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Charles “Red” Ruffing’s first seven big league seasons for were far from Cooperstown-worthy. He broke in with the Red Sox in 1924 and went 39-96 before Boston traded him away in 1930. His final two full campaigns with the Sox were downright awful – Ruffing went 19-47, and led the league in losses and earned runs surrendered each year.

Then a May 6, 1930 trade to the New York Yankees changed everything.

The remainder of the season Ruffing went 15-5 with 12 complete games, two shutouts, and one save. In 1931 he increased his win total to 16 and tossed 19 complete games. Then in ’32 Ruffing led AL in strikeouts and New York starters in ERA as the Yankees won the pennant.

In his first World Series appearance, Ruffing threw a complete-game in Game 1 of the Yanks’ sweep over the Cubs.

Ruffing reached the 20-win mark each season from 1936-1939 as the Yankees won four straight World Series titles. The right-hander was so highly regarded that manager Joe McCarthy tabbed him as the Game One starter in a record six World Series. Ruffing held the mark stood until fellow Yankee Whitey Ford started his seventh Game One in 1963.

During his 15 seasons in the Bronx Ruffing made six All Star teams and pitched in 7 different Fall Classics. His ten World Series games included 7 wins, 2 losses, 8 complete games, and a 2.52 ERA.

Ruffing was also good with a bat in his hands, hitting .300 or better in 8 seasons. His overall offensive numbers include a .269 average, 36 homers and 273 runs batted in. He made 6 appearances in six games as an outfielder and another 260 as a pinch-hitter.

The 273-game winner appeared on the writers’ Hall of Fame ballot 15 times. In his final year of eligibility he received 86.93% and was inducted into Cooperstown in 1967.

In the collection is this government postcard signed by Ruffing in 1953.

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Red Ruffing’s final big league season as a player came in 1947 with the White Sox. After hanging up his spikes, Chicago offered Ruffing a scouting job. After two seasons he tried his hand at managing in the minors for two years.

During the 1950s the Ruffing scouting for the Cleveland Indians. He was in that capacity that he signed the government postcard in the previous image. Shown here is the back of that postcard.

Notice the Cleveland postmark from August 28, 1953. That night the Hall of Famer Early Wynn and the Indians beat Ruffing’s former Yankee team 3-2 behind Al Rosen‘s 6th-inning homer.

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Red Ruffing won 253 games from 1928-1947. The total was surpassed by only fellow Hall of Fame hurler Lefty Grove.

In the collection is this 3×5 card written by Cleveland Indians great Mel Harder. The Tribe hurler lists the top four pitchers of the era as ranked by victories.

Number one on the list was Grove with 257 victories. Tied at second with 253 wins each were Yankee great Ruffing and New York Giants legend Carl Hubbell. Harder himself ranked fourth in all of baseball with 223 victories.

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After competing in five straight All Star games, Red Ruffing left baseball after the 1942 season to join the war effort. He missed all of ’43 and ’44 and most of 1945 and still posted 273 areer wins.

If not for World War II, it’s likely Ruffing would’ve sprinkled in 27 more wins to reach 300. Instead, short of the milestone, it took writers 15 years to vote him into Cooperstown.

In the collection is a nice piece related to Ruffing’s former teammate Babe Ruth. In 1977 Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson mailed current and former stars of the game requesting their consent to lend their name to the Babe Ruth Advisory Board.

Ruffing agreed to this, typing in, “We were teammates for four seasons and I have to say the ‘Big Lug’ loved kids more than anyone I knew.” The pitcher’s signature “Charles ‘Red’ Ruffing” is at the bottom where he has also penned his home address.

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Red Ruffing often helped his own cause in the 273 games he won. A fine batter, the Hall of Famer slugged 34 dingers while pitching. The total ranks 4th all-time.

On the list of most homers by a pitcher Wes Ferrell, Bob Lemon and Warren Spahn hold the 1st ,2nd and 3rd spots, respectively.

Ruffing retired with a 98 doubles, 13 triples, and 36 home runs – not bad for a man with 335 complete games and 45 shutouts.

Shown above is an autograph of Wes Ferrell, baseball’s all-time home run leader from the pitching position. The piece comes from the Heilbroner Baseball Bureau and dates to 1927 when Ferrell was 19 years old.

The Bureau was the first commercial statistical bureau dedicated entirely to baseball and was founded in 1909.

These cards provide highly-desirable early examples of autographs from players in the infancy of their careers.