This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2015.
Yankees HOF Manager Casey Stengel was nicknamed “The Old Professor” for his sharp wit and his outstanding baseball know-how. Stengel managed the Yankees from 1949 until 1960 and set a Major League record by winning 5 consecutive World Championships (his first 5 years with the club). He would go on to win 2 more World Series while capturing 10 AL Pennants during his 11-year managerial stint with the Yankees. Stengel was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. He has had his managerial number of “37” retired by both the New York Mets and New York Yankees in 1965 and 1970 respectively. Yankee retired numbers were memorialized in Yankee Stadium’s monument park in the form of plaques that hung on the wall just below the left center field fence. They rested in front of the huge monuments of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins, and more than a few home runs have ricocheted off of them. These are the Casey Stengel originals (all the originals were removed and replaced with replicas when the Stadium was renovated). In approximately a 28” x 32” frame rests the circular mounted metal emblem with Stengel’s retired number “37” in the middle. Above reads “CASEY STENGEL” and below reads “ORIGINAL EMBLEM FROM MONUMENT PARK AT YANKEE STADIUM” with a small photo of where the plaque once rested. The plaque has been signed by 39 former Yankee players. Notable signatures include Hall of Famers Whitey Ford with the added inscription “16”, Phil Rizzuto with the added inscription “HOF 94”, Joe Dimaggio, Yogi Berra with the added inscription “H.O.F. ‘72”, Mickey Mantle with the added inscription “NO. 7” and Enos Slaughter with the added inscription “17”. Additional signatures include: Art Ditmar with the added inscription “#28”, Luis Arroyo with the added inscription “29 Saves - 1961”, Mel Allen with the added inscriptions “Voice of the Yankees” & “H.O.F ‘78”, Tom Carroll with the added inscription “40”, Charlie Silvera with the added inscription “#29”, Hector Lopez with the added inscription “#11”, Hank Bauer with the added inscription “#9”, Norm Siebern with the added inscription “25”, Johnny Blanchard with the added inscription “#38”, Ralph Houk with the added inscription “The Major”, Tommy Byrne with the added inscription “23”, Don Larsen with the added inscription “10-8-56”, Bill “Moose” Skowron, Ryne Duren, Allie Reynolds, Andy Carey with the added inscription “#6”, Gene Woodley, Johnny Kucks, Gil McDougald with the added inscription “#12”, Clete Boyer with the added inscription “#6”, Bobby Shantz, Tom Sturdivant with the added inscription “#47”, Bob Cerv, Jim Coates with the added inscription “#39”, Bill Stafford with the added inscription “#22”, Ewell Blackwell with the added inscription “50”, Bobby Richardson with the added inscription “#1”, Bob Turley with the added inscription “1958 Cy Young”, Bob Grim with the added inscription “#55”, Irv Noren with the added inscription “.319 B.A. 1954”, Tommy Henrich with the added inscription “Old Reliable”, Bob Wiesler with the added inscription “39” and Jeff Weaver. All of the signatures are done in different black and blue markers and in our opinion rate a 9 overall. In approximately an 18” x 24” frame is the accompanying metal rectangular plaque inscribed with Stengel’s name, the years he managed the Yankees and the year his number was retired. Both pieces are in EX condition with some weathering. Accompanied by a LOA from JSA. This lot will require additional shipping and handling charges due to its size and weight.