In 1966 Tom Seaver was the hottest commodity in baseball, even though he wasn’t yet a Major Leaguer! After Seaver was drafted in June 1965 by the Dodgers, the two sides could not agree on a price. So Seaver signed with the Atlanta Braves, but this signing was ruled illegal and Seaver attempted to return to college at USC. However, an NCAA ruling cost Seaver his college eligibility at USC, so even though the Atlanta Braves signed Seaver to a contract, his rights went to a bidding war between four teams, with the New York Mets winning his rights.

Fleer did not waste any time signing Seaver to a contract even before he was drafted in 1965! This two-page contract calls for annual rate of $125 for non-exclusive rights or $250 for exclusive rights payable to Seaver. Signed on the second page “Tom Seaver” with his Fresno, CA address and dated “April 4, 1965”. The contract has a date stamp of “APR 8 1966” on the first page and includes the usual paper contract faults such as usual folds, staple holes, and various peripheral markings. This is an interesting signed contract between FLEER Gum and George Thomas Seaver, which was completed even before Seaver was even a professional player. This item comes with a full LOA from PSA/DNA (AA06093).

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