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and a long time
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KeyMan has more than 30
years of experience in
researching, and
cataloging information
on Baseball
Memorabilia.
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collection, and helping others find
information on their
collectibles, the
website grew into the
largest online resource
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memorabilia
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Gillette was the official MLB
sponsor from 1939 to 2018. In
the 1940s, Gillette was the
sole sponsor for radio
broadcasts of the World Series,
and in 1947
Gillette sponsored the first
televised World Series, as fans
watched on 5 to 7 inch
Television screens.
Part of Gillette's Cascade of
Sports, the shows started off with the
"Look Sharp March" Jingle, so it's
only fitting to start the newsletter
that way. Lets take a look at some
Gillette baseball memorabilia through
the years.
Gillette World Series
Broadcast 1949 mechanical Baseball
Bat Pencil. History was made in the
ninth inning of Game 5 of the 1949
World Series, when the Ebbets Field
lights were turned on, making it
the first World Series game
finished under artificial lights.
These Pencils were issued by
Gillette in 1940, 1941, 1949, and
1950.
The
Tech Razor World Series Special was
offered by Gillette for the price
of .49˘ in 1940. The red, yellow,
and blue box that housed the gift
case, featured black & white
pictures of Benny McCoy, Johnny
Mize, and Pepper Martin, on the top
panel of the box. Red Wolfe, is
pictures on the yellow side panel
with a caption
that Reads; "This Gillette Tech
Razor Has Plenty On The Ball. I
Never Knew A Man Could Shave So
Quick And Easy!" The opposite
yellow panel pictures Bucky Walters
with the caption; "I Knew My
Shaving Troubles Were Over First I
Used Today's Improved Gillette Blue
Blade!"
A Free Regular .25˘ Tube of Gillette Shaving Cream was also part of the
World Series Special promotion, in
1940 and 1941. With the purchase of
10 Gillette Blue Blades you
received Gillette Lather Shaving
Cream for .49˘.
Two five packs of Gillette Blue Blades
were attached to one side of the sleeve
that housed the Lather Shaving Cream.
The other side of the sleeve, featured
blue-tone pictures of Lefty Gomez,
Johnny Mize, Bucky Walters, and Red
Rolfe, two on each side of crossed
pennants, in the center. One a blue
"Champions American League 1941"
pennant, the other a red "National
League Champions 1941 pennant.
As advertised on Gillette's World
Series Broadcasts in 1953, Gillette included a
Free 96 page exclusive
Gillette World
Series Record Book, with the purchase
of Gillette Super-Speed Razor.
The 3 by 4 inch book came attached to the styrene travel Case with 6
Gillette Blue Blade, for $1.00. Edited
by New York Sports writer Hy Turkin,
author of the Baseball Encyclopedia,
the book contains; All-time records,
diagrams of all ballparks, how to
score, 1953 player rosters, and
All-Star Game records.
To help promote the book, Turkin gave away $100. to the first 10 people to
answer the question "Who is the only
player to break the basic law of
baseball that a man must be with a team
during the regular season in order to
play in a World Series game?" (Answer
on this Page)
Again edited by Hy Turkin, Gillette
issued a new World Series Record book
in 1954, revised to include latest
facts and figures.
Enlarged by 16 pages to include new features, as; What Makes a Ball Club,
How to improve batting, pitching,
fielding, Hall of Fame, all Basic rules
and the same records and diagrams
featured in the first edition.
"Exclusive material found in no other
book."
The New 1954 Gillette World Series Record Book -
Answers These Questions and More: A
pitcher helped his team by hurling
three consecutive shutouts. Who was he?
- Three batters have hit four homers in
a single series. Name them! - Who made
the only triple play in World Series
history?
"The Greatest Moments in Sports" LP
Record, was produced in 1955 by Bud
Greenspan and James Hammerstein at
Columbia Records exclusively for the
Gillette Razor Company. This record
contains excerpts from the complete 12
inch album, which was available at
"your Columbia dealer," for $5.95.
The premium 7 inch except record was made available combined with a
Gillette razor for $1.00 "at a store
near you."
A 320 page
Vest Pocket Encyclopedia of
Baseball came with the Gillette Super
Speed Razor set, in 1956. Especially
condensed for Gillette, the book was
edited by Hy Turkn and S.C. Thompson.
The book is crammed with; facts, figures, World Series statistics,
ballpark diagrams, League leaders since
1876, Complete Major League active
rosters, all players active through
1955 with their nicknames, birth dates,
lifetime records, how they bat, throw,
and much more.
The material in this book is based on a series of articles that appeared
in The Sporting News, national baseball
weekly and Joe Garagiola served as
technical adviser. The booklet has a
total of 8 "Finger-Tip Movies" that all
feature black and white illustrations
of Baltimore Orioles manager, Paul
Richards.
The
Gillette Official League World Series
Special Autographed Baseball was a
promotion by the Gillette Safety Razor
Co. and manufactured by the Wilson
Sporting Goods Co. The Special Offer
Was made available from 1964 through to
the last expiration date of March 1,
1966.
To get your autographed Baseball fill out a coupon from Gillette Slim
Adjustable safety razors, send $1.00,
cash or money order, payable to "World
Series Special" and mail it.
"My Turn At Bat The Story of My Life" by Ted Williams as told to John
Underwood was published by Simon &
Schuster in 1969. Pocket Books
published the book in paperback the
following year.
The paperback book which reads
"Complements of Techmatic®
by Gillette" at the bottom, came in a
picture box. My Turn at Bat is Ted
Williams' own story of his spectacular
life and baseball career. From his
boyhood days in San Diego, through his
career with the Boston Red Sox, to his
job as manager of the Washing Senators.
Sponsored by Gillette, the 1970
All-Star Game was the first year the
vote was entrusted to the fans since
1958. From 1933, to 1946, the All-Star
Game managers selected the entire
lineups.
Starting in 1947 the fans selected the starting lineups until 1957 when
the Cincinnati Red fans stuffed the
ballot box and selected 7 Reds and
Stan Musial. Commissioner Ford Frick stepped in, and in 1958, balloting
was taken away from the fans. Voting
was restored to the fans in 1970 and
remained that way ever since.
The ballots were made available from
the "Gillette Vote For Your All-Star
Team" ballot box. After voting by
punching out the your vote on the
ballot, you inserted it into a slot.
Gillette
sponsored the All-Star Game from 1970
to 1985. Gillette included special
offers on the ballots from 1981-1985.
In 1984, a Nolan Ryan warm-up jacket
was offered free by mail with the proof
of purchase of Gillette products. In
1981 Gillette sponsored an All-Star
sweepstake. The $20,000. grand prize
included a trip to the 1982 All-Star
Game.
In 1970, Gillette issued this
limited edition shaving kit storage case,
which features a black & white etching
of the Currier & Ives print "The
American National Game of Base Ball :
Grand Match for the Championship at the
Elysian Fields, Hoboken, N. J. 1866."
Elysian Fields is believed to be the
site of the first organized baseball
game.
The 13 by 5 by 3 inch deep shaving kit,
features two inner compartments to
store your razors and blades. The
"Limited Edition Gillette All-Star
Election 1970" commemorated the year
the vote was returned to the fans.
In 1973, Gillette introduced the
Cricket replaceable tabletop lighter.
Gillette's All-Star Special in 1975 was
an offer for a free Wild
Cricket
All-Star Commemorative table top
lighter - choice of American or
National League.
The lighters were made available with
any purchase of a Gillette Trac II 5's,
Techmatic Adjustable Band 10's, or
Track II Razor, plus coupon and .50˘
for postage and handling per lighter.
To participate in "The Gillette
Official All-Star Election Major League
Baseball Sweepstakes" you needed to
include your name and address in the
space provided at the bottom of the
1981 MLB Official All-Star ballot.
1,000 winners of the second Prize
received a Coleco Head to Head
Electronic Baseball Game.
In
2014 and 2015, Gillette sponsored Major
League baseball's All-Star Game Home
Run Derby. A Rawlings Official Bud H.
Selig baseball with the 2014 Home Run
Derby logo was used during the contest
held at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The
Orange Flex Baseball shown here replaced the golden
ball from past years, which came
into play after 6 outs. A home run hit
off of a flex ball resulted in a
$10,000 donation-
to charity by Gillette
and MLB. Yoenis Céspedes was the 2014
Home Run Derby Champion hitting a total
of 28 Home Runs. In 2015 the gold ball
returned with a "Celebrating 30 Years
1985-2015" logo, representing the years
the Home Run Derby was held.
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The
As advertised on Gillette's World
Series Broadcasts in 1953, Gillette included a
Free 96 page exclusive
Again edited by Hy Turkin, Gillette
issued a new World Series Record book
in 1954, revised to include latest
facts and figures. 
A 320 page
The 1957 Gillette
The
Pocket Books
also published a special edition for Gillette.
In a 1970 promotion, when you purchased
Gillette's Adjustable Techmatic Razor,
it came with the
The ballots were made available from
the "Gillette Vote For Your All-Star
Team" ballot box. After voting by
punching out the your vote on the
ballot, you inserted it into a slot.
In 1970, Gillette issued this
In 1973, Gillette introduced the
Cricket replaceable tabletop lighter.
Gillette's All-Star Special in 1975 was
an offer for a free Wild
To participate in "The Gillette
Official All-Star Election Major League
Baseball Sweepstakes" you needed to
include your name and address in the
space provided at the bottom of the
1981 MLB Official All-Star ballot.
1,000 winners of the second Prize
received a Coleco Head to Head
Electronic Baseball Game. 
In
2014 and 2015, Gillette sponsored Major
League baseball's All-Star Game Home
Run Derby. A Rawlings Official Bud H.
Selig baseball with the 2014 Home Run
Derby logo was used during the contest
held at Target Field in Minneapolis.