Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
This visually engaging relic provides amazing historical insight with respect to a little-known aspect of early Pacific Coast League baseball. Its detailed, illustrated content reveals the personnel who comprised a one-year-only squad: the Sacramento Wolves of 1914.
By 1914, the Sacramento franchise had undergone no less than ten league affiliations over the preceding three decades. The most recent of these was a departure from the California League in 1908, in favor of a P.C.L. berth that the club vacated very shortly after the creation and production of this fascinating paper antique by a local photographer. In fact, the squad didn't actually finish the '14 season in the Golden State's capital city: dwindling attendance that year brought about a move to San Francisco (and a name change to the "Missions") at mid-season. The "Wolves" depicted in this remarkable piece relocated yet again soon after, becoming the Salt Lake City Bees for 1915. (It wasn't until much later -- in 1918 -- that the Sacramento P.C.L. entry, rechristened the "Solons," achieved a stability that would last through 1960.)
Tracing the time-line path of this franchise serves as an enjoyable exercise, and it dramatically highlights the extremely short window that allowed the emergence of this remarkable survivor. Distributed for what must have been a matter of just weeks, into an apparently indifferent fan marketplace, it's likely that precious few of these found appreciative readers. And it's certain that fewer still have been thoughtfully preserved over the full course of an intervening century.
Produced by Suttor Photo Engraving Company of Sacramento, this incredibly rare souvenir folio features an "accordion"-style fold-out of twenty-two subjects (twenty players are depicted, along with William Burke the trainer and Harry Wolverton the owner/manager) neatly placed within two covers. Measuring approximately 4-1/2" x 3-1/4", the front cover (which exhibits spots of superficial paper loss) features portrait-shots of the two owners; Harry Wolverton to the left, and Lloyd Jacobs to the right. When opened, the strip expands to nearly 38 inches in total length, and reveals black-and-white images of the players. They include: Frank Arellanes, William Burke (Trainer), Al Cook, Bert Coy, Howard Gregory, Edward Hallinan, Harry Hannah, Samuel Hern, Ray Kremer, Byrd Lynn, William Malarkey, Roy Moran, William Orr, Thomas Rohrer, James Shinn, Harry Stewart, Ralph Stroud, Thomas Tennant, E.E. Van Buren, Lefty Williams (Notorious "Black Sox" Member), Harry Wolverton (Owner/Manager) and Stuart Young. The inner cards range from EX to NM/MT. The folder's original envelope displays the company's advertisement and mailing indicia, but has not been postally used.