Lot # 2307: Rare Gold 1936 Major League Lifetime Pass Issued to James "Deacon" McGuire

Gold Major League lifetime pass issued to former catcher James "Deacon" McGuire in 1936. Gold Major League lifetime passes are exceedingly rare. So rare, in fact, that many collectors are probably not even aware that they exist. The reason for their scarcity, aside from the fact that the families of former recipients seldom part with them, is that few were ever issued. The practice of issuing a lifetime pass began with the National League in 1935, which presented passes to all of its former members who played a minimum of 10 seasons. However, those initial passes were issued on paper. In 1936, the American League decided to honor its former players in similar fashion, and the two leagues issued a joint Major League lifetime pass, made out of either gold or silver, to each qualifying player. Gold passes were issued only to individuals who had played at the Major League level for 20 or more seasons. Players who put in 10 or more years of Major League service, but fewer than 20, received silver lifetime passes. "Deacon" McGuire was one of only 25 players who met the requirement for a gold lifetime pass in 1936. Since the design of the passes changed during the ensuing years, few additional gold passes were ever issued, making the offered example one of only a small number available to collectors today. This is just the second gold lifetime pass we have ever offered, and we can recall having seen only two others (one of which, issued to Roderick Wallace, resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame). The name of the manufacturer, "Lambert Bros/Jewelers/N.Y.," is engraved on the reverse. James "Deacon" McGuire more than earned his gold lifetime pass, playing 26 Major League seasons, which is second only to Cap Anson and Nolan Ryan, both of whom played 27 years in the Majors. Playing for 11 different franchises between the years 1884 and 1912, McGuire established a Major League record for career games caught, which stood until 1925, and his career-record of 1,835 assists as a catcher still stands. The pass (4.25 x 2.75 inches), which is probably either gold washed or gold plated (no carat weight is marked on the reverse), has light surface wear and is in Excellent to Mint condition.