Circa 1970 Roberto Clemente Single Signed Baseball....

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on May 12, 2017 for:

Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Circa 1970 Roberto Clemente Single Signed Baseball. Today the Eastern Airlines logo stamped to the northern panel of this autographed sphere reads as tragic irony, as the man whose spectacular blue ink signature resides on the sweet spot would join the sad brotherhood of Knute Rockne and Rocky Marciano soon after the ball was autographed as American sporting icons lost in airplane crashes. It was near the end of the Pittsburgh Pirates legend's all-too-brief life that he served as a spokesman for the airlines, promoting flights between Miami and his native Puerto Rico at a time when the company was reeling from much-publicized hijacked flights to Cuba. Much the same as Babe Ruth and any number of other baseball legends, Clemente's late-in-life autographed spheres tend to rate highest on the condition scale, and this representation matches up with the very best of them.

The blue ink sweet spot signature rates somewhere between an 8/10 and 9/10, a few scattered tiny handling abrasions the only factor that prohibits a flat Mint rating. The ball itself exhibits some toning that does little to distract the eye from the commanding autograph. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.