Presented here is one of the most important sports artifacts we have ever seen, simply due to its extreme rarity. Until now, only two Pete Hill signatures were known – both on govern- ment draft records – making this the first and only example ever offered publicly. Pete Hill was one of the great outfielders in Negro League history. He played with some of the best-known Black baseball teams: the Phil- adelphia Giants, Leland Giants, and Chicago American Giants. He began his professional career sometime between 1899 and 1901, but records of the earliest days of his career are spotty, at best, simply due to the lack of media coverage. By 1904, however, he was playing in Philadelphia, managed by Sol White. A speedy outfielder with impressive defensive skill, Hill often drew comparisons with Ty Cobb due to his aggressive play. Though his records indi- cate a .303 average in post-1920 baseball, his early numbers were far more gaudy: A .604 batting average in 51 plate appearances with Philadelphia in 1905, 27 RBI in 22 games in 1910, 18 stolen bases in 35 games in the Cuban Winter League in 1907-08. Hill was certainly one of the great players of his era. In 1923, Hill became player-manager of the Milwaukee Bears of the Negro National League, finishing in last place with Hill draw- ing criticism as both a player and manager. Motivated by the critics, Hill then moved on to the Baltimore Black Sox of the Eastern Col- ored League, a new league founded by Hilldale team owner Ed Bolden. Hill was introduced as the team manager in November of 1923, the Baltimore Afro-American reporting that Hill 3. Incredible Pete Hill Signed 1923 Baltimore Black Sox Player Contract – The Only Known Pete Hill Auto- graph (HOF) – PSA/DNA
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