Estate
Opens about 05/25/2018
Fine Art
Opens about 07/05/2018
Movie Posters
Opens about 07/06/2018
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 07/13/2018
Currency
Opens about 07/26/2018
Currency
Opens about 07/26/2018
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 07/23/2018
Heritage membership
VIEW BENEFITS
- Past Auction Values (prices, photos, full descriptions, etc.)
- Bid online
- Free Collector newsletter
- Want List with instant e-mail notifications
- Reduced auction commissions when you resell your
winnings
Consign now
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
I just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with the results of the auction. Friday night was a blast. I had a hard time sleeping I was so pumped up.View More Testimonials
Video tutorial
Getting the most out of search
