Late Summer Auction SESSION 2 CLOSING SEPT 21 10PM EASTERN FOR INITIAL BIDS
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/21/2020
Since the early 1900's, American players have visited Japan, but by far the most successful and influential tour arrived in the fall of 1934. Led by Connie Mack, the team boasted none other than Babe Ruth and a dozen other American League stars. The squad thrilled Japanese fans for 18 games held from one end of the island to the other. By the time they left, the island was baseball-mad and a professional league was organized which thrives to this very day.
Offered here is an Official American League William Harridge stamped baseball that has been signed by 19 members of that historic 1934 Tour of Japan squad. The star of the show, Babe Ruth, has signed his name in bold black pen across the sweet spot. The remaining signatures on this ball include Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Earl Averill, Charles Gehringer, Lefty Gomez and Connie Mack, along with the signatures of Lefty O’Doul, Moe Berg, Frank Hayes, Bing Miller, Doc Ebling, Rabbit McNair, Joe Cascarella, Hal Warstler and four others. The signatures range from bold to light and this ball has a coating of shellac, with a darker coating around the stitching. Bolder signatures include Ruth, Foxx, Gehringer, Hayes, Averill, McNair and Ebling. This ball comes with a LOA from JSA (BB60616) for the signatures.