The Following Lot Originates from the Jake Virtue Estate Collection (click here for info.)

This is an incredibly rare collection of major league player contracts dating to Jake Virtue’s first two seasons in the major leagues. The first is his 1890 rookie season contract. The standard “Player’s Contract” document has not been filled out on it’s front but its interior pages have been fully filled in with the details of Virtue’s compensation for his first year of major league ball. Dated July 14 1890 the contract binds Virtue to the Cleveland club from July 15 to October 31 1890 and agrees to pay him $325 a month plus a $300 advance. The document has been filled out in black fountain pen and has been signed by team owner F.D.H. Robison and witnessed by Davis Hawley. As this was Virtue’s copy he has not signed his name. The second contract is Virtue’s 1891 agreement signed on October 1st 1890. Like his rookie year contract the front cover of the standard player’s contract has been left blank. His sophomore season contract pays the first baseman $2275 payable in 14 monthly installments on the 1st and 15th of each month. The contract has been filled out in black fountain pen and signed by Davis Hawley Robert H. Leadley and Jacob Virtue. Both documents show heavy creasing from being stored folded for decades. The edges show heavy wear and have become ragged in spots. There is heavy toning to the documents from age and the ink handwriting and signatures have slightly faded to a rich dark brown. The contracts come with the 1955-dated envelope they were stored in for decades a yellow colored envelope from a Pennsauken N.J. bank. A member of the Virtue family has written “Two contracts of grandpop’s major league days” in pencil on the front. Two very scarce player’s contracts dating from baseball’s first century obtained from the family of the ballplayer. LOA from the Jake Virtue Estate.