Odd recent pickup

[steve B]

Ok, scans later since the &% cable for the camera is misplaced.

But I just did some checking on a recent pickup and figured I had to share it just for the strangeness of it all.

Went to a small flea market a couple weeks ago. Southwestern CT. Not much there, but checked a booth a bit better on the way out and spotted a small box of baseballs. Second glance, one of them looked oldish, not very old, but not the pure white modern look. Checked closer, and it's an old American Association ball. And bonus, it's inscribed as a Christmas/new years gift and signed.

As I'm looking the guy says "I think that one is little league or something" Not what I was expecting. And he brings over two other signed balls, Butch Hobson and another modern one. Both very faded. Passed on those at $5 each, just way too faded. But the AA ball was only $2!

So today I decide to see if I can find the player. He's added 1955-56 after the sig, so I start with 56 AA on baseball reference. Nothing even close. Same for 55. Ok, so maybe it is little league. But the writing isn't a kids writing.

So I think what the heck, maybe check major leagues, since the AA didn't have a team anywhere near where I found it.
Started searching - I like their search since I sometimes have trouble with reading signatures. And there's the player - Steve Ridzik.

But that makes it stranger. He played for the Giants 56-7, And a few teams before that. So I'm guessing the date is the holiday season.
But he didn't play in the AA until 1957.

So a Giants player who was playing for Cinncinatti, bought by Seattle (PCL) Oct 17 and taken on Nov 27the in the rule5 draft signed an AA ball, a league he hadn't played in yet as a gift for someone, probably in the NY/SW CT area where the AA had no teams at all. He was from Yonkers, but I don't know if he lived there in the 50's

If it was a famous player and/or expensive I'd have lots of doubts.
It's pretty cool, and pretty strange all at the same time.

Steve B