SCP Auctions November 2006 Internet Auction

No tour team in the history of baseball had a more devastating lineup. Babe Ruth Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx headlined the famous tour which invited American major leaguers to Japan to play against Japanese college all-stars. Not surprisingly the Americans won all seventeen games they played. Making the only overseas trip of his career in 1934 Babe Ruth proved that his charisma knew no cultural boundaries creating a frenzy everywhere he went in Japan equal or greater to that he inspired in the states. One of the most interesting footnotes to the historic tour involved catcher Moe Berg. Berg a Rhodes scholar and linguistics specialist doubled as an OSS agent for the United States. As the possibility of war escalated in Europe and Asia Berg collected important photographs and documents from Japan throughout his travels with the team. Matsutara Shoriki an influential owner of a popular Japanese newspaper was largely responsible for bringing the tour to Japan. Shoriki who later became known as ?the great genius-father figure of Japanese baseball? moved by the interest of Japanese fans established Japan?s first professional team in December 1934. This personal souvenir album is one of a small number that were presented to team members and accompanying officials on the most celebrated tour in baseball history. The finely crafted book is filled with photographs of every facet of the tour including game action shots special functions and candid shots of players away from the game. Highlighting the impressive volume is a large signature sheet signed by every member of the American team on the final page. The sheet features twenty black fountain pen signatures (one in green ink) including Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (9/10) Connie Mack Lefty Gomez Earl Averill Charlie Gehringer Lou Gehrig (10/10) and Jimmie Foxx. Also present on the sheet is the signature of Moe Berg who was on the trip in his capacity as a spy for the U.S. Government. Two similar signature pages are also included featuring autographs of their Japanese counterparts. The album comes housed in a custom presentation box. Among the rarest mementos from the historic overseas baseball sojourn these extraordinary albums seldom surface at public auction. Album remains in excellent to near mint condition with some foxing on the autograph pages. Signatures average 9/10. LOA from PSA DNA.