The following lot originates from the Mitsuhiko Fujita Collection sold in our June 2007 Auction in New York City. Mr. Fujita was an avid baseball fan and through his family's connections he was able to gain on field access to all the American baseball stars during their tours of Japan. He was able to take photos one day and bring them back the next to have them signed by the player.

Lefty O'Doul will forever be considered Americas greatest ambassador of baseball in Japan. Credited with naming the Tokyo team the "Giants" back in 1933 (after his own New York Giants with whom he was playing at the time) O'Doul made his first trip to Japan as part of the U.S. tour team in 1931. Embracing Japanese culture ODoul started making annual trips in the years that followed. He advised the Japanese on how to organize their leagues with the same set-up as the U.S. majors. ODoul's presence throughout this collection indicates a close personal relationship between himself and Mr. Fujita. Providing the most compelling evidence of this as well as the degree of Mr. Fujitas collecting compulsion is the offered lot. This set of four x-rays of ODouls various joints and appendages revealed no serious fractures according to the Japanese doctors accompanying report (signed by ODoul). Interestingly the x-ray of ODouls hands (signed by ODoul) show what is most likely his 1933 Giants World Series ring on his left ring finger. Accompanying the x-rays are three snapshots including one signed by ODoul from the 1934 tour and two unsigned images of ODoul with Mr. Fujita and others viewing the very albums of Mr. Fujita from which these items originate.

LOA from JSA.

Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.