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The mystery of the bible autographed by the 1953 Pirates

1 RICKEY ROBINSON

(1 RICKEY ROBINSON Gilson) Branch Rickey

HO

This is interesting:

Joanne Murphy knew something was unusual when she opened up an old Bible last week. The holy book turned up among the tens of thousands of materials donated to the Friends of the Sacramento Public Library each year.

Inside the Bible, 31 different signatures were emblazoned on the first page along with “Pirates 1953” written across the top in blue ink.


The Bible was general manager Branch Rickey’s. And no one -- not even Rickey’s family members or the living 1953 Pirates who signed it -- remembers it or knows where it came from. Of course, given that the 1953 Pirates went 50-104 it’s understandable if everyone wanted to forget it.

Fun story.