Pieces of History

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As most readers know, my grandfather Bill Stewart Sr. had a remarkable career in professional sports from many different sides. A member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, he was the Stanley Cup winning coach of the Chicago Black Hawks, a longtime NHL referee who worked in four Stanley Cup Finals and a U.S. national team coach who was one of the builders of the program that eventually won an Olympic gold medal in 1960. In baseball, he was a prolific National Leage umpire who officiated four World Series and four All-Star Games. In later life, was a Major League scout for two different organzations. Earlier in life, before his hockey career, he was a minor league player and then manager.

At the peak of his own athletic career, my grandfather was a pitching prospect for the Chicago White Sox. In 1919, notorious Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey hand-signed a letter on White Sox letterhead to my grandfather inviting him to attend spring training, and instructing him to pay his own travel expenses that would be (hopefully, considering the source) reimbursed. Yes, this was the beginning of the season that ended with the "Black Sox" scandal in the World Series, with Chicago players selling out to gamblers partially because of their enmity toward the team's miserly owner.

A serious arm injury prematurely ended my grandfather's playing career before he could advance to the major league level. Later that same 1919 season, Comiskey wrote another letter to Bill Stewart, praising his rehabilitation efforts.

These objects are fragments of baseball history after World War I and, from a personal standpoint, pieces of the Stewart family history and tangible pieces of my grandfather's career journey from professional player to (two sport) professional official; which blazed the same trail that I, too, later followed. Ultimately, though, the legacy itself is what is indelible and passed along to my own children whereas the letters themselves and other keepsakes are something ephemeral (ink and paper, in this case) and even potentially problematic in deciding how to "rightfully divide".

There is also a practical consideration that all who support a family can relate to on a day-to-day level: If you have something of momentary value, how much do you weigh that type of value against sentimental or historical value? Which value best serves your family?

There's an old saying that goes "objects divide but love multiplies." I think any parent, especially those with more than one child, can relate to it. (Actually, one of my favorite saying about parenthood, for obvious reasons, is "anyone with two or more kids has refereeing experience").

It is not always true, however, that objects divide. Some objects are one of a kind and there is no feasible or equitable way to "divide" it. Over the course of my life, I've assembled a large collection of sports-related materials. Some of it, like the Comiskey letters, personal sentimental and historical value but, as another old saying goes, you can't take it with you when you go.

Such decisions should never be made hastily. In the end, after weighing all the considerations, I have decided to put the two Comiskey letters up for auction through Heritage Auctions. In the past, they have also auctioned things such as pucks from memorable games and sticks from hockey greats that I collected during my own on-ice career.

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The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials. Stewart also maintains a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.