One of a Kind RARE 1943 Negro League Champion Homestead Grays Team-Signed Ball Includes: Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Buck Leonard and Ray Brown (PSA/DNA)

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/30/2016

One of Negro League baseball’s most fabled franchises, the 1943 Homestead Grays stormed to a 44-15 record in the Negro National League, powered by famed slugger Josh Gibson and teammates Buck Leonard and James “Cool Papa” Bell. All three Hall of Famers signed this official (William Harridge) American League ball, containing 16 signatures in all. Considered the greatest Negro League team of all time and one of baseballs all time greatest team, rivalling the 1927 NY Yankees. Rebounding from a four-game sweep by the Kansas City Monarchs in the 1942 Negro World Series, the 1943 Grays defeated the Birmingham Barons four games to three with one tie in the first of three Series championships Homestead would win from 1943-1948. Other notable signatures on this fantastically unique ball include Hall of Fame pitcher Ray Brown, 20-year Negro Leagues veteran hurler Sam Bankhead, manager Jim Taylor, Dave and Ruchelle Hoskins, Willie Hubert and Johnny Johnson. Gibson’s signature runs along the seams in black ink on a side panel next to the Reach manufacturer’s logo rating (6-7), “Cool Papa” Bell’s, also in black, is signed “James Bell” (6) in the middle of seven signatures on the opposite side panel below Leonard in the same black ink (5-6). Manager “Candy Jim” Taylor’s is printed in blue ball point pen on another side panel. Ray Brown’s signature in blue ball point ink on a side panel is the balls’ most prominent, located to the right of the Official American League ball labeling. “Champion Homestead Grays 1943” is written in an unknown hand along the seams. Historic Negro League’s artifact ball comes with PSA/DNA LOA (AA05798) and has been previously identified as coming from the collection of Dave Hoskins.