8 Historically Important 1946 Jackie Robinson Signed Heilbroner Baseball Bureau Card - The First Document Signed By Robinson in Integrated Baseball! 1946 baseball information card that includes what is likely Jackie Robinson’s first signature after shattering baseball’s color barrier, the first document an African-American ballplayer ever completed in Major League Baseball. Louis Heilbroner was a former manager and executive who founded Heilbroner’s Baseball Bureau, the first statistical bureau devoted to baseball. He was the publisher of the Baseball Blue Book, a baseball guide marketed to insiders of the game. At the beginning of their first year of pro ball, each player received an index card with the player’s name typed at the top of the card. The player would then complete the small questionairre on the card, describing basic biographical information. The reverse contained blank spaces where the Bureau would update the card each season with current team information. This card was sent to Jackie Robinson in 1946 when he started with the Montreal Royals. Robinson completed the information, adding in his birthday, vital information, college attended, name and address. In the space where he was asked to enter the team he was with the prior year, Robinson wrote “Kansas City Monarchs,” the famous Negro League club where Robinson played in 1946. Adjacent to where he filled in his second favorite sport (football), someone added “Negro,” just in case some
researcher or intern wasn’t aware of who Jackie Robinson was and what he represented. The reverse of the card notes Robinson as a member of the Montreal team in 1946. In the space for 1947, “Montreal” was written in, followed by “Brooklyn” in April. The historical importance of this card cannot be overstated. After thousands of cards that had been completed by white players, this is likely the first Heilbroner card completed by an African- American player, and quite possibly the first form Robinson filled out as a member of established baseball. The significance of Jackie Robinson cannot be overstated, and this card traces the remarkable three-year Robinson began as a Negro Leaguer and ended as a Brooklyn Dodger, perhaps the most important figure in modern American history. This card, like all the other Heilbroner cards, is one of a kind, the one that represents the integration of baseball - a single card among thousands, the importance of which is far greater than the mere words written on it. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. Please note that the historical significance of this item dictates that it be sold with a reserve. We feel, as does our consignor, that this is a museum-quality item, a piece of American history that far surpasses the traditional Jackie Robinson collectibles typically found at auction. As is our policy, the actual number of the reserve will be published with approximately 7 days remaining in the auction, unless that figure is surpassed beforehand. MINIMUM BID: $5,000.00
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