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    LOT #56041  | 
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    The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph....

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    • Baseball Collectibles:Photos, The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph....
    • Baseball Collectibles:Photos, The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph....
    Baseball Collectibles:Photos, The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph.... Baseball Collectibles:Photos, The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph.... View More >
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    Description

    The changing of the guard...

    The Only Known Babe Ruth & Ty Cobb Dual-Signed Photograph. Rough childhoods and the touch of the baseball gods were about all these two giants of our national pastime had in common, charting vastly different paths to the same destination: athletic immortality. Ty Cobb was a deadly serious slap-hitter from the rural south, while Ruth was a boisterous long ball artist from the urban north, a hated Yankee in more ways than one. But any shared resentment was tempered by an undeniable mutual respect.

    "Cobb is a prick," the Babe is quoted as saying, "but he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit."

    They compare the tools of their trade in this marvelous Yankee Stadium portrait, the logo elephant only appearing on Athletics jerseys during the first of Cobb's two years in Philadelphia, that glorious season of 1927 when Ruth captivated the baseball world.

    Each titan of baseball history signs at his ankles in flowing blue fountain pen ink, mellowed to purple over the passage of decades. During an era when photographs were no cheap commodity, signers typically personalized their autographs when presented with one for signing, but each bucks that trend gloriously, adding still more appeal to a relic swimming in an ocean thereof.

    Editorial handwriting on verso suggests that this photo got its start in a newsroom, and was pressed into service as an autographed collectible by a smart worker who saw the opportunity to track down the inaugural class Hall of Famers. It is entirely possible that Cooperstown was the location of the meeting.

    Each signature rates a technical 7/10 to 8/10, competing slightly for contrast but still unmistakably bold. The photo has been trimmed of its borders to approximate dimensions of 7.5x5.5" and presents as NRMT. We are aware of no other photos signed only by this iconic pair. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.

    Auction Info

    Auction Dates
    August, 2019
    17th-18th Saturday-Sunday
    Internet/Mail Bids: 25
    Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
    Page Views: 4,313

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    20% of the successful bid (minimum $14) per lot.

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