November 2016 Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/19/2016
Harry Brecheen (D. 2004) nicknamed "The Cat", was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals. In the late 1940s he was among the team's stars, becoming the first left-hander ever to win three games in a single World Series in 1946 and later leading the National League in several categories in 1948. His career World Series earned run average of 0.83 was a major league record from 1946 to 1976. From 1951 to 1971 he held the Cardinals franchise record for career strikeouts by a left-hander, and he also retired with the fourth-highest fielding percentage among pitchers (.983), then the top mark among left-handers.
Offered is a 1940’s Official National League baseball (Ford Frick) from the Jim Armstrong collection. Brecheen signed his name in black steel tipped pen on the side panel and wrote his stats for the 1948 season on the sweet spot. Gorgeous ball!