Thrift shop find pictures and help

[cdahlk2001]

Saw a team baseball in a ball cube and saw it was old and said what te hell. It was 25% off everything. Marked down from 35.00.... On sale 20.00. Took it home and made out 3 names easily and figured out (I'm in southern wisconsin visiting family) that its a 1979 cubs team ball! So went through the roster and could make out a lot of them. Has 26 sigs but 2 I can't figure out is a hermen franks signed sideways and cookie?? Also in pen is a Tracy 9-9-79 guessing who it was to. Anywho....
Question anyone know the 2 sigs hermen (where printed cusion cork) and cookie (printed Wilson last sig)

Question value? Quick google didn't look that great of a team few went to the 81 Yankees WS team and the thing is one guy signed on here only played 3 games! And I think 1 or 2 has passed away.

 

[cdahlk2001]

Found Herman franks the coach

 

[cmcjr99]

i knew herman franks !

and i'm guessing cookie is rojas ....


(from his wikipedia page : "Though a fan favorite,Rojas lost his job as the Royals' starting second baseman to Frank White in 1976, who was much younger than the 37-year-old Rojas and both hit and fielded better than Rojas.[8] Remaining with the team for two more years, Rojas filled a utility role with the team, playing at first, second and third base, and designated hitter. After being released by the team after the 1977 season, Rojas spent 1978 on the sidelines. Despite signing with the Chicago Cubs on September 1, he did not get into a game with the team and retired from baseball.")


edit to add : a quick google of cookie rojas chicago cubs leads to a site listing all chicago cubs coaches...rojas is listed as a cubs coach from 1978-81....

 

[cdahlk2001]

Ahhhhhh thanks now need to figure out the scribble autos cool side note thanks again!

 

[cmcjr99]

try these links to see if they help you fill in the remaining blanks :



active 1979 roster



all-time cubs coach list



1979 cubs wiki page

 

[houbb]

Those are the kind of the things I'm always on the lookout for. It doesn't matter if it's worth a lot, it's still a great find!

 

[Tony Kozelichki]

I can make out almost all of them except the one between Tim Blackwell and Bill Caudill. It looks like "Fred" something, but there is no Fred listed on the roster or coaches roster. The ball contains autos of the GM Bob Kennedy and trainer Tony Garafolo. Unfortunately, there's no Bruce Sutter. Interesting that it contains sigs of Karl Pagel, Steve Davis, Steve Macko and Kurt Seibert, all September call-ups who got into only a handful of games.

 

[cmcjr99]

Interesting that it contains sigs of Karl Pagel, Steve Davis, Steve Macko and Kurt Seibert, all September call-ups who got into only a handful of games.

note the inscription - 9-9-79 tracy ....most likely a lot of those september call-ups were gracious , available signers at that time while sutter (if i recall correctly) was never extremely fan-friendly....

i'm also thinking the one bewtween blackwell and caudill is ken holtzman....if i missed his graph elsewhere let me know...

 

[Tony Kozelichki]

Buckner and Kingman are on the ball, and neither would have been considered fan friendly at the time. Kingman has come around a bit, and to a lesser extent so has Buckner. Also not seen on the ball was Rick Reuschel or Ivan Dejesus, both starters. Otherwise, most of the key names are there.

 

[mrmopar]

I understand Macko is quite a toughie. He died very young, not too long after he debuted. That probably makes the ball for a diehard Cubs fan, since they really didn't have the marquee players at that time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Macko

Nice find!

 

[cdahlk2001]

Thanks so much! Very fun to read everyone's input/stories..... Now the question is do I try to add the people missing orrrrrrr leave it be???

 

[Tony Kozelichki]

Good catch on the Holtzman. If I could add key signatures, I would, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it. If it was a 69 or 84 Cubs ball, then I would definitely work to get major names added.

 

[houbb]

You're right, that is Steve Macko on that ball! Like I said, one heck of a find! Diehard Cubs fans would love that ball, and so would Texas fans. Steve was a former bat boy for the Rangers in their very early years, and helped the Baylor Bears to the CWS in 1977. Steve made it to the majors in 1979 and 1980, playing in a handful of games, before succumbing to cancer in 1981. I don't know if they still do, but for a long time I remember the Rangers would have a Steve Macko run as a fund raising benefit. Not only was Steve the club's batboy, but his father, Joe, was the longtime Clubhouse Manager for the Rangers.

 

[DaNotoriousNIC]

If ya can add quite a fee I say go for it, if ya dont think you will have very good luck then Id leave it be, nice pick up

 

[mr.js36]

Miguel Dilone and Dennis Lamp are also on the ball.

 

[KCLJ520]

Cool find, I agree that is Ken Holtzman near the Tim Blackwell (who is a great guy and great ttm signer!)