|
|
|
|
| KeyMan
Collectibles |
NEWSLETTER |
June 2023 |
|
|
Breweriana
- Baseball Memorabilia |
 |
|
Steven KeyMan |
|
|
-
By Steven KeyMan |
|
Founder of
Keymancollectibles.com,
and a long time
collector, Steven
KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
Researching his own personal
collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
for baseball
memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Ask
Steven: Direct your questions or feedback,
about Baseball Memorabilia to Steven KeyMan
Steve@keymancollectibles.com You can also Send
KeyMan pictures of your personal Memorabilia Display,
and get your own Free
Collectors Showcase Room featured on the website.. |
|
|
|
|
|
Breweriana refers to the
collection of a brewery or
brand name items such as; beer
cans, bottles, bar napkins,
bottle openers, coasters,
advertising, beer trays, and
taps. Since the games earliest
days, baseball & beer was a
match made in heaven. Although
originally frowned upon by the
National League, by the early
1900s, selling beer at the
ballparks became a financial
boost for MLB teams, past the
concessions revenue. Some
brewery owners even went as far
as buying baseball teams.
Col. Jacob Ruppert owner of the
Jacob Ruppert & Company brewery
bought the New York Yankees in
1914. In 1920 Ruppert purchased
Babe Ruth from the Boston Red
Sox for the sum of $125,000.,
and turned the New York Yankees
from a cellar dweller to a
championship juggernaut.
After Rupert past away in 1939, his heirs sold the Yankees to Dan Topping,
Del Webb and Larry MacPhail in
1945. The brewery sold its
flagship beer, Knickerbocker
beer, to Rheingold, and went
out of business in 1965.
Over the years, Jacob Rupert Breweriana became popular with Yankee fans.
Knickerbocker lager and
Ruppert's Pale Ale beer cans,
bottles, openers and kegs
included.
The 1930s
Beer keg (above)
measures 16 1/2" High, with a
10 3/8" diameter. New York and Ruppert are Stamped into the
top between bands. The top and
bottom panels read "Jacob
Ruppert, NY"
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
In the early 1900s Bottle openers
started to be made simpler and
cheaper since many beer
companies were using them to
advertise. Jacob Ruppert, Pabst, Miller, and
Anheuser-Busch were competing
for popularity, and all used
bottle openers as promotional products.
This bottle opener features an
embossed "Jacob Ruppert Brewery
- New York.
 In 1953, the Anheuser-Busch brewery bought the St. Louis Cardinals, and
August "Gussie" Busch became
team president. Busch wanted to
change the name of Sportsman’s
Park to Budweiser Stadium, but
the league balked at having a
ballpark named after a beer.
By 1954 Gussie Busch spent over
a million dollars
renovating the ballpark. This mid 1950s Busch Stadium souvenir postcard
shows off the new Budweiser
scoreboard. Constructed in 1938
as one of the biggest in
baseball, the board featured
inning-by-inning scores from
other major league games. After
new owner August Busch Jr. came
aboard in 1953, an animated
light sequence of a Redbird
hitting a ball was added to
celebrate each Cardinal home
run
The Boston Braves moved to
Milwaukee before the 1953
season. The Milwaukee based
Blatz Brewing Company quickly
became the Braves major
sponsor. A Blitz of Blatz
marketing campaigns was soon to
follow. This
"Boost Our Braves"
Bar Napkin hit the pubs in-time
for the 1953 season. The Blatz
"Milwaukee's Finest Beer -
Where Ever You Go" napkin
features "The Braves Booster
Song," words, and sheet music
on the back. To be Sung To The
Tune of "I'm From Milwaukee."
 With the belief that
television would hurt
attendance, the Milwaukee
Braves were against television
broadcasts in Wisconsin. The
Braves were featured
occasionally on ABC's "Game Of
The Week" broadcasts during the
1950s, but were blacked out in
Wisconsin.
It was not until 1962, when the Braves announced that 15 road games would
be televised. This
cast iron Blatz beer baseball statue was
issued to promote the Braves on
TV.
The statue features the Blatz Bottle catcher with the ball, the Blatz Keg
umpire signaling 'safe', and
the Blatz beer Can base runner
Slides into home. The top Flag
Reads "Draft Brewed Blatz
Beer", and the Bottom Flag
Reads Brings You the Braves on
TV.
In 1953 the New York Yankees
became the first and only team
in Major League history to win
5 consecutive World Series
Championships. The P.
Ballantine and Sons Brewing
Company, commemorated this
streak with an advertising
plaque, in 1954.
These Signs were distributed to Bars and establishments that carried
Ballantine beer. The Masonite
backed lithograph sign features
an artist rendition of a metal
frame. The back has an easel
for counter top display or a
chain option to hang on a wall.
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
This Ballantine "Flavor Can't Kill The Chill" swizzle stick was issued in
1954 by the Ferranti Brothers,
distributers of Ballantine Beer
and Ale, in Scranton, PA. The
hollow
plastic baseball bat shaped
swizzle stick features; the
Ballantine 3 ring logo,
representing "Purity, Body, and
Flavor," sandwiched between
"Since - 1840" on the barrel
end.
The top of the
distributor's advertisement
reads: "For Home Delivery Call
2-9241. Below reads "Flavor
That Chill Can't Kill," a
slogan used by Ballantine
around 1952-1955. Bellow that,
in red reads; "Ballantine Beer"
then in smaller letters "P
Ballantine & Sons, Newark N.J."
There were three variations of
the Pabst Blue Ribbon
"Baseball's Old-Time Batting
Champions" Beer Sign issued
in the 1960s. One reads; "Enjoy
Old-time flavor" at the bottom,
measures 19 inches by 33
inches, and is 3 inches deep.
The other two reads; "at
Popular Prices" at the bottom.
One measures 19 inches by 32
and a quarter inches, and is 1
inch deep.
The other is 12 inches by 22
inches, 3 inches deep. The
front of the wood framed sign
is made of plastic and has a
cardboard back with a chain for
hanging.
The sign features an ornate framed picture of a turn of the 19th century
ballplayer, a plate that reads
"Baseball's Old-Time Batting
Champions" and below a framed
list of home run leaders from
1893-1914. On the left is a
"Replica of bat used by Home
Run Baker," and on the right a
Pabst Blue Ribbon beer bottle
with a paper label. |
|
| |
 |
|
| |
P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing
Company was a long time & major
sponsor of the New York Yankees
during the 1940s to the 1960s.
This
"Ballantine Family day" Mini
baseball bat was given to
employees at a Ballantine
company outing held at Yankee
Stadium. The bat was
accompanied with a typed letter
on Yankee stationary; signed by
Dan Topping, dated August 27,
1960, welcoming "Our friends at
Ballantine" to the August 27,
1960 double header. In 1964 a group of 2,500 employees and their families attended a
Ballantine Family Day
celebration and were given a
baseball bat mechanical pencil.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
1960s
"Baseball and... Ballantine
Beer" Can Opener |
|
| |
Across the bottom of the Huge
Yankee Scoreboard in right
center field read "It's A Hit
- Ballantine - Ale Beer" The signs
and Beer Jingles back in the
day were supplemented with
slogans as well. "Baseball and
Ballantine" became a signature
phrase for Yankee announcer Mel
Allen, and when a Yankees hit a
home run which happened a lot
in the 1950s, Allen would
announce it "A Ballantine
Blast!... Baseball and
Ballantine, Baseball and
Ballantine, What a Combination,
All Across the Nation, Baseball aaaand Ballantine!"
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
The "Hey Getcha... Ballantine
Beer" slogan was part of a P.
Ballantine & Sons ad campaign
from the mid 1950s to about
1960. This 11 inch by 19 inch
die-cut
cardboard countertop
sign was issued in 1959. It
features a colorful
illustration of a runner
sliding into a bag and an
infielder attempting a tag, but
has no ball. The umpire is
right on top of the play. To
the bottom right is a bottle
of Ballantine Extra Fine Beer.
The bottom of the sign
reads: "Lively Combination"
with "P. Ballantine & sons,
Newark, New Jersey" below.
 The Miller High Life World
Series Coaster-Computer was
manufacture by the H Clifton
Morse Associates, INC.,
Management and publishing firm
of Chicago. In 1968, Morse &
Assoc. developed, and patented
an "Elections Slide Rule" a
4"x9" pocket size gadget which
contains more than 2,000 facts
on U.S. Presidents and state
elections.
The company used this slide chart technology and
created this beverage coaster,
in 1976. The coaster used
as a marketing tool was
distributed to bars or
establishments that sold their
beverage. Statistics were
provided by "The Book of
Baseball Records" Published by
Elias Sports Bureau.
In 1980, the Valley Forge
Brewing Co., came up with a
packaging gimmick;
a series of beer cans that
depict "Great Moments in
Baseball." Marketed as
Casey's Beer, the '4 packs'
were distributed in NJ, NY, and
PA, just in time for the 1980
World Series.
The first set of cans honored Whitey Ford, Monte Irvin, Duke Snider, and
Richie Ashburn. Each can in the
limited series displayed a
full-color reproduction of a
painting of the player in
action, by sports artist Robert
Lowery. Each can includes a
facsimile signed story by each
player of his great moment, and
a short career bio.
In
1987 Budweiser sponsored a
Play-off/Series Scorecard
promotion. Endorsed by Mickey
Mantle, the scorecard was made
to keep score of the Play-offs,
and World Series at home, and
was made available free through
participating stores that
carried Budweiser Anheuser
Busch beer.
The free scorecards were inserted in the "Take One and Score" box, on the
1987 Budweiser die-cut, counter
top displays. The inside of the
single-fold scorecard features
an Image of "Hall of Fame"
Mickey Mantle with a Mickey
Mantle trivia quiz below; a
"How to Keep Score"
instructions box, a crossword
puzzle, and World Series
records. The back of the
scorecard has a "This Bud's for
you" advertisement.
The large 23" x 29"
Budweiser Play-off - World
Series die-cut promotion
display used to distribute
the free scorecards; pictures
Mickey Mantle wearing a
pinstriped Budweiser uniform,
sporting a red "Bud King Of
Beers" baseball cap and signing
autographs. The easel back
display also features a large
blue ink Mickey Mantle
facsimile signature on the
front. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KEYMAN COLLECTIBLES
RELATED RESOURCES |
|
| |
|
|
| |
KeyMan
Collectibles Collectors Corner
- Keep up with the latest collecting news,
announcements, and articles of interest on the
webs best resource for baseball memorabilia. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Baseball
Memorabilia Facebook Group -
Post Questions and comments relating to
Baseball Collectibles and Memorabilia. Interact
with other collectors or show off your
collection. |
|
| |
KeyMan Collectibles Forum
- A great option for those that "Don't do
facebook" Post Questions and
comments relating to Baseball Collectibles and
Memorabilia |
|
|
|
|
|
