One year before the infamous “Black Sox” scandal assisted the team in winning its first World Series, the Cincinnati Reds fielded essentially the same club. Although, without manager Christy Mathewson who provides this team-signed ball with its most valuable signature. Mathewson’s managerial tenure was brief lasting less than three unremarkable seasons before he stepped down after 118 games in 1918. One has to wonder how good-guy “Matty” would have handled being on the receiving end of the “Black Sox” thrown World Series in 1919. There exists only one known 1919 Reds team signed ball. For everyone chasing that impossible item, this is about as good (or better) an alternative you will ever find.

     Mathewson’s signature (“7-8”) is in black steel-tip fountain pen on a side panel of this slightly toned Spalding Official National League (John K Tener) ball which also carries the signatures of fellow Hall of Famers Jesse Haines, Edd Roush and Earle “Greasy” Neale. Haines signature is in handsome cursive just to the left of the sweet spot rating “7-8,” while Roush’s (“4-5”) runs along the seam on side panel to the left of the ball’s center labeling. Neale’s slightly fading signature using his first name Earle is also on side panel rating “3-4.” Other notable signatures include; Hal Chase, Johnny Ring, Sherry Magee, Fred Toney, Ivey Wingo, Nick Allen, Tommy Griffith, Lee Magee, Hod Eller, Larry Jacobus, Mike Regan and German born Puerto Rican Manual Cueto an early Latin American major leaguer. Both Regan and Cueto printed rather than signed their names as did Pete Schneider. This ball contains 18 signatures in all and comes with JSA LOA certification #B87798, and a full LOA from PSA/DNA

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