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The product is a silver gelatin photo of baseball player Frank O\'Doul signed by George Burke, with authentication from James Spence Authentication (JSA). The photo features O\'Doul, who played for the New York Yankees, making it a unique and valuable collectible for fans of both the player and the team. The item originates from the United States, adding to its historical significance and authenticity.
SIZE 5 X 7\"
Francis Joseph \"Lefty\" O\'Doul (March 4, 1897 – December 7, 1969) was an American professional baseball player and manager. Though he spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, most notably for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, he is best known for his career in the Pacific Coast League, where he was a star player and a successful manager. His .349 career batting average is the sixth highest in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Born in San Francisco, California, O\'Doul began his professional career as a left-handed pitcher with the minor-league San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. He served in the United States Navy from 1917-1919. His final duty station was Mare Island, and according to his obituary in the San Francisco Examiner, he separated from the Navy as a Seaman First Class (E-3).
He had some major-league success with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox from 1919 to 1923 as a relief pitcher. After developing a sore arm which forced him to give up pitching, he returned to the Pacific Coast League and transitioned into becoming a power-hitting outfielder. He returned to the majors in 1928, playing for the New York Giants. With the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Robins, he won two batting titles. Traded back to the Giants in 1933, O\'Doul became a World Series champion.
After his career ended, O\'Doul returned to the Pacific Coast League, managing the San Francisco Seals from 1935 to 1951, as well as other Pacific Coast teams. What is considered by many to be his greatest contributions to baseball were the exhibition tours he undertook to Japan during which he helped with the training of Japanese baseball players both before and after World War II, contributed to the popularity and success of professional baseball in Japan. For his efforts, O\'Doul became the second American elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame after Wally Yonamine. O\'Doul and Joe DiMaggio went to Japan with their wives.
Long after his death in 1969, O\'Doul remains one of the most popular figures in his hometown of San Francisco. He was elected to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Lefty O\'Doul Bridge, connecting the China Basin and Mission Bay neighborhoods, was named in his honor. The gate entrance of Oracle Park adjacent to the bridge was named the \"Lefty O\'Doul Gate\" by the San Francisco Giants.
Ruth once called Burke his favorite photographer, and he and numerous other stars bought his photographs to fulfill their autograph requests.
The 1920s to 1940s photos made by Burke are easy to identify because the images are of highest quality, often crystal clear and sepia toned, and have his rubber stamp on back. The backs will have his name (Geo. Burke) and 847 Belmont Ave. Chicago address stamped in ink. The tops of the back also usually have the player’s name and a cataloging number typed at the top.
The majority of his photographs on the market are from the 1930s. A smaller portion date from the late 1920s and 1940s
