1972 HOF Induction Multi-Signed Ball With Carey, Hooper and Marquard

[byrone]

Purchased this baseball recently, never thought too much about its time frame, but then came to wonder...if Zach Wheat and Pie Traynor died in March of 1972, when was this ball signed?

I suppose it could have been a work in progress, but with the induction ceremony occurring August 7, 1972...what is most likely?

With a bumper crop of eight inductees, the National Baseball Hall of Fame had ample reason to celebrate in 1972. Gathered for that year’s ceremony, (17) heralded Cooperstown members decorated this ONL Feeney baseball with their coveted signatures. The medium-toned orb has a coat of period shellac and features black or blue ballpoint pennings that range from (“9”) to (“6”) in terms of strength and clarity. Includes: Sweet Spot: Edd Roush and Harry Hooper; North Panel: Bill Terry, Bob Feller and Pie Traynor; South Panel: Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Stan Musial and Joe Cronin; West Panel: Zack Wheat, Lefty Grove, Ford Frick and Lloyd Waner; East Panel: Max Carey, Earle Combs and Stan Coveleski; Reverse Sweet Spot: Rube Marquard. Accompanying is a full photo LOA from JSA.


https://www.hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/showitem.pl?itemid=33885


https://www.hugginsandscott.com/pl/33885_max_carey.jpg

[Klrdds]

As you know no one can tell when this ball was signed , but my guess is that it is a multi-year compilation ball that was brought to Cooperstown for a few inductions in the early 1970s and signed during the HoF induction by whoever the collector could get to sign the ball . 1972 is probably the final year of signing because Yogi Berra has signed the ball and he was inducted in 1972.

[T206Collector]

What a great piece!

[Duluth Eskimo]

I agree that it is a multi year ball. That is a very nice item

[Tom Hufford]

Yes, this is a multi-year ball. I was at the HOF for the 1971 and 1972 inductions, and spent a lot of time in the lobby of the Otesaga Hotel, where the players were staying.

I don't remember seeing either Bill Terry or Max Carey there either year (doesn't mean they weren't there - I just don't remember), so perhaps they signed before 1971. Traynor and Wheat were both there in 1971, but died in early 1972. Yogi Berra was there for his 1972 induction, as were Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Early Wynn.

Every Hall-of-Famer was a very willing signer the times I was there. The first year I was there (1971) I took a single baseball with me, and filled it with the autographs of everyone I met. Not just HOFers. I especially enjoyed meeting Ernie Shore and Larry Gardner, who were there for the induction of their old Red Sox teammate, Harry Hooper.