he will have another chance in 2021 when the Hall accepts the votes from the new Early Baseball Committee. After Stovey’s 1937 passing, many of his belongings were split among the surviving members of his family. In the 1980s, noted collector and auctioneer Lew Lipset acquired a number of these items from a gentleman in Fall River, Massachussetts. Writing of the account for SABR, Lipset described a collection that included a number of cabinet photos from Gilbert & Bacon, G. Waldon Smith, and rare Kalamazoo Bat cabinets, as well as a traveling bag, an 1883 Athletics team photo, and a hand saw. Many of Stovey’s personal items filtered into the hobby during the 1980s, eventually finding their way into noteworthy 19th Century collections or into the hands of a number of dedicated Stovey fans. A more select group, however, remained in the possession of one of Stovey’s descendents until being
Lot 27: 1880s Gilbert & Bacon Cabinet Harry Stovey - SGC A Minimum Bid: $300.00
with more than 500 stolen bases (a stat that only began being counted six years into his career). After his retirement, he played in the Pennsylvania State League for former manager King Kelly, then became player-manager briefly in the New England League before officially retiring and joining the police force in his hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 2015, Stovey joined Doc Adams and Bill Dahlen as the three highest vote-getters in the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Pre-Integration ballot, falling four votes shy of induction. Named by SABR as the “Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend” in 2011,
Lot 28: Harry Stovey’s Personal Invitation to the 1907 Boston
Nationals Opening Day Minimum Bid: $200.00
Fall 2018 Premier Auction – Closes November 24, 2018
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