This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/15/2019
Three of the greatest hitters in baseball history have signed this 1929-31 era OAL (Harridge) red and blue stitched baseball. Babe Ruth has blessed the sweet spot as usual, with his Bronx Bomber teammate Lou Gehrig on the adjacent east panel. Tris Speaker appears on the north panel alongside with Garnett Marks, a popular radio broadcaster in the 1920s and 30s. The "NBC Chicago" inscription by Marks helps date the ball to 1931 as that was where he worked at that time. The autographs are each done in dark blue fountain ink with Ruth, Gehrig and Speaker coming in around 5-6/10. According to Beckett, there has been a partial enhancement to Ruth's signature: the 'B' and 'a' in 'Babe' have been lightly traced over. This is a far cry from the bold, distinct trace jobs found on some celebrity autographs, as 'Ruth' is completely original as are both Gehrig and Speaker. The ball itself shows moderate toning and aging, with some scattered brown spots. Includes full LOA from Beckett Authentication.