Winter 2014 Auction Closing Feb 7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/8/2014
The 1938 season was the last full year for the great Lou Gehrig and once again, the Iron Horse helped lead the Yankees to another World Series title, their third straight! While Gehrig was the veteran star, this team also included five other Hall of Famers including a in his prime Joe DiMaggio. This lightly creamy toned (with a north panel stain) "Goldsmith Official League" baseball contains 22 bold ink signatures, grading mostly ("8-9") with a few lesser (and noted). The quiet Lou Gehrig signed the ball on the sweet spot ("8-9") with his usual small sweet spot signature, but also added the inscription, "To Edwin Best Wishes." This ball also includes: Paul Andrews, Earle Combs ("7"), Frankie Crosetti, Bill Dickey ("5"), Joe DiMaggio ("10"), Art Fletcher, Lefty Gomez ("7"), Bump Hadley, Tommy Henrich, Myril Hoag, Bill Knickerbocker, Ernie Koy, Joe McCarthy (clubhouse), Johnny Murphy, Monte Pearson, Jake Powell, Red Rolfe, Chas. Ruffing (signed twice, each grading "8-9"), Paul Schreiber (clubhouse), and George Selkirk. Due to the inclusion of college football star Ernie Koy (a Native American player), we can definitively date this ball to early in the 1938 season. Koy did sign early in 1938 with the Yankees, but was dealt to the Dodgers on April 15, 1938, never officially appearing in Yankee pinstripes. This is a tremendous Yankee World Series Champions team signed baseball, with bold ink signatures including an unbelievable Joe DiMaggio and a sweet spot Lou Gehrig. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication, cert number X84709.