There are five varieties in Spalding's sought-after 1920s figural trophy set—"Batter," "Pitcher," "Fielder," "Catcher" and "First Basemen." Not all surviving examples can be pinpointed to an exact year like this standout can—and it may even be associated with early black baseball. According to our research, the most well-known YMCA Industrial Baseball League was based near the Chicago stockyards and populated by black meat packers, steel mill workers and Pullman porters. Teams of note included the Libby-McNeill Giants and the Morris Cadets. Measuring 20 inches tall, our "Batter" is an extremely impressive specimen with superb preservation of the raised details on the 6-inch diameter ball-shaped pedestal. The decorative seams, the lettering ("SPALDING TROPHY"), the logo—all are strikingly well-defined with very little overall wear as one might expect to see on a trophy of this age and size. As for the figure itself, he shows typical age patina throughout, as do the trophy's other silver/metal components. Minor overall handling wear otherwise. Manufactured by Dieges & Clust, these increasingly desirable Spalding trophies have soared at auction to as much as $7,000 apiece earlier this year.

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