Offered here are two typed letters signed by Hall of Fame second baseman and Boston Red Sox general manager Eddie Collins. Collins, who collected 3,315 hits over a 25-season career, was one of the great stars of the deadball era for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox. A highly respected front office executive, Collins writes in both of these letters about Walt Ripley, a talented local pitcher signed by the Red Sox as an 18-year old in 1935. The first letter, dated to June 8th, 1935, discuses an early season no-hitter thrown by Ripley, and is addressed to a Frank L. Boyden of Deerfield Academy, likely Ripley’s high school baseball manager. Collins has signed this letter in black marker.

The second letter is dated to September 7th, 1935. In it, Collins writes again to Boyden about Ripley, this time stating that the young pitcher would report to the Red Sox for the 1936 season rather than go back to school. Collins has signed this letter in black pen. Both letters are typed on official Red Sox letterhead. Ripley pitched two games for the Red Sox in 1935, both appearances coming in relief. Ripley never pitched in the majors again, the victim, like so many of his contemporaries, of a chronically injured throwing arm. These fascinating letters are accompanied by individual LOAs from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A76070, A76071).

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