Both teams that played in the 1916 World Series went head-to-head in the late Spring of 1917 as part of an exhibition tour. This is the program that was handed out to fans. The champion Red Sox and National League champ Brooklyn Superbas played in Memphis, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Davenport, Peoria, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Columbus, Toledo, and New Haven before opening the regular season on April 11 in New York. The 16-page program details the teams inside with player bios. The last page has additional handwritten dates, likely in Dick Hoblitzell's hand, as he was a member of the Bosox and this piece comes from his personal collection. The cover showcases team presidents Harry Frazee and Charles Ebbets while the back features a Rock Island railroad logo on the back. There is a vertical crease on the front with minor paper loss on the bottom right corner.

Lelands is pleased to offer the collection of Babe Ruth’s former roommate, Dick Hoblitzell, in our 2019 Fall Classic sale. Hoblitzell started his career off with the Cincinnati Reds from 1908-14 and then closed his career out with the Boston Red Sox from 1914-1918. During his time with the Red Sox, he roomed with Babe Ruth on the road and became a two-time World Series Champion in 1915 and 1916. In 1918, Hoblitzell started the season off batting 1-for-25 and was then replaced by his former roommate Babe Ruth! Ranging from a 1915 World Champion Red Sox team signed baseball to game balls and Dick’s personal World Series programs, there is a little bit of everything in this “fresh to market” collection. Each lot sources from the family of Dick Hoblitzell and can be found in the “Dick Hoblitzell Collection” category of the current auction.