This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/3/2020
Zachary Davis "Zack" Wheat is still the Dodgers' all-time hit leader with 2,804 knocks as a member of the franchise from 1909-1926. Zack or "Buck" as he was nicknamed, won the National League batting title in 1918 at a .335 clip, which ironically was the only season he went homer-less. While the Brooklyn Superbas, Trolly Dodgers and Robins went through a team identity crisis, Wheat was a steady presence in left field and began to hit for more power as baseball emerged from the Deadball Era in the early 1920s. He averaged 14 homers and exactly 100 ribbies in 1924 and '25 while batting .366 in that two-year span, finishing third in MVP voting the former season.
Having played so long ago, Wheat's singled signed baseballs are tough to find in the market. Offered here is a terrific example with a uniquely long inscription in Zack's hand to a friend or loyal fan. On a side panel of the Official League ball he has signed "To Don Sanders, Sincerely Zack D. Wheat" in slightly smudged blue ballpoint. On a panel just below he has inscribed "Brooklyn 1909 thru '26" and "Baseball Hall of Fame 1959" in a cleaner stroke. Overall, the Zack signature and his long inscriptions rate 7-8/10 in strength and eye appeal. There is a very light coat of shellac over the Zack autograph panel, but the other panel with his handwriting is pure with no coating. The baseball itself, manufactured by Lowe & Campbell sometime in the 1940s or 50s, is very well-preserved with a soft creamy tone.
Includes full LOA from JSA.