INSCRIBED TO A GIANTS CATCHER, ADDITIONALLY SIGNED BY A TEAM'S WORTH OF PLAYERS INCLUDING HALL-OF-FAMERS STAN MUSIAL, BUCK LEONARD, BOB FELLER, PEE WEE REESE, JOHNNY MIZE, AND ROBIN ROBERTS

DURSO, Joseph. The Days of Mr. McGraw. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, (1969). Octavo, original rust-colored cloth, original dust jacket. $5500.

First edition, second printing, inscribed by the author in red ink on the half title, to a San Francisco Giants catcher: "For Mike Sadek—Who is young and a Giant—and who carries on this great tradition of Mr. McGraw. Best always, Joe Durso," additionally signed by 28 players including Stan Musial, Buck Leonard, Early Wynn and several other Hall-of-Famers, many who inscribed to Mike Sadek.

"John McGraw started out as the cockiest sixteen-year-old ballplayer ever to bait a pitcher and ended up as the 'little Napoleon' of the game. He was tyrannical, he was dictatorial… he was one of the most successful Czars to field a team during his thirty years as manager of the New York Giants. In his first season he took them from the cellar to the pennant and the name of the game was murder" (Kirkus Reviews). This account of "the wild, wacky, wooly era of John J. McGraw" was written by an award-winning sportswriter for the New York Times. Stated second printing. Inscribed by the author to Mike "The Sheik" Sadek (1946-2021), a backup catcher with the San Francisco Giants who played in 383 games over an 8 year career. Additional signees, many of which include short inscriptions, include Stan Musial, Buck Leonard, Bob Feller, Pee Wee Reese, Johnny Mize, Robin Roberts, Monte Irwin, Tommy Holmes, Mickey Vernon, Jim Busby, Luke Appling, Don McMahon, Harvey Kuenn, Smoky Burgess, Sal Maglie, Nelson "Nellie" Fox, Bill “Moose” Skowron, Early Wynn, Ted Kluszewski, and Johnny Logan, plus six others. These signatures were collected by Sadek during his 1973 rookie year.

Book near-fine with slight rubbing to extremities, in a near-fine dust jacket showing minor toning to folds and back panel. An outstanding multi-signed copy.