Lot # 1056: 1965-1968 The Sporting News Signed Placards to TSN Writer Al Vada (32) with Grange, Mikan, T. Williams

In The Sporting News (TSN) historical context, Al Vada was the creator and illustrator of the "Sportstar Flashback Quiz," a popular illustrated trivia feature that were a staple of TSN in the mid-to-late 1960s. They typically featured a hand-drawn illustration of a legendary athlete alongside a multi-part trivia question about their career. Collectors often find these as individual newspaper clippings on resale sites like eBay. In this case, the clippings have been mounted on cardboard of different sizes, along with the Sporting News heading with the date. The signatures averaging (“9-10”) are on the cardboard, many with inscriptions. Notable athletes featured in Al Vada's quizzes include:  

Baseball:
1965: Stan Musial

1966 – Phil Cavarretta, Joe DiMaggio (signature enhanced), Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Jesse Hubbard, Carl Hubbell, Don Larsen, Joe McCarthy, Phil Rizzuto, Al Rosen, Eddie Stanky, Bill Terry, Ted Williams.

1967 – Hal Newhouser, Casey Stengel, Mrs. Babe Ruth, Red Schoendienst.

1968 – Yogi Berra, Frank Crosetti, Al Dark, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford, Ralph Kiner, Allie Reynolds, H. Walker.

Football/Basketball:

1966 – Red Grange, Don Hutson, Ed Macauley, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Bill Sharman.

Unsigned:

1968 – Hank Bauer.

Auction LOA from James Spence/JSA.