LOT #80212 |
Sold on Feb 26, 2017 for: Sign-in
or Join (free & quick)
1918 Ty Cobb & Hughie Jennings Dual-Signed Baseball with Cobb Signed Postcard....
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Sold on Feb 26, 2017 for:
$5,760.00
Bid Source: Internet bidder
Get one of these:
Explore Available Items
Description
1918 Ty Cobb & Hughie Jennings Dual-Signed Baseball with Cobb Signed Postcard.UPDATE: Please note that some of the referenced newspaper clippings are photocopies.
"There is no comparison between Cobb and Ruth," Detroit Tigers manager Hughie Jennings once told a sportswriter. "I'd rather have one Cobb than five Ruths!" Though their relationship had begun on a contentious note, with Jennings allowing his veterans to haze a rookie Cobb in order to test the youngster's toughness, the pair became close friends over the course of sixteen seasons together in the Tigers dugout. Forty years after their Motor City partnership began, the pair was reunited at Cooperstown through the posthumous induction of Jennings, whose candidacy Cobb had personally advocated.
But despite that long and fruitful shared history, it is quite uncommon to find the pair sharing residence upon an autographed artifact, with exceptions typically being the few team signed baseballs that survive from the time. Jennings' early, tragic passing in 1928 has established his as one of the toughest Hall of Fame signatures of twentieth century figures. It would be difficult to overstate the rarity and importance of this special memento of a lucky young fan from Philadelphia.
The presented OAL (Johnson) baseball is the first we dual-signed sphere from Cobb and Jennings we have ever encountered, and one of only two known to exist (though we must report that the ball has PSA/DNA has deemed that the ball has been partially painted over, possibly to obscure other signatures). It is Jennings who does most of the work, inscribing the ball, "To Jimmy Hinds, With best wishes, Hughie Jennings, Aug. 18, 1918." Below, Cobb simply signs his name. A drawing of what appears to be a flower on the adjacent panel is likely Jennings', though we cannot know for certain. The ink averages 7/10, sealed beneath an amber coating of vintage shellac.
The special relic is made even more appealing by a remarkable archive of provenance documents, most notably a handwritten postcard to Hinds from Cobb dated "July-9th-18." All handwriting and Cobb's signature rate 9+/10.
Finally, a pair of vintage newspaper articles reference the friendship between these Tigers legends and the lucky young fan. One reads, in part, "Before leaving last night, Ty and Hughey paid a visit to their friend Jimmy Hinds, 4105 Bellview Ave, a youngster who was injured several years ago in a football match. Cobb presented him with an autographed ball and promised on his return to Philly to send him the bat which he has been using in his rise to the top of the batting list." Another clipping documents that Cobb kept that promise (though, sadly, the bat is now missing in action).
With provenance as impressive as the ball's rarity, this is a dream lot for the advanced Dead Ball Era collector. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.
More information about Ty Cobb Sports Player.
Auction Info
2017 February 25 - 26 Platinum Night Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction - Dallas #7185 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2017
25th-26th
Saturday-Sunday
Internet/Mail Bids: 13
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,569
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms