After being overshadowed by the more successful Los Angeles Angels, in 1930 the Hollywood Stars (or alternately, the Sheiks) of the PCL finally fielded a championship team. Manager Ossie Vitt was a major factor in the team’s success and it was with this Hollywood team that Vitt embarked on a wildly successful managing career that would take him all the way to majors. This Stars team-signed ball is from Ossie Vitt’s personal collection and marks his first of many pennant-winning teams he piloted. Besides the many future and former major league names on the ball, the 1930 Hollywood club also featured Bill Rumler. The thirty-something outfielder had just returned from a decade long banishment from the game after being implicated in a game fixing scandal. Rumler was the spark needed by the Stars to make it to the championship that year, and his story of redemption on the field had the makings of a Hollywood movie.
Bill Rumler has signed the Wilson Official Pacific Coast League (Harry Williams) ball along with 27 others including Jack Wilson, Les Cook, Dud Lee, Mike Gazella, Hank Severeid, Al McNeely, Lou Catina, Otis Brannan, Johnny Brassler, John Jones, Augie Johns, Frank Shellenback, Hank Hulvey, Gordon “Dusty” Rhodes, Emil Yde, Vance Page, Cleo Carlyle, Ed Leishman, Harry Green, Ossie Vitt and several others. The ball is in very good condition with most of the black fountain pen signatures easily legible (ranging 5-7/10) on the creamy white ball. Interestingly, someone (Vitt?) has scraped off the “League” stamping and wrote “Champions” so as to read “PACIFIC COAST CHAMPIONS.” A great PCL ball with many big league names. The ball is accompanied by an 8x10 team photograph of the entire championship squad, looking rough and ready to claim the PCL Championship for Hollywood.
Includes LOA from Vitt's grandson. Pre-certified by PSA/DNA (autos.)