- More
1919 Chicago White Sox Payroll Check Signed by Eddie Cicotte & Charles Comiskey....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.Description
1919 Chicago White Sox Payroll Check Signed by Eddie Cicotte & Charles Comiskey. "I never did anything I regretted so much in my life," Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte would tell a journalist, years after Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banished him and his fellow conspirators from baseball forever. "I would give anything in the world if I could undo my acts - I played a crooked game and I have lost." The star right hander was just days away from making the fateful decision to throw the 1919 World Series when he deposited the presented check for $426.25, made payable to him by team owner Charles Comiskey.Baseball historians have argued for years whether the man who signed the front or the man who endorsed the back of this check was most to blame for the greatest scandal in baseball history. While it was undeniably Cicotte who beaned the first Cincinnati Reds batter he faced in Game One to signal the fix was on, the parsimonious Comiskey is widely faulted for inspiring the betrayal with his issuance of salaries well below the League norm, particularly for a team of Championship caliber. There's no question but that the Eight Men Out believed a partnership with crooked gamblers was the only means of improving their financial lot.
The large (3.5x8.5") check is filled out and signed in the hand of Baseball Hall of Famer Charles Comiskey, with a stamped date of "Sept-5 19." The endorsing signature on verso, "EV Cicotte" is joined by further bank stamping of "Sep. 8 1919." The black fountain pen ink utilized by each survives today at a bold 8/10, and the bank stamping and punch coding remains mercifully clear of the autographs. The check is encapsulated by PSA/DNA in a NM-MT 8 slab for protection and unquestioned authenticity. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication.
Auction Info
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid (minimum $14) per lot.
Calculate Standard Domestic Shipping Sales Tax information
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Floor auctions
Open for bidding: (View All)US Coins
Ends on 01/21/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 01/21/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/21/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/21/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/21/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/21/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 01/21/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Ends on 01/24/2021
Currency
Ends on 01/24/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 01/28/2021
US Coins
Ends on 01/29/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 02/03/2021
Sports Collectibles
Ends on 02/04/2021
Luxury Accessories
Ends on 02/07/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/09/2021
Fine Art
Ends on 02/10/2021
Decorative Art
Ends on 02/11/2021
Currency
Ends on 02/11/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/15/2021
US Coins
Ends on 02/22/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 01/22/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 01/27/2021
US Coins
Opens about 01/29/2021
Currency
Opens about 01/25/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/03/2021
Photography
Opens about 02/03/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/05/2021
Historical
Opens about 02/08/2021
Sports Collectibles
Opens about 02/05/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 01/31/2021
Currency
Opens about 02/01/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/10/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/11/2021
Jewelry & Timepieces
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/08/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/18/2021
Western & Texas Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
Comics & Comic Art
Opens about 02/19/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/12/2021
Decorative Art
Opens about 02/23/2021
US Coins
Opens about 02/26/2021
Fine Art
Opens about 02/24/2021
Nature & Science
Opens about 02/26/2021
World & Ancient Coins
Opens about 02/21/2021
Heritage membership
- 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
- Cash Advances
- More Bidders
- Trusted Experts
- Over 200,000 Satisfied Consignors Since 1976
Learn about consigning with us
I thought that Peter Calderon was very pleasant and had a very professional attitude.View More Testimonials