BASEBALL and STAMPS?
In case you are wondering what the two have
in common, they have "Spook" Jacobs in common. Forrest "Spook"
Jacobs, former second baseman for the Philadelphia and Kansas
City Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates (1954 - 1956), combined
his love for baseball with his love of stamp collecting by
amassing a most impressive collection of postage stamps from
around the globe depicting our "National Pastime".
As kids, most of us collected baseball cards
and some of us were fortunate enough to snare that one card
that we held dear to us. Perhaps it was a Sandy Koufax rookie
card or maybe a Mantle or a DiMaggio or Ted Williams card,
but even the most diehard of card collectors would trade that
card for some of "Spook's" stamps. Especially if those stamps
were signed by the "Babe" himself.
That is just part of what you'll see when
you visit the "Spook" Jacobs "Mail It Home" stamp exhibit
which is now on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in Cooperstown, New York. The exhibit represents approximately
80% of all baseball stamps ever issued. The collection includes
some first-day covers, errors, unique postmarks, autographs,
and rare stamps from some 36 countries. Included is the first
ever baseball stamp printed in the Philippines in 1934 as
well as the 1939 U.S. Postage Stamp commemorating Baseball's
centennial that was issued in Cooperstown for the Museum's
dedication on June 12th of that year. That 1939 sheet of stamps
is signed by Babe Ruth.
"Spook's" collection also includes stamps
from places that you would least expect baseball stamps to
come from, such as Guyana, The United Arab Emirates, and Grenada
just to name a few.
Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society
members Harry Adams, Bill Kelley and Mike Fesnak (Mike is
also a member of the Buxmont Stamp Club) made the trip to
Cooperstown where they attended a reception party and ribbon
cutting ceremony on October 1st to officially open the exhibit.
"Spook" who is an honorary member of the Philadelphia Athletics
Historical Society cut the ribbon along with former Los Angeles
Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, Baseball Hall of Fame President
Dale Petrosky and Alhandra Mora of the Philatelic Museum of
Oaxaca, Mexico. Also in attendance was Steve Keener - President
of Little League Baseball and Connie Tedesco from the Cooperstown
Post Office.
Thanks to the generosity of former Los Angeles
Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley, the exposition was brought to
Cooperstown from Mexico City where it was most recently on
display at the Philatelic Museum of Oaxaca. The exhibit will
remain on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame from October
1, 2001 through through October of 2002.
Even if you are not a stamp collector, you
will be impressed with this wonderful collection, and according
to "Spook", this exhibition in Cooperstown represents only
about half of his entire collection. Make it a point to visit
the Baseball Hall of Fame before this exhibit ends next spring.
This is the first time it has been displayed in the United
States so don't miss it. There is none other like it.
Congratulations "Spook", you made it to the Hall of Fame!
And a special thank you to Peter O'Malley
for his support of "one of our own"!
A big thank you also goes out to the staff
at the Baseball Hall of Fame whose hospitality made us all
feel so welcome and such a part of this special event, and
they are:
- Dale Petrosky - President of the Hall of Fame
- Jeff Idelson - V.P. of the Hall of Fame
- Kim Bennett - Director of Special Events
- John O'Dell - Curator
- Tim Wiles - Director of Research
- Jeff Arnett - Director of Communications & Education
- And to all of the other staffers who helped to make the
opening such a resounding success.
One last note: Steve Keener (President of
Little League Baseball) reminds us to support Little League
Baseball in your area, and to stop by the Little League Museum
in Williamsport, PA and see where some of your favorite baseball
players got their start.
Mike Fesnak (A's Historical Society & Buxmont
Stamp Club member) has been successful in the past in getting
the Postal Service to honor former A's players such as Jimmie
Foxx, Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane and Eddie Collins with
commemorative issue stamps and now Mike would like to ask
for your support again in his efforts to have the postal service
create a commemorative stamp for Connie Mack.
All you have
to do is click here to print out and fill out the attached
letter petitioning the post office for such a stamp to help
make it happen.
THANK YOU - from the Philadelphia Athletics
Historical Society. |
Connie Mack & Philadelphia A's exhibit at Baseball Hall of Fame,
Cooperstown, NY 
"Spook" Jacobs & his lovely wife Bobbie
Left to right: Harry Adams - A's Society Member, Tim Wiles
- Director of Research Baseball Hall of Fame
Mike Fesnak & Harry Adams at reception party
Left to right: Dale Petrosky - President Baseball Hall of
Fame, Alhandra Mora - Philatelic Museum of Oaxaca, Mexico,
"Spook" Jacobs, Peter O'Malley - former owner of Los Angeles
Dodgers
Left to right: Mike Fesnak - A's Society & Buxmont Stamp Club
Member with Peter O'Malley
"Spook" Jacobs and lovely wife Bobbie
Peter O'Malley & "Spook" Jacobs
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