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This
is essentially the mother of all baseball clocks. I referenced this
clock in a story I wrote about five years ago on the Muller
Clock. At that time I only knew of one. However now I know of
three. A guy told me about this one and I called the
owner. He wasn't interested in selling. Said it was handed down
from his parents, and that they had gotten it as a wedding
gift...Don't ya hate those sentimental yarns! I tried
throwing money at the problem but that didn't work.
The one I wrote about
in the Muller clock story once belonged to Barry Halper, and
thereafter sold thru Leland's to the current owner. That one got
damaged in shipment but was restored and looks fine now, as I'm
in contact with the new owner. Actually that one was has an
interesting story...My buddy John Buonaguidi from Monterey Ca
found it at an antiques show in Sacramento Ca. back in the early
1980's. Had it a while and sold it to Halper. John said the
dealer had a book of photos in his booth with one of the clock.
He recalls the dealer quoted him around $1,000.00 and John said
"sold". He met the dealer in the parking lot of the Nut Tree
in Vacaville and the guy was driving a corvette. The dealer set
the clock on his roof while they were making the deal and people
were walking by ooohing it. John said he hurried up and paid
him.
The third one sits in
storage by someone who isn't ready to sell either...Can you
believe it! That one has been altered a little in
that the finial was replaced with a little metal baseball that
says National Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame Cooperstown
N.Y. If I could get that one I would take that HOF
ball off and have a replacement cast made of the original
finial.
Also
to clarify, the one that sold thru Leland's that had belonged to
Halper has a pitcher on the left (at least we think he may be
pitching) thought to be John Montgomery Ward, and clearly a
catcher in catchers gear on the right thought to be Buck Ewing.
However, the one I heard of and called about, and the one in
storage both have a batter in place of the catcher.
*
* *
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ALL
THREE KNOWN EXAMPLES |
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|
|
|
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The
one in storage |
The
one
Halper
owned |
The
one I called on |
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