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In 1946, John Kirwan Jr. began collecting autographed baseballs. Over decades that followed, Kirwan amassed 1,000 baseballs and 19,397 autographs dating to 1925. In The Pittsburgh Gentleman, he recounts stories of obtaining the balls and their eventual sale at Christie's auction house, where enthusiasts first learned of the unprecedented collection. According to those who witnessed the sale, "There'll never be another one like it." About the Author John Kirwan Jr. grew up near Detroit, Michigan, where the Tigers inspired his lifelong passion for baseball. Eventually, Kirwan relocated to western Pennsylvania to work at a family-owned motel and restaurant. Now retired, Kirwan remains in Pennsylvania with his wife, Phyllis. They have two children and two grandchildren. Kirwan also belongs to the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.