Glenn Burke Signed AUTO 1978 Team Issued L.A. Dodgers Photo “High Five” PSA/DNA COA

Glenn Burke (1952–1995) was an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1976–78) and Oakland Athletics (1978–79), batting .237 with 35 stolen bases. A gifted athlete and vibrant clubhouse presence, he is widely credited with inventing the high five during the 1977 postseason.

For decades, conventional wisdom has traced the gesture’s origin to October 2, 1977, at Dodger Stadium, when Dusty Baker hit his 30th home run off J. R. Richard, making the Dodgers the first team with four players reaching 30 home runs in a season. As Baker rounded the bases, Burke greeted him with an upraised hand, and the iconic high five was born.

Burke later became the first MLB player to openly acknowledge his homosexuality, but the era’s culture forced him out of the game before his prime. The Dodgers reportedly offered incentives for him to conceal his identity. After baseball, he battled poverty, drug addiction, and AIDS-related illness, dying at 42. Today, Burke is remembered as both a cultural pioneer and a symbol of courage whose legacy extends far beyond the field.

Offered is a super rare 8” x 10” team issued L.A. Dodgers photo that Burke signed his name, his #3 jersey number, and dated “1978” in black ballpoint pen. We’ve only seen two other signed photos of Burke in over 45 years of collecting (one was a snapshot photo and the other an amateur photographer’s 8x10 rendition of Burke). Needless to say, anything signed by Burke is extremely rare!

Full LOA from BAS (Beckett)