Spectacular Menu Signed by NY Yankee Greats: Ruth, Gehrig, Hoyt, Dugan, Huggins, Pennock, Ruppert & More!

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Item: 23515

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RUTH, GEORGE HERMAN “BABE.” (1895-1948). Famous American baseball player, known as the “Sultan of Swat” and considered one of the greatest in the sport (1895-1948). Signed menu. (“Babe Ruth”). 1p. Small 4to. New York, February 5, 1928. A menu from the Baseball Writers Association of America’s dinner held at New York City’s Commodore Hotel signed in pencil by “Babe” Ruth and twenty additional guests.

Signatures in alphabetical order:

BAER, BUGS. (1886-1969; “Bugs Baer”). Sports reporter who wrote the only movie for “Babe” Ruth in which he played himself. Baer was the “toastmaster” at this dinner gala.

BENGOUGH, BENNY. (1898-1968; “B. Bengough”). Yankee catcher and, later, coach who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in 1950.

BULGER, BOZEMAN. (1877-1932; “Bozeman Bulger”). Sports reporter who wrote a series about “Babe” Ruth for the Saturday Evening Post.

BUSH, “BULLET” JOE. (1892-1974; “’Joe’ Bush”). Played for the Yankees 1922-1924. At the time of the dinner he was with the Philadelphia Athletics.

COHAN, GEORGE M. (1878-1942; “G…ge M Cohan”). American vaudeville performer and musical comedy star; author of the copycat song, “Take Your Girl to the Ball Game.”

COLLINS, EDDIE. (1887-1951; “Eddie Collins”). Formerly with the Chicago White Sox and player during the “Black Sox” scandal. At the time Collins was a player-coach with the Philadelphia Athletics.

DUGAN, JOE. (1897-1982; “Joe Dugan”). Yankee infielder known as “Jumping Joe” who played with the Yankees in five World Series’.

DUNDEE, JOHNNY. (1893-1965; “Johnny Dundee”). First World Junior Lightweight boxing champion.

GEHRIG, LOU. (1903-1941; “Lou Gehrig”). Yankee infielder and hitter considered one of the best baseball players of all time. Between 1923 and 1939, he hit 493 home runs and 1995 RBIs and is one of only 18 players to hit four home runs in a single game. Scarce and desirable!

HAINES, HINKEY. (1898-1979; “Hinkey Haines”). Baseball (Yankees 1923) and football player. At the time Haines was playing football for the NY Giants.

HOYT, WAITE. (1899-1984; “Waite C. Hoyt”). Yankee pitcher and one of baseball’s greatest players during the 1920s. Hoyt was also a vaudeville performer and, after retiring from baseball, a radio broadcaster.

HUGGINS, MILLER J. (1878-1929; “M.J. Huggins”). Baseball player and Yankee manager who oversaw the famously successful “Murderer’s Row” teams. Scarce!

LA HIFF, BILLY. (1882-1934; “Billy La Hiff”). Extremely popular owner of the eponymous mid-town Manhattan tavern frequented by Broadway stars and other celebrities. Scarce!

LANDIS, KENESAW M. (1866-1944; “K.M. Landis”). First Commissioner of Baseball.

PENNOCK, HERB. (1894-1948; “H.J. Pennock”). Yankee pitcher, considered one of the greatest left-handers of all time, who helped the team win four World Series. Rare!

RUPPERT, JACOB. (1867-1939; “Jacob Ruppert”). New York politician who owned the Yankees from 1915 until his death in 1939.

RUTH, GEORGE HERMAN “BABE.” (1895-1948; “Babe Ruth”). Yankee outfielder considered one of the greatest in the sport. Ruth was a Yankee from 1920-1934, during which time he became an internationally recognized superstar, forever changing the way baseball was played. His fame boosted the New York Yankees’ popularity, and their new stadium, built between 1922 and 1923, came to be known as “the House that Ruth Built.” The “Babe” was one of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s first five inductees and remains an American icon.

SPEAKER, TRIS. (1888-1958; “Tris Speaker”). Centerfielder whose glove was known as the place where triples go to die and who still holds the record for the fifth most hits at 3,514 and the sixth most triples at 222. At the time he signed our menu, Speaker was playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, his last MLB appearance being in August 1928.

SULLIVAN, ED. (1901-1974; “Ed Sullivan”). American sports and entertainment reporter, columnist and television host of his own variety show from 1948-1971. Sullivan was a sports reporter for the New York Evening Graphic at the time he signed our menu.

JAMES J. “JIMMY” WALKER. (1881-1946; “James J. Walker”). Tammany Hall-backed New York City mayor who, in 1928, threw out the first pitch in Yankee Stadium. The popular and colorful mayor, known about town as “Beau James” and “The Night Mayor” for his love of nightlife, had been lax on enforcing Prohibition, and during his tenure, speakeasies and casinos, along with graft and corruption, flourished.

A professional organization founded on October 14, 1908, the Baseball Writers Association of America sought to bring professionalism to the field of sports journalism, secure press access for its members and standardize scoring methods.

During the 1928 season, which was the Yankee’s 26th, the team beat the St. Louis Cardinals in four consecutive games to win their third World Series Championship, becoming the first team to win back-to-back sweeps.

All signatures (several unidentified) are in pencil on the menu’s verso. At the bottom left corner is a pencil cartoon by L. E. Schneider of a man holding up a large card, saying “How about signing?” In overall fine condition, but sunned. The signatures strong and clear as on the day they were written!