John "Chief" Meyers was a catcher for the New York Giants, Boston Braves, and Brooklyn Robins from 1909 to 1917. He played on the early Giants teams under manager John McGraw and was the primary catcher for Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. Meyers hit over .300 for three straight years as the Giants won three straight National League pennants from 1911 to 1913. Overall, he played in four World Series
– the 1911, 1912, and 1913 Series with the Giants, as well as the 1916
Series with the Robins. Meyers was a Native American from the Cahuilla culture of California, and he was educated at Dartmouth College.
The media displayed affection for the Native American ball player
because he was interesting and original. On off-days or rain outs,
Meyers would visit historical monuments, watch local college teams
practice, and frequently visited museums and exhibits. Meyers was interviewed by Lawrence Ritter for The Glory of Their Times in March 1964, which brought the retired ballplayer a great deal of fame, years after he had left the game.
Offered here is a signed 3x5" index card from Meyers, with
his signature written in blue pen ink and Authenticated by PSA/DNA. He signed his full name along with his nickname - John Chief Meyers - adding his birth year (1880) and the year of his signature (1965) as inscriptions.
Meyers passed away in July of 1971, just four days shy of his 91st birthday. He was interred at Green Acres Memorial Park in
Bloomington, California. His grave marker indicates he served as a
private in the United States Marine Corps during World War I.