This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/4/2019
Al Simmons was a premier hitter and left fielder for Connie Mack's formidable Philadelphia Athletics from 1924 to 1932, and continued to play for other clubs through 1944. Offered here is a 7" x 10.25" handwritten letter (double-sided) by Simmons, dated December 22, 1931 as he was rounding out his penultimate year with the Athletics. In the letter, Simmons discusses his time during the Athletics' Tour of Japan earlier that year, and how he and some teammates took the time to teach the locals how to play baseball - and evidently almost got beat by them before they left! At this time, professional baseball in Japan had been around for some time, but it was not until the Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club was established in 1934 that the modern professional game found continued success. The country has now produced some of the greatest players of all time, including Sadaharu Oh, Ichiro Suzuki, and, more currently, Shoehei Ohtani. A fine relic indicating the early days of the introduction of modern baseball to the country, the letter is in fine condition with several intersecting folds. Authenticated & encapsluated by Beckett Authentication Services (BAS).