This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/3/2020
Regarded by many as the greatest right-handed hitter of all time, Rogers Hornsby took special care of his batting eyes, refusing to read newspapers or watch movies. The St. Louis Cardinal great hit over .400 three times, won seven batting titles and retired with the second highest batting average in history (.358) behind only Ty Cobb. The parallels between Cobb and Hornsby are eerily similar. Both hard-nosed Southerners played until age 41 and suffered family tragedies (Cobb's father and Hornsby's brother each shot to death), and they finished just a single strikeout apart in 20,000 combined at-bats. The difference was Hornsby's power numbers as he claimed two Triple Crowns in 1922 and 1925 by blasting 42 and 39 home runs, respectively. In Cobb's lone Triple Crown season of 1909, he led the league with a measly nine long balls. Many say Hornsby's scientific approach to hitting was rivaled only by Ted Williams a generation later.
Featured here is one of the finest Horsnby single signed baseballs you will ever find in the hobby. Coming on a nice, creamy OAL (Cronin) ball with virtually no toning, his autograph graces the sweet spot in gleaming 8-9/10 blue ballpoint inscribed with the year ("1961") he signed it, just two years before the Hall of Famer would pass away at the age of 66. We've never handled a "Rajah" single of this caliber. It certainly rivals, if not surpasses, a pair of five-figure examples that sold in 2011 ($11K) and 2016 ($13K), respectively. Tremendous opportunity for refined baseball collectors. Includes full LOA from JSA.