Fred Merkle
Baseball
Born in Watertown, Wisconsin, to Ernst Merkle, a Swiss immigrant, and Amalie Thielmann Merkle, a German American, he was raised in Toledo, Ohio. Merkle played his first Major League game at the age of 18, with the New York Giants in 1907. He was still the youngest player in the National League, and used mostly as a pinch hitter, at the time of his infamous "boner" in 1908. Merkle became the Giants\' regular first baseman by 1910 and contributed in that role to three straight pennant winners from 1911 to 1913. He was traded to the Brooklyn Robins in August 1916 and played in his fourth World Series that year. In April 1917, the Robins sold Merkle to the Chicago Cubs, the team against which he had made his infamous play in 1908, with whom he continued as the regular first baseman through 1920. In 1918 with the Cubs, Merkle played in his fifth World Series in eight years, though he nev…
Full biography →They come and go. We’ll email you the moment one lists.
🔔 Sign in to get an alert
ISO
Nobody has an ISO for Fred Merkle yet. Be the first.
What’s an ISO?
ISO means in search of. You post the autograph you want (who, what item, your budget), and sellers who can get it, or already have it, reach out to you. It’s free, and it’s how many collectors find pieces that never hit eBay.
In RACC collections
Pieces RACC members have put on show
No Fred Merkle drops yet. Be first to know when there is one. Drops are official signed merchandise that artists, record labels and official distributors release regularly, and they sell out fast.
Alerts come as one daily summary email, most popular first.
TTM
Nobody has logged a through-the-mail request to Fred Merkle yet. Be the first to log a TTM.
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Terms of Service · Privacy Policy · Community Rules
© 2026 Real Autograph Collectors Club