Winter Auction 2017 Ending January 29
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/29/2017
Perhaps no player better transitioned from the deadball era to modern (i.e., Ruthian-led) baseball than “The Georgia Peach.” Whether the ball was dead or alive, Cobb hit. His 4,186 hits are second only to Pete Rose’s 4,256. For 22 seasons, Cobb played an inimitable, cagey and steady centerfield for the Detroit Tigers, before moving to the Athletics for his final two campaigns. He won 12 consecutive batting titles, along with the 1909 Triple Crown and 1911 MVP. Cobb’s .366 lifetime batting average hasn't been duplicated since he retired in 1928. For his efforts, Cobb joined the initial class of inductees into the Hall of Fame in 1935.
Cobb signed his name on the sweet spot in bold black pen on this Official American League Ban Johnson baseball. This 1920s era baseball displays toning from age, but the red and white stitching are still intact and present nicely. There are three other signatures on this baseball that cannot be read or identified. However, the quality of this Ty Cobb signature cannot be overstated. This baseball comes with a LOA from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A03099) who has deemed the other three signatures on the baseball as unidentifiable or unreadable.