---

“Bad Bill” Dahlen played from 1891-1911 and retired as baseball’s all-time leader in games played. He also ranked in the top ten in most offensive categories.

In the collection is this autograph of Dahlen. It is one of the finest known of examples of this exceeding rare signature. Handwritten on Sporting News letterhead is Dahlen’s reply “Who do you consider the greatest ball player of all-time? Why?” The response reads:

“Honus Wagner & Ty Cobb

Honus’s long time service in baseball and his ability to do anything a little better than anyone else gives him the call with me. As to Cobb I never seen him play but few games but his records speak for him.

Williams J. Dahlen”

Dahlen had great insight into the career of his National League contemporary. Their careers overlapped for 15 seasons from 1897-1911.

Bad Bill relays that he only saw Cobb play a few games. During the 7 seasons they were both active players from 1905-1911 they played in different leagues.

Dahlen is part of an interesting footnote to baseball in its early days. Two-time batting champ Willie Keeler was the best man at Dahlen’s second wedding on December 22, 1903. Keeler and Dahlen were teammates for three seasons from 1899-1902.

With the scarcity of Dahlen’s signature, it’s difficult to imagine a better more desirable format of the shortstop’s autograph.

---

Hall of Fame pitcher Stan Coveleski faced twelve-time batting champ Ty Cobb in 114 plate appearances. Though Cobb peppered him for a .355 average, Coveleski actually held the Georgia Peach 12 points below his career average.

In the collection is this letter on The Sporting News letterhead. Coveleski is asked who he considers the greatest player of all time. The five-time 20-game winner concurs with Bill Dahlen’s choice of Cobb. Coveleski explains, “He can hit, run, throw, and field”.

The image of Bob Feller on the cover of the The Sporting News Record Book dates this letter to 1941.

---

A star of 19th-century baseball, Bill Dahlen ranks among the greatest shortstops the game has ever known. Of the 25 Hall of Fame players from the position, only six rank higher the Dahlen in Wins Above Replacement (WAR).

Born five years after the conclusion of the US Civil War, Dahlen’s signature remains absent from even the most advanced collections.

Shown here is a letter from the National League Service Bureau responding to an autograph collector’s request for Dahlen’s address. Jack Purnell who has signed the letter as a representative of the NL responds that they’ve “looked in vain” for a way to contact Dahlen. It would make sense that Dahlen would be hard to find — the letter is dated 15 months after his death.

---

When asked to identify the the greatest ball player of all time Bill Dahlen chose Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb as shown in the previous image. In the collection and depicted above is Wagner’s signature.

Imagine having a lifetime pass to any game in the National League. That’s what NL President Ford Frick bestowed upon Honus Wagner 18 years after the Flying Dutchman retired. Overjoyed by the gesture Wagner, one of the first five Hall of Fame inductees, sent a handwritten thank-you letter to Frick 12 days later on April 25, 1935.

Wagner dropped the letter at the post office on a Thursday afternoon after the Pirate team for which he served as hitting instructor fell in 6-0 loss at Cincinnati. Future Hall of Famer Waite Hoyt took the loss for Pittsburgh, but Wagner’s thoughts were full of gratitude to Frick for his kind gesture.

Notice Wagner’s flowing handwriting and gracious tone in the letter which is signed “J Honus Wagner Pirate Coach” at the bottom of the hotel letterhead.

---

The Sporting News sent questionnaires to former big league stars asking them to identify the greatest ball players ever. When 19th century star Bill Dahlen was asked, he chose Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb.

Shown above is the signature of the Tigers great. In the mid 1980’s Cobb’s granddaughter flooded the autograph collectible market with the Georgia Peach’s personal checks.

Until the end of the decade, these beauties could be had for under $50. This example is made out to a book store and is dated September 5, 1945. While Cobb was shopping for reading material, his Tigers were in New York dropping a 5-1 contest to the Yankees. The 12-time batting champion retired with 4,189 hits, a mark eclipsed only by Pete Rose.

Tyrus Raymond Cobb received the most votes in the initial ballot for Baseball’s Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 1936.

---

Stan Coveleski pitched in 14 big league campaigns from 1912-1928. In his first 10 full seasons, Coveleski won 192 games and posted five 20-win seasons.

His best years came with the Indians. His nine seasons in Cleveland include the Tribe’s first World Championship season in 1920. In that year’s Fall Classic Coveleski earned three complete-game victories include a shutout. In 27 innings he allowed only two earned runs.

Shown here is Coveleski’s lifetime pass to all National League games. The lifetime American Leaguer was issued this pass in 1936 by then-NL President Ford Frick.