A History of Baseball in the San Francisco Bay Area: San Francisco Giants Official 1985 Yearbook

San Francisco: Woodford Associates, 1985 Historical text by David Nemec. Signed by Lefty Gomez on front wrapper. First edition, first printing. 8vo oblong. Publisher's stapled white wrappers, with team photo to front wrapper, Camel cigarettes advertisement to rear wrapper, and b/w photographs throughout. Fine. Overall, an exceptional copy. From Lefty Gomez's personal library. This book looks back over the rich baseball history of the Bay Area. Some notable players to come out of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) include Joe DiMaggio, Frankie Crosetti, Earl Averill and Lefty Gomez. Interestingly, the baseball term "sandlot" originated in San Francisco, dating back to a sandy area of land in the 1870s that was used by local baseball players, where the present Civic Center is located. Vernon "Lefty" Gomez (1908-1989) was born in Rodeo, California, the youngest of eight children, to Francisco and Rita Gomez. When Gomez was 20 years old, he signed a contract to play for the San Francisco Seals, and two years later he joined the New York Yankees. Except for a single game in 1943 with the Washington Senators, Gomez spent his entire career with the Yankees (1930-1942). He was a key part of the team's dominant run in the 1930s, which saw them winning five World Series titles. In World Series games, Gomez was undefeated on the mound, boasting a 6-0 record, which still stands today as the longest undefeated winning streak for a pitcher in the World Series. In his relatively short but illustrious career, Gomez was selected for seven All-Star games and won the Triple Crown twice (1934 and 1937). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in the first ever All-Star game on July 6, 1933, and even drove in the first run. In 1972, Gomez was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. . Signed. First Edition. Original Wraps. Fine.