Vintage Or Current Ball For Signature?

[Northrunner]

Hi guys,
New member here...I've got a neat opportunity and could use some advice.

I have access to a very famous baseball player from the 1950's. Yesterday he said he'd sign a ball for me. Sure I can go buy a new ball for this but another idea I have follows. My Dad, sadly now deceased, was an avid baseball fan and got me interested in the sport at an early age. Dad played ball in college and I have some of his old game balls with his teammates signatures, some with notes such as "picked man off first in last of 9th with tying runs on & won game", etc. I also have a ball from this era (1949) that has no signatures but has been played with & has the usual grass and dirt discoloration.

Now I am not looking to attain this signature for profit. I thought it might be great to have this player's signature on one of my Dad's old balls but I don't want to offend this man by handing him a less-than new ball. Do you think he may be offended by that? I don't know him personally, he frequents my wife's place of business and she will be handing him the ball. She says he can be a bit gruff these days so that's why I'm trying to be respectful to him.

For these elderly famous hero's of the sport, would asking for a signature on a "soiled" ball be taken like a "slap in the face" by this gentleman? I think if I was there and had time to explain to him the reason for the soiled ball...my hope would be that he'd appreciate the sentimental value and be cool with it but I can't be there and my wife will not have the time to go into it with him because of the brisk nature of her job environment.

Any thoughts?

[vintagesportscollector]

Personally I would much rather have the signature on an old ball.

[EldoEsq]

I have had some older balls signed...they have all developed issues with the ink bleeding. I added a signature to a team ball (78 Pirates) and it bled...I added 3 signatures to a 96 Yankees team ball, they all bled. Either I have bad luck, or something happens to the leather over time. On both those balls, all the original signatures are flawlwess.

[Northrunner]

EldoEsq,
Thanks for that info about bleeding, that did not occur to me. My ball was soiled so I wiped it down with just a moist towel and cleaned it up some. After it dryed it was somewhat porus and I expect bleeding could be very possible. Maybe I'll try applying some leather boot conditioner and rub that in well and see if that will put some "sheen" back into the leather.

Thanks again!

[mcgwirecom]

Hi, I always thought that getting an older player on his playing era baseball was the way to go. However if the players signature has changed alot over the years it may look odd. I collect Mark McGwire stuff and his signature is much different now then way back when. So I actually avoid getting him to sign older items because the signature just doesn't jive with the older era items. just my 2 cents...

[icollectDCsports]

If the ball isn't so discolored, particularly on the sweet spot, that it would prevent a signature from being clearly readable, then I think you should go with your instinct and combine the signature of this older icon with the sentimentality of something that belonged to your dad. Bottom line shouldn't be how it would look to others but what would mean the most to you. You might want to tell the player that the ball being signed is very special to you because it belonged to your dad.

[murphusa]

You might be surprised if you said to the played that you do not want their autograph but would love their signature on your ball or picture

If the player is from the 30's to 50's use a fountain pen

[UnVme7]

I'd go with the safer way-- new ball

[Scott Garner]

I faced this same dilemma a number of years ago. I picked up a game used William Harridge ball for a nominal amount (about $10) on a trip to Chicago.

I've always had a fascination for fastball speed records. Prior to the modern radar guns, Bob Feller had held the mantel for having the fastest recorded fastball.

His fastball was measured first in a contest where he threw a ball through a paper target easily beating a speeding motorcycle moving at a known speed of 80 MPH. Not too scientific, but fun to watch and record.

In 1946 he has clocked at 98 MPH (or using today's standard of fastball speed measurement, 107.9 MPH) using the Army Ordinance Departments Sky Screen Chronograph.

Not having much into the Harridge ball, I decided to have Feller sign it for me with the 107.9 MPH inscription perhaps 10 years ago. I thought it would make a cool conversation piece if nothing else.

As you can see from my pictures, the BIC blue ballpoint pen sig that Mr. Feller applied has held up extremely well in spite of the ball being old and game used.

But, that being said, the leather used in the manufacture of baseballs is very unpredictable. You never know how the sig will hold up over time. I would suggest that no matter what ball you choose, use a BLUE BIC ball point pen as I have found these to be the best as far as the sigs holding up so well. Never use black ballpoint pen, as these sigs frequently fade like invisible ink FWIW.

No matter what you choose, good luck with your project! :)