Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Spring 2014
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/17/2014
This is a fascinating and gorgeous piece of baseball history. Jackie Robinson's autograph is featured on the most beautiful 1946 Montreal Royals team-signed baseball we have ever seen. Pre-dating Robinson's historic and heroic Major League Baseball debut in 1947, this Spalding International League official baseball is from the season that Jackie integrated professional baseball and first broke the color barrier in the minors one year prior to doing the same in the majors the following season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Royals' parent club. Robinson, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and died 10 years later, won the IL batting title with a .349 average in his only season in Montreal. He and the Royals won the Governors' Cup as league champions with a 100-54 (.649) record, and then went on to defeat Louisville of the American Association in six games in the Junior World Series to take top honors in the minor leagues. This team-signed Spalding baseball has been preserved in absolutely fabulous condition. Jackie has autographed to the left of the sweet spot below the signature of teammate Lew Riggs on the panel with the Spalding logo, with "Official International League Frank J. Shaughnessy Pres." stamped above it between the stitches. A wonderful Robinson signature with all the autographs in black ink, including both Royals manager Clay Hopper and future ML manager Herman Franks on the sweet spot, as well as the likes of Jean-Pierre Roy, Al Campanis, Marv Rackley, Red Durrett, Lester Burge, Tommy Tatum, Cy Buker, Ben Cardoni, Curt Davis, Dixie Howell, Spider Jorgensen, Chet Kehn, Steve Nagy, Earl Naylor and Glen Moulder. An incredible opportunity! Comes with a JSA LOA.
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