Help Please on identifying signatures on this Reach baseball
 

Hello Everyone,

I picked up this Reach team signed baseball on eBay the other day and could use some help identifying when the ball was made and some of the signatures. The autographs are very light and I did my best to take the best pictures that I could.

I think it was from the early 1940s. Probably the Detroit Tigers. The second picture has the most visible signatures. I believe they are of Rudy York, Pinky Higgins, Charlie Gehringer and ?. The third picture is the sweet spot has two signers. Maybe Hank Greenberg and Harold Newhouser, but I'm not sure. The other pictures are very light and I'm not sure who they are.

Any information that you can give me about the ball and the autographs I would appreciate.

Best regards,

Joe

pretty sure I see a Schoolboy Rowe on the 3rd to last image.

I saw Rudy York, Hank Greenberg and Chas Gehringer.

and Rudy York

thus most likely a Tigers ball '34 - '42

I would say the ball is from the 1939-1941 span.

Pinky Higgins' first year with the Tigers was 1939, and Charlie Gehringer's last year was 1942.

I also see an "Archie" (3rd autograph down in picture #6). In looking at the Tigers' rosters on baseball-reference.com, the only Archie I find is Archie McKain, who played from 1939-1941. I also see what could be Barney McCosky (2nd auto down, picture #5), whose first year was 1939.

Steve

Tiger baseball
 

Thanks Steve, Paul and Curt for taking the time to respond and share your knowledge. I do appreciate it.

It is a cool ball. Sad that such a nice artifact has been allowed to fade so badly. I do see the School Boy Rowe autograph now that you point it out. I do believe that it is Hank Greenberg's and Hal Newhouser's signatures on the sweet spot even though they are very faded. It would make sense since both were the star players on the team. I also think, Steve, that you nailed the Archie McCain auto. You can see the "ain" at the end of the signature.

Does anyone know anything about the ball itself? I am not an expert. Most Reach baseballs that I have seen have American League or National League identifiers on the ball. This does not.

Also is it worth while to have the signatures professionally authenticated?

Thanks for your help.

Joe

The top signature on the sweetspot is definitely Greenberg.

I do (personally) find it a bit odd that Newhouser would have signed the sweetspot of the ball prior to 1944. His first year was 1939, but his win-loss records were as follows:

1939 0-1
1940 9-9
1941 9-11
1942 8-14
1943 8-17

From 1944-1946 however, he went 29-9, 25-9 and 26-9.

As for the ball itself, it's a generic, unofficial ball, meaning non-major league.

I personally wouldn't spend the money to get it professionally authenticated, as it is in such low condition.

Steve

1940 Reach baseball
 

Thanks again for those of you who helped me identify the signatures on this ball. After doing some more research and comparing autographs on other Detroit Tiger baseballs, I believe that I can narrow it down to the 1940 season.

Here are the signatures that I could make out:

Sweet Spot: Hank Greenberg and Harold Newhouser;

West Panel: Rudy York, Pinky Higgins, Charlie Gerhinger, Clay Smith (He only played for two years in 1938 for Cleveland, and then he pitched in 14 games for Detroit in 1940. He also pitched 4 innings for the Tigers in the 1940 World Series. I believe this dates the ball from that season.)

North Panel: ?, Barney McClosky, School Boy Rowe, Pete Fox, Frank Croucher, Birdie Tebbetts;

South Panel: Johnny Gorsica, Tom Bridges, Archie McKain, ?, ?, ?, ?

East Panel: Dick Bartell, ? There are some other markings, but way too faded to make out.

Although the ball is very faded I think that it is a neat artifact from a great Tiger team that won the American League Championship, and was only one win away from being World Champions, losing to the Cincinnati Reds 3 games to 4.

Thanks again for the help. This forum is the best.

Best regards,

Joe