[HexsHeroes]

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Every once in a while, luck and effort intersect, and the payoff is rewarding.

I purchased a 1936 Milwaukee minor league team signed baseball on eBay recently. I bought it primarily because it was signed by former Detroit Tigers Clyde Hatter (d.1937), but got a nice bonus with the presence of a faded Gordon McNaughton (d.1942) signature too.

I do not (generally) purchase team signed baseballs. Frankly, I rarely find a ball signed boldly enough to please me. The first few vintage team signed balls that I did purchase left me extremely disappointed. What appearred as vivid or clear signatures in the listing, was not nearly so when actually held in hand. Positive enhancement brought on by strong lighting, I guess. But every once in a while, my interest gets peaked, and I stray over to the dark side in pursuit of a possible bargain.

This is one of those "bargains." It occurred because of the wealth of information available on the internet, and the willingness to invest some time researching. This baseball was vauguely listed as "Vintage Autograph Baseball" and the description stated that some of the signatures were from ballplayers who played in the 30s and 40s for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. Using five of the stronger signatures present (Luke Hamlin, Rudy York, Tot Pressnell, Frenchy Udalt, & Eddie Hope), I cross referenced their minor league careers and was able to place all five individuals with Milwaukee in 1936. A comparison of the 1936 Milwaukee roster with the remaining signatures on the ball revealed the presence of Hatter and McNaughton autographs. I still am trying to decipher three of the extremely faint signatures to determine who they may be. Regardless of whether I succeed or not, it's still a pretty cool score.

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