Goldin Auctions is selling a baseball signed by 25 members of the 1917 Chicago White Sox, including the notorious “eight men out”.
It’s valued in excess of $75,000 ahead of the November 11 close date.
The ball is signed by 25 members of the 1917 White Sox
These were the eight players accused of throwing the 1919 World Series in return for a large bribe from a powerful gambling syndicate.
The Black Sox Scandal, as it’s also known, led to the appointment of a Commissioner of Baseball to ensure it never happened again.
Undoubtedly the best known of the eight was “Shoeless” Joe Jackson – a young star feted as one of the most promising batters of his generation.
Goldin comments: “It should be noted that the inclusion of Joe Jackson's signature on this ball elevates it to that of an historically significant baseball relic rather than just a rare team signed ball.
“Jackson was an illiterate who seldom signed his name on anything other than legal documents, and for that reason only a few balls exist today bearing his signature.”
Few other examples of Jackson’s signature are known to exist. In 2015, a signed photograph achieved $179,250 at Heritage Auctions.
There’s also a rare photograph of Babe Ruth in the bar he bought for his father in Baltimore in 1915.
Ruth senior is right beside him. Both men are wearing bartender outfits. This is the only known photo showing Ruth and his father together.
Only three copies of this shot (printed from the original negative) are known to exist. Another realised $55,000 in a 2012 auction.
Bidding on this one starts at $15,000.
We have a great selection of sports memorabilia for sale.
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