Collection of five Jackie Jensen home-run baseballs and original artwork dating from the 1950s. Four of the five baseballs have been illustrated and all feature handwritten notations detailing the specifics. All the illustrated balls display varying degrees of shellac and are in Very Good condition overall. 1) Jensen's 10th home run of the year off Carmen Marrero in the first-game of a doubleheader against the Senators at Griffith Stadium on July 5, 1954. 2) Jensen's 18th home run of the year off Johnny Schmitz in the second game of a doubleheader against the Senators at Fenway Park on August 11, 1954. (The ball lists home run number "18," but is not dated; research confirms the date we have listed.) 3) Jensen's 16th home of the year off Don Larsen in a game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 16, 1956. (This is the only ball in the collection that is not illustrated.) 4) Jensen's 6th home run of the year off Pedro Ramos in a game against the Senators at Griffith Stadium on May 13, 1958. 5) Jensen's 8th home run of the year off Cal McLish in a game against the Indians on June 26, 1959. 6) Original cartoon artwork by noted artist Bob Coyne. The cartoon features Jensen, as a member of the Red Sox, holding several bats, each labeled with one of his many accomplishments during the season. Although the artwork is not dated, it was clearly produced during Jensen's first season with Boston in 1954. The artwork (15x17") displays light rippling and minor staining along the bottom border.
The Jackie Jensen Collection
This is one of fifteen lots in the auction originating from Jackie Jensen's personal collection. All have been consigned directly by a family member and have never before been offered for sale, either publicly or privately. Jackie Jensen was one of the greatest athletes of of his day and was an All-American standout on both the baseball diamond and gridiron at the University of California. While at Cal, he helped lead the baseball team to the championship of the first NCAA College Baseball World Series in 1947. The following year he became the first Cal player to rush for over 1,000 yards and helped lead the football team to a 10-0 record and a share of the Pac-Ten title. He also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting at season's end. Jensen left college after his junior year to play professional baseball. He began his career with the New York Yankees, and was a member of both the 1950 and 1951 World Championship teams. Unfortunately, his playing time was limited with the Yankees and it wasn't until he was traded to the Washington Senators in 1952 that he began to develop into one of the game's top outfielders. His best years came with the Boston Red Sox from 1954-1959, where he teamed with Ted Williams and Jimmy Piersall to form the best outfield trio of the decade. During that six-year span he was one of baseball's best all-around outfielders, leading the American League in RBI on three separate occasions. His finest season came in 1958, when he batted .286 with 35 home runs and a league-leading 122 RBI, numbers that earned him the American League MVP Award. (Jensen's MVP Award is being offered in this sale.) Jensen retired after the 1961 season with 199 home runs, 929 RBI, and a .279 lifetime average.
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