Baseball

To figure out what year your baseball is from visit the Oakland A's Team Signed Baseball Price Guide located below (Related Links). The price guide features links to full team rosters to help you figure out what year the baseball is from. Searching for the players that played the least amount of time for the team will help you figure it out quicker. Once you have narrowed it down to one year the price guide also provides a list of key signatures for that year. These signatures are the most important on getting top value.

there are many reasons as to why the catcher has to be behind home plate and NOT play the infield or out field here are a few ...

the catcher gives the signs to the pitcher ( what to throw)

if theres no catcher the 3rd strike will be dropped ( the batter will take 1st easily)

the cather will frame the ball ( make it look like a strike)

Clarification:

Actually the only fundamental reason you need a catcher behind the plate is --- if you do not, then nobody will be in the "catcher box" and this will be a balk on the catcher, meaning you pitcher can never throw a strike because every pitch will be illegal --- other then that you would probably really upset the Home Plate umpire. I guess if you wanted absolutely no chance of winning (because your pitcher cant get anyone out if every pitch is illegal), then you can stick your catcher wherever you want --- all the other things mentioned above is good too, but those are not THE REASON you cannot have a catcher, because even if your catcher doesnt do those things when he is behind the plate your team will be ok (i.e little league catchers dont do most those things)

Major League Baseball 1975:

- National League Championship: Cincinnati Reds won series 3-0 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

- American League Championship: Boston Red Sox won series 3-0 vs. Oakland Athletics

- World Series Championship: Cincinnati Reds won series 4-3 vs. Boston Red Sox

Well, this is a very qualified answer. The qualifiers are: Where do you draw the line in calling them Chicago CUBS no-hitters? --AND-- What truly qualifies AS a no-hitter.

I'll clarify those two points in reverse order. Major League Baseball changed it's rules on this several years ago. It USED to be that they listed all games where a pitcher (or in a few case, combined pitchers on the team) allowed zero hits in 9 innings or had a complete game with no hits in 8.5 innings. Thus, an opposing team could score a run, for instance, via a walk followed by a 3-base error and win 1-0, not having to bat in the bottom of the ninth. The worst such game I found from my old record books was a 5-0 no-hit loss. Also, it would include games where a pitcher allowed zero hits in 9 innings, but allowed one or more hits in extra innings. There was also a separate section in the no-hitter list that showed no-hitters in games that were complete but shortened (e.g. a rain-shortened 7-inning nohitter).

However, a few years ago, the OFFICIAL requirements of a no-hitter eliminated all of that exceptions.

1. Must be at least 9 full innings.2. Must be no hits, regardless of how many innings.3. Must be a complete game.4. The one I am not sure of is the one where all three of those conditions are met, but the game is won by the team who is no-hit. I think that it is still officially a no-hiter.

The second issue is: what do you mean by the Chicago Cubs. This same club was started as the Chicago White Stockings in 1876. (Actually, they were started in 1871, but the National League was not started until 1876, so records begin in 1876.) There were the White Stockings from 1876-1889, the Chicago Colts from 1890-1897, the Chicago Orphans from 1898-1901, and the Cubs from 1902 to present.

So, I will start out by listing the no-hitters from the present-day "purist" -- only those from 1902 on, and only those officially called no-hitters today. According to this list, there would be 7 no-hitters in Cubs history.

08/31/15 Jimmy Lavender 2-0 vs NY Giants05/12/55 Sam "Toothpick" Jones 4-0 vs Pittsburgh Pirates05/15/60 Don Cardwell 4-0 vs St Louis Cardinals08/19/69 Ken Holtzman 3-0 vs Atlanta06/03/71 Ken Holtzman 1-0 vs Cincinnati04/16/72 Burt Hooten 4-0 vs Phil Phillies09/02/72 Milt Pappas 8-0 vs San Diego*

• Perfect Game through the first 26 batters. After getting to a 2-2 count, he threw two called balls to walk Larry Stahl. He then got the last out. It was the only game in MLB history where a pitcher retired the first 26 batters and then walked the 27th batter.

Other allowable games -- Expanding on the definition, the following games were 9-inning no-hitters, but then the Cub starter gave up one or more hits in extra innings:

06/11/1904 Bob Wicker 1-0 vs NY Giants Allowed a single in the 10th05/02/1917 Hippo Vaughn 0-1 vs Cincinnati This game still stands as the only game in MLB history where two teams combined had zero hits through 9 innings. Fred Toney of the Reds completed his no-hitter in extra innings, while Vaughn gave up two hits in the 10th and lost the game.

Other purist no-hitters by the Chicago National League ballclub that pre-date the Chicago Cubs (before 1902):

--White Stockings--08/19/1880 Larry Corcoran 6-0 vs Boston Red Caps09/20/1882 Larry Corcoran 5-0 vs Worcester Worcesters (Gee...who was the creative chap who named Worcester?)06/27/1884 Larry Corcoran 6-0 vs Providence Grays07/27/1885 John Clarkson 4-0 vs Providence Grays

--Colts--

--Orphans--08/21/1898 Walter Thornton 2-0 vs Brooklyn Bridegrooms (Hey! Wonder why THAT team name never stuck!) Game 2 of a doubleheader

True "*" Games:07/31/1910 King Cole 4-0 vs St Louis Cardinals 7-inning shortened game

So, for me personally, I would say that the Cubs have had 9 no-hitters, going by the definition when I grew up of it being one at the end of 9-innings, complee game or not.

I would also say that the Chicago National League ballclub has had 14 no-hitters, adding in those from before 1902.

And lastly....no-hitters thrown AGAINST them.

Before 1902 -- NONE.

09/18/03 0-10 vs Philadelphia Phillies06/13/05 0-1 vs NY Giants[Already mentioned above: 05/02/17 0-1 in 10 inn vs Cincinnati]06/19/52 0-5 vs Brooklyn Dodgers08/19/65 0-1 vs Cincinnati (10 innings)09/09/65 0-1 vs LA Dodgers. This was a perfect game thrown by Sandy Koufax. It also holds the record for the fewest hits allowed, two teams combined, for a complete game. The Cubs only gave up one hit in this game.

Signatures will vary in price depending on the item signed, and how well the item displays the signature. Baseballs are the most common, and preferred by collectors because of it's connection to the game, low cost, availability and it displays the signature well.

A signature on a plain piece of paper would be valued as a "cut signature. The lowest value for a signed item. Cut Signatures are often cut from an item that has been ruined to save its value from such items as a cover of a publication, photograph, letter or notebook on which it was originally signed. Cuts are commonly used by collectors to display with a framed photo, or for inserts by baseball card companies.

A Joe DiMaggio cut signature is worth about $50.- $120.

Value is based on average prices of recently closed auctions. Prices may vary based on condition, and the type of authenticity that accompanies the signature. Signatures that have not been properly authenticated could sell at half the market value or less.