The amount of talent represented on this 1926-27 era Reach Official American League (Ban Johnson) ball is staggering: six Hall of Famers including Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Rogers Hornsby and George Sisler. Though we do not know the circumstances surrounding the event at which all these legends were present, suffice it to say one would be hard-pressed to come up with a more formidable lineup during the Roaring Twenties. Heading up the star-studded roster is Ruth, whose 47 home runs hit in 1926 was just an appetizer to the 60 he would hit the following season. The slugger has signed the east panel with the Reach stamping above former teammate and one-time Yankee ace "Bullet" Joe Bush, who helped Ruth and the Yanks win their first World Series in 1923. They are joined on the east panel by Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, widely recognized as the greatest second baseman of all-time.
The greatest right-handed pitcher of all-time, Walter Johnson, has signed the south panel along with fellow Hall of Fame shortstop Dave Bancroft. The north panel features one of the overlooked sluggers of the 1920s: Ken Williams. The Browns outfielder beat out Babe Ruth for the 1922 home run title and would hit a nice .319 in his decade and a half in the majors. Williams is joined on the panel by Browns teammate Dave Danforth, who was wrapping up a career that saw him winning World Championships with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1911 and the Chicago White Sox in 1917.
The west panel features Cardinals star and Hall of Famer "Sunny" Jim Bottomley, Eddie Rommel who won 171 games for the A’s from 1920-1932 and Johnny Cooney, an eventual two-decade veteran who was going by “Jack” at the time because he played first base, center field and pitched – a real “Jack” of all trades. And finally, George Sisler (one of the Original Eleven HOF inductees along with Ruth and Johnson), whose .340 lifetime average puts him among the most elite batters ever, has signed the sweet spot of this museum-worthy ball.
The ball, holding 13 total autographs, shows overall toning. The black fine-point signatures range from strong (Johnson and Bush) to medium-light (Ruth, Williams and Sisler). Accompanied by a full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.