This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/21/2021
Sourced from the estate of major league pitcher Herb Score (Cleveland Indians 1955-1959; Chicago White Sox 1960 – 1962) is this hefty silver box presented to him on January 25, 1960 in recognition of his courage and comeback from an 1957 on field injury that nearly ended his career. Measuring approx. 10 X 3.375 X 2.5 and appraised to include nearly $600 in silver value, this stunning wood lined box is finely engraved,…
“MOST COURAGEOUS ATHLETE AWARD, 1959, HERB SCORE, CLEVELAND INDIANS, PHILADELPHIA SPORTSWRITERS ASSOCIATION 56TH ANNUAL BANQUET, JANUARY 25, 1960.”
Herb Score was the 1955 American League Rookie of the Year and an AL All-Star in 1955 and 1956. His record setting Rookie performance included striking out 245 batters, a major league record that stood until 1984. Score pitched to a record 16-10 with a 2.85 ERA in his first year and became the first starting pitcher in Major League history to average over one strikeout per inning. His record earned him a cover appearance on “Sports Illustrated” magazine on May 30, 1955. In his second season, Score bested his rookie record, pitching to a record 20-9 with a 2.53 ERA and 263 strikeouts, and pitching a skimpy 129 walks. It was early in his 3rd season, when on May 7, 1957 pitching to Gil McDougald of the New York Yankees at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the first inning that McDougald lined a pitch hitting Score in the face that resulted in broken facial bones and a severe eye injury. Score would miss the rest of the season and McDougald vowed to retire from baseball if Score permanently lost his eyesight in one eye.
Score remarkably returned to pitch in 1958 with many believing he feared being hit by another batted ball. His 1958 season was cut short however, but due to a tendon tear. Score would tweak his pitching motion and pitched the entire 1959 season. Not only was Herb Score duly honored with this fine Award bestowed upon him for his Courage, but in the book “The Greatest Team Of All Time,” Mickey Mantle picked Score as the toughest American League left-handed pitcher he ever faced. Perhaps that is the Greatest honor of all. Score was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1960 where he finished out his playing career in 1962. In 1964 Score began a career as a television and radio play-by-play announcer with the Cleveland Indians for the next 34 years. Among his Awards and Honors, Score was inducted into both the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and the Broadcasters Hall of Fame before passing away in 2008. This silver Award is an enduring physical testament to the courage of this much beloved and respected major league pitcher. Very good condition. Comes with a Gotta Have Rock & Roll Certificate of Authenticity.