Fresh to the auction block, this featured OAL (Johnson) ball holds the autographs of an exceptionally unique Hall of Fame trio of Yankee legends who helped glorify the Pinstripe Dynasty during the Raoring Twenties. Babe Ruth, Waite Hoyt and manager Miller Huggins all grace this sphere in various strengths of black fountain ink. Ruth, of course, has signed the sweet spot in a smooth 6-7/10 stroke, with Huggins (6/10) and Hoyt (5/10) on separate panels. The ball is dated "1926-27" in an unidentified hand on a side panel, which adds up when you examine the ball's manufacturer stampings. For one, Ban Johnson’s tenure as AL President ended after 1927. More telling, according to the Official American League Baseball Dating Index, the patent date was changed to "PAT'D. MAR. 17-25" in 1926; and "The Cushioned Cork Center" replaced "The Cork Center" on the bottom panel in 1927.
The ’27 Bronx Bombers and their “Murderer’s Row” started strong and never looked back, reeling off a then-record 110 wins before sweeping the Pirates in the World Series. The Great Bambino reach new heights, spearheading what is widely regarded as the greatest baseball team ever. He increased his own previous MLB home run record to 60 while batting .356 and driving in 165 runs that year, and it still wasn't enough for MVP honors (that went to Gehrig). 1927 also happened to be the best season of Waite Hoyt's fabulous career as New York's righty ace won an AL-best 22 games versus just seven defeats with a career-low 2.63 ERA. Amazingly, he went the distance in 23 of this 34 starts! And while Hoyt certainly adds a nice complement to Ruth, the presence of Miller Huggins is what sets this ball apart. After guiding the Yanks to back-to-back World Series titles (1927-28), the skipper suddenly fell ill and died of a rare bacteria disease in 1929. Understandably, his autograph is extremely rare to find in such an isolated group as this trio.
The dark, but evenly toned ball lightly coated in shellac has a couple scattered white scuffs, none affecting any of the autographs. The blue American League, Ban Johnson and Reach manufacturing stamps remain very strong and legible. This is likely the only ball of its kind that exists. If another were to surface wth this exact trio, we would be very surprised. Includes full LOA from Beckett (A25825).