This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/3/2020
Presented here is easily among the finest Bobby Wallace single signed baseballs to ever come up for auction. Roderick John Wallace, who played primarily shortstop for the Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Browns/Cardinals from 1894-1918, is a very tough signature to find on any ball, and singles rarely ever surface. Two years before his death, Bobby signed and dated this Official National League (Giles) ball on the sweet spot "Roderick J. Wallace" and "5-6-58" with an additional inscription "Wishing you the best" just above the red stitching. JSA has confirmed it was all done in his hand with a black fountain pen that now appears 5/10 in strength. With the ball's soft creaminess and relatively light toning, though, the overall eye appeal is much higher. The Hall of Famer had a .268 career average with 2,309 hits during the Deadball Era. Upon retiring, he had brief stints as Browns manager and AL umpire before becoming a scout. (It should be noted that two years ago a Wallace single of similar boldness, but no inscription, sold for over $19K at auction.)
Includes full LOA from James Spence Authentication.