(LOT 704)
Extremely Rare Invitation to April 18, 1904 Boston Red Sox 1903 World Championship Flag Raising Ceremony at Boston's Huntington Avenue Grounds!
You don't have to be an elite enthusiast to understand the significance and value of artifacts relating to our National Pastime's inaugural 1903 World Series. This landmark event matched the N.L. Champion Pittsburgh Pirates led by their magnificent shortstop Honus Wagner against the A.L. Champion Boston Americans who boasted iconic hurler Cy Young. Fueled by the awesome pitching of Deacon Phillipe who won three of the first four games, the Pirates jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. At that juncture, however, Boston would "draw a line in the sand", capturing the next four games to win baseball's first Fall Classic 5 games to 3. The immortal Cy Young posted victories in games 5 and 7 while right-handed twirler Bill Dineen stymied Pittsburgh bats by winning Games 2, 6 and the Game 8 Series clincher.

Decimated by several injuries including an ailing Hans Wagner, Boston's aforementioned strong pitching, and "Nuf Ced" McGreevy's crazed "Royal Rooter's" fan base in left field, the Pirates were simply overmatched in the final four games. This historic event sends elite enthusiasts into a seemingly endless pursuit of mementos relating to the 1903 Series, with ultra-rare scorecards and tickets realizing prices in excess of $100,000 (the last 1903 Scorecard sold for a staggering $132,000)! Presented here just happens to be another extremely rare keepsake relating to the inaugural 1903 Fall Classic; a near-impossible to find early 1904 formal invitation to the 1903 American League Pennant and World Championship Flag raising ceremony to be held at Boston's April 18, 1904 home opener at Huntington Avenue Grounds!

Incredible as it may seem, this is the first such invitation we have ever come across; most likely sent to noted dignitaries as a distinguished method of inviting them to this momentous occasion. Unfortunately, we do not know the nuances relating to how many were actually mailed by Boston's front office and/or the exact timeframe in early 1904 in which they were sent. However, what we can say with 100% certainty is that this invitation is very obscure, and we cannot imagine more than a handful of them surviving the past 113 years. Amazingly preserved in "EX/MT+" condition, the invitation includes an elaborate blue, red and olive green/gold hued Boston American insignia including two red American League and World Champion flags, a classic gold bordered baseball diamond encompassed by an olive branch and bold 1903 gold caption at the top.

The black scripted invitation reads as follows: "The Boston American League Baseball Club requests the honor of your presence at the raising of the pennants celebrating the winning of the Championship of the World and the Championship of the American League on Monday afternoon April 18, 1904 at three o'clock - Huntington Avenue Ball Grounds – Boston". Affixed to a relatively clean white surface, a light horizontal mailing fold is evident at the center of the invitation, with this fold slightly more evident on the blank back. It would be a great day for the Boston fans as they would not only witness this inaugural flag raising event for both the 1903 World Championship and American League Pennant, but would also see their home Americans whitewash the Washington National's by a 5-0 score. To reiterate, we have never seen another one of these absolutely unfathomable 1903 World Series heirlooms, with its sheer existence possibly outdistancing the paucity level of the ever elusive 1903 Fall Classic tickets and programs!

MIN BID $1,000
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