2019 Winter Auction Closing March 2
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/2/2019
After winning consecutive World Championships in 1936, 1937 and 1938, the 1939 edition of the Bronx Bombers was even stronger than its predecessors. Even with the retirement of Lou Gehrig early in the season, the Yanks plowed through the competition, finishing with a 106-45 record and 17 games in front of the nearest team. The Yankees then swept the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series; the second year in the row they won the Series in four straight games.
This offered ball collects a good amount of signatures of this club, which many historians rate as the greatest one ever assembled. Most significantly, the ball contains the signature of Lou Gehrig who appeared in just 8 games in 1939 before he hung up his spikes for good. In all, 25 members of the 1939 World Champion Yankees have signed this Reach Official American League ball in black fountain pen including Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Joe Gordon, Lefty Gomez, Bill Dickey, Earle Combs and Red Ruffing along with Wes Ferrell, Bill Knickerbocker (signed twice), Red Rolfe, Tommy Henrich, Charlie Keller, Steve Sundra, Oral Hildebrand, Johnny Schulte, George Selkirk, Joe Beggs, Monte Pearson, Bump Hadley, Marv Breuer, Babe Dahlgren, Joe Gallagher, Art Jorgens, Art Fletcher and batting practice pitcher Paul Schreiber. An unknown hand has written “Best Wishes from The Yankees” below Wes Ferrell’s signature on the sweet spot. A very clean and attractive ball from what may have been the greatest baseball team ever assembled. The ball comes with a LOA from JSA (Z67492) for the signatures.