Lot # 2098: 1883 Harry Wright Signed Personal Scorecard - PSA/DNA & JSA

Presented is a remarkable scorecard, personally scored in blue ink by Providence Grays manager Harry Wright, chronicling the August 11, 1881, game between Philadelphia and Providence. In addition to having been scored in Wright's hand, the card also features a rare Harry Wright full-name signature example at the base of one side in the scorer's box. PSA/DNA has encapsulated the piece and certified the signature as "Authentic." Considered one of the game's founding fathers, Wright ranks among the most influential baseball figures of the nineteenth century. In 1869 he founded and managed the Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball's first all-professional team. Following his managerial career in Boston, where he won seven league titles over eleven seasons, Wright enjoyed successful runs as manager of Providence and Philadelphia before retiring in 1893. Wright is credited with developing several important innovations still in use today, including the use of hand signals to his players, the constant repositioning of fielders in response to batter's tendencies, pre-game batting, and fielding practice, and the use of statistics with regard to managerial strategy. The importance he placed on statistics is evidenced by this scorecard, in which he meticulously kept track of every play of the game. Both teams' lineups are noted along with the date, location, and game length. Harry Wright's signature, as most collectors are aware, is scarce. Wright died in 1895 at the age of 60, long before autograph collecting became a popular hobby. Also, Wright wasn't inducted into the Hall of Fame until 1953, so few collectors were actively seeking his signature before that time. The data on this scorecard, and others like it, are a treasure trove of information for baseball scholars. The results of games from this time period are well documented, but box scores are not. The scorecard (6-1/2 x 4 inches) remains in superb condition, with only a few inconsequential spots along the edge where removal from a larger scorebook is evident. This is an exceptional relic of one of the game's founding fathers, which would be at home in even the most advanced collection. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.