Official Reach American League (Johnson) baseball signed in fountain pen on the sweet spot, "Walter Johnson." Below Johnson's signature is a collector's notation of "Oct. 9, 1924," the date of Game 6. On a side panel, the scores of each game have been recorded, with the heading "Washington 'Senators,' 1924 World Champs." The last entry in the list reads: "Oct. 10—Wash. 4—N.Y. 3, Johnson Won." In good condition, with scattered scuffing, soiling, and flecks of loss to the leather, significantly affecting Johnson's faded signature. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Based on the significant contemporary annotations, this ball was probably caught by a fan sometime during the World Series and signed by Washington's ace on October 9th. Uncharacteristically, Johnson had already lost twice in the series—Game 1 on October 5th and Game 5 on October 8th. On short rest, the 'Big Train' came into Game 7 in relief during the ninth inning, with the game tied at 3-3. He pitched four shutout innings to earn the win in what is considered one of the most dramatic World Series games of all time. An exceedingly rare single-signed baseball from one of baseball's most legendary pitchers.
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
