Each player was a 7-time All-Star. They won a combined three American League MVP awards, five World Series Championships and four Gold Gloves. Both had their uniform numbers retired by the most successful franchise in all of professional sports. Yet, even after all the glorious moments they were part of and all they contributed to the game of baseball, neither Roger Maris nor Thurman Munson have a spot in the hallowed halls of Cooperstown. It's hard to imagine that the fine gentleman who surpassed both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle to become MLB's single-season home run king during that magical 61 in '61, only to be surpassed during the Steroid Era, is not a Hall of Famer. Then there's the lovable backstop, the Yanks' team captain and "heart and soul" who was instrumental in bringing home two more trophies in the 70's during the tumultuous Billy Martin era. If not for a fateful plane crash that ended his career and life so abruptly, the mustached stud would most likely have his name enshrined.

In most eyes they are the two greatest New York Yankees not in the Hall of Fame, and perhaps the two most obvious "misses" by voters. So if you're a lifelong Yankees fan, you really can't collect one without the other. This great pairing of Maris and Munson signed 3x5 index cards originated from an amazing collection. Both bold blue penned autographs have been encapsulated by PSA/DNA with a near perfect MINT 9 grade.

Provenance: How does one acquire over 9,000autographs, covering just about every Major Leaguer from 1900 to 2000?Very diligently with an unbelievable amount of patience anddetermination. For Dave Hill, the quest lasted practically his entirelife. Born in St. Louis in 1929, Hill was a standout pitcher who playedin college and then a few years professionally in the White Soxorganization before landing a position with the Central IntelligenceAgency where he had a long and decorated career. The management andorganization skills Hill developed at the CIA certainly came in handy ashe meticulously built his massive memorabilia collection.

Hill grew up a die-hard St. Louis Browns fan and always had a passionfor collecting. It became as much a hobby as an obsession as he trackeddown player after player by attending games or events where one waspresent, writing them letters with his request, or purchasing from othercollectors (some autographs were dated before Hill was even born). Therelentless man did not stop until well into his 60’s. Most signaturescome on 3x5 index cards or cuts, and many are done on the player’sbaseball card, photo, news clipping or mailed postcard/GPC. The list ismind-blowing, some signatures so rare that records of their mereexistence are blank. As a hobbyist, Hill was also recognized for hisextensive collection of St. Louis Brown photographs used to produce twoofficial “Brownies” albums by team archivists.

The Dave Hill Collection is easily one of the largest autographcollections ever documented. Its size and scope is beyond anything we’vehad the pleasure of representing. Luckily, Hill was meticulous aboutkeeping it organized in alphabetical order and, according to the family,his wife Jewell deserves much of the credit. Even the years of eachplayer’s birth and MLB debut are noted. A total of 186 Hall of Famersare included (out of a possible 323) and the most significant autographshave been encapsulated by PSA/DNA, branded “Dave Hill Collection.”David W. Hill passed away in 1995 at the age of 66.