Enos Slaughter was the archetype of player that Branch Rickey had in mind when he started his “farm system” in the 1920s: hard scrabble, hungry and full of raw talent. Perhaps no moment is more illustrative of Slaughter’s drive and determination than his “mad dash” in Game 7 of the 1946 World Series when he scored on a long single to win the game and Series for St. Louis. Cast in the same mold as the scrappy “Gas House Gang” players of the 1930s. Enos Slaughter’s promotion to the Cardinals in 1938 heralded the beginning of a St. Louis dynasty that would win four pennants and three World Championships. This standard Player’s Contract for 1940 was signed just after Slaughter’s breakout 1939 campaign in which he batted .320 and led the league with 52 doubles. Though his average would dip to .306 in 1940, he would slug a resounding 13 triples and drive in 73 runs. Slaughter’s contract calls for $6500 for the season and has been signed in strong black fountain pen by both Slaughter and Cardinals General Manager Branch Rickey. The contract shows overall toning from age as well as horizontal folds from mailing. There is some darker edge staining on the right side of the first page, though this does not affect the signatures, which have been well preserved on its inner pages. A wonderful document that contains the signatures of two Cardinals legends and Hall of Famers. This piece comes with a LOA from PSA/DNA (AF08683) for the signatures.

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