ShareThisDear Babe: I have a Rockford Peaches hat from the Hall of Fame with the signatures of four women from the Nov. 5, 1988 induction. The hat is signed by Ruth Richard, Alice Desihanice, Joan Berger and Jean Uamjuin Maminc. Who were these girls? -- Don Ryan, Merrimack, N.H.
I think Alice's name is Deschaine. It was Pollitt when she played for the Peaches. I am guessing that "Maminc" is really Jean Manina, whose maiden name was Knebl. All the women were with the Peaches in the 1947-1953 timeframe. That was after the period depicted in the movie "A League of Their Own," which made the All-American Girls Professional Baseball Association famous. For the record, while the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown opened a "Women in Baseball" exhibit in late 1988, none of the female players was actually inducted into the Hall of Fame. The signed hat might be worth $100, but it would be a hard sell, said Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas.
Dear Babe: I have a white Wilson football that is signed by all the players on the 1959 San Francisco 49ers. -- Chris Corbett, Redding, Calif.
The 49ers were a middle of the pack squad with a 7-5 record, but the roster is dotted with several Hall of Famers including Hugh McElhenny, Bob St. Clair, Joe Perry, Y.A. Tittle and Leo Nomellini. The ball is worth $200-$300, depending on condition, said David Kohler, president of www.SCPauctions.com in Laguna Niguel, Calif.
BABE NOTES: The Panini Group of Italy, which won the bidding war to produce NBA trading cards, has purchased Donruss Playoff, which will morph into Panini America.
The deal includes Panini getting Donruss' license to produce NFL cards. The new company will continue to produce college sets and the popular Americana line, according to Scott Prusha, Donruss' marketing director, who is moving to the new company.
When the NBA picked Panini to be its sole licensee starting with the 2009-10 season, eliminating Topps and Upper Deck, the question asked was how the company would jump in and produce high-end trading cards. The purchase of Donruss answers that.
- It appears the Mastro Auctions, apparently the center of an FBI probe and facing financial problems, is no more, according to a Michael O'Keeffe article in the N.Y, Daily News. A new company, Legendary Auctions I, is supposedly rising from the ashes with Doug Allen, former Mastro president, and two other execs as the principals. Da Babe dropped Mastro as a source when rumors began circulating about the probe and Mastro's possible involvement.
- Topps has jumped into the battle to win over fans of mixed martial arts with "Topps UFC 2009 - Round One." There's a 99-card base, including cards of fighters in their debut battles. On average boxes with 16, eight-card packs have three autographed cards and three relic cards. They come with a $5 SRP. There are also 50 instant win cards good for a pair of tickets to an upcoming UFC event. For more details visit my blog at www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak.
- In what has become an annual release, the latest installment of Jewish Major Leaguers will feature a 50-card set that focuses on record setters. The set includes all current players along with group of former players. Art Shamsky's four consecutive home runs, Moe Berg's record for consecutive errorless games, Phil Weintraub's 11-RBI game, and Jake Pitler's 15 putouts at second base are some of the achievements celebrated in the set.. Upper Deck produced this years release limited to 3,000 sets. The cost is $36 plus $3 S&H. but sets ordered before March 31 are $30 plus $ S&H. For information on the set and discounted for pre-orders, visit www.jewishmajorleaguers.org.
(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
