There was a time when our hero athletes were among us all. Entourages and heavy security were decades away.
Many say Babe Ruth saved the game of baseball. Before Ruth burst onto the scene, the game was dealing with the 1919 Black Sox scandal and the entire fallout caused. Ruth began as a pitcher and left as baseball's top slugger.
When he wasn't playing, Ruth was approachable and actually spent time with his adoring fans. During the offseason, Ruth would participate in barnstorming games and promote the game. At one of these games this autographed baseball was secured. What makes this different than 99% of Ruthian signed baseballs is this has a photo (modern print) of Ruth signing the ball.
According to our consignor, his grandfather got this baseball directly from Ruth at Lake Oscawana in New York. Our consignor's grandfather trained bear and was a popular commodity.
Ruth grabbed this baseball and penned his identity to a side panel with the following salutation: "To Al Johnson From" in black fountain pen. The signature rates "4-5" in our estimation.
The ball has toned evenly and has a few nicks on the surface.
Original photos of Ruth taking a couple of hacks will attend as well as a snapshot of our consignor's grandfather training a bear. A final photo shows Ruth with a gathering of admirers.
Overall, an outstanding Ruth signature with direct provenance.
Authentication is secured with a full JSA letter.
01144
(JSA Full Letter)