Winter Auction 2015 closing February 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2015
Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem began his big league career as a National League umpire in 1905 and worked a record 18 World Series from 1908 to 1940. He holds the record for most ejections by an umpire, with 251 and had one of the longest umpiring careers (37 years) before retiring in 1951 at the age of 67. Klem wrote this lengthy letter on a sheet of his own personalized stationary, in decorative penmanship, black fountain pen ink to the “Lucky Sacramento B.B. Club”. It is dated Nov. 12th 1940, in which he discusses the possibility of Cardinals shortstop, Pepper Martin someday becoming an umpire or manager, and goes on to praise his intelligence and character. Klem closes by saying; “So long Johnny “Pepper” Martin good luck & better luck is the sincere wish of this old arbitrator, -Bill Klem;” comes with JSA LOA certification #X76975.