Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Winter 2017
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/8/2017
The most respected membership in all of sport, the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown has been "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, and Connecting Generations” - as their motto would attest, since the first inductees took residence in 1939. It’s no surprise that the signatures of members account for the most desired items in the hobby, with those specimens applied to baseballs trumping all competition.
Originating from the personal collection of prominent hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull, we have a multi-signed ball with 9 noteworthy Cooperstown residents. Highlighted by inaugural Hall of Fame members Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson, the Reach Official American League ball also contains the signatures of Frank “Home Run” Baker, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Eddie Collins, Al Simmons, Bill Dickey and Lefty Grove, all administered in steel-tip fountain pen. Hailing from the presidency of William Harridge, the shellacked and evenly-toned sphere features Ruth sharing one panel with Johnson, opposite Simmons and Dickey, with Baker, Grove and Sisler sharing the other panel along with Collins and Speaker.
The Ruth signature is especially bold, with lighter areas along the top of the “B” and where the “b” and “e” connect, while the Dickey signature is somewhat lighter overall. The Johnson example exhibits infringement, with a dark notch along the surface affecting the bottom of the “W” of “Walter”. Exceptional Hall of Fame balls of this caliber rarely make themselves available to the collecting community, especially with this example’s added “HOF” pedigree and desirable provenance. LOAs will accompany from both JSA and Brett Hull.
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