Jim Umbricht Real?
 

I picked up this team signed ball specifically for Jim. 1962 Colt .45s. Here are my observations, ie; questions:
1. Team signed ball autos overlap. These don't execpt Harris. So is it a stamped ball?
2. I have stamped balls and this doesn't look like one. They are bold ink.
3. Early Rusty Staub signed twice.
4. All other signs look fine.
5. A kid wrote COLTS on it in same pencil.
6. Why Harris ink?
7. Older ball. I don't know it's markings to tell what it is.

Others? So, is Jim [and also ball] authentic.

[History on Jim makes it coolectible. He died in 62].

More photos coming....sorry for loading up everyone's inbox.

Thanks, casey

More pics

My bad....this could be 63 also. Or somewhere between. Jim died 63. Sorta don't think 63...but maybe.

Pic

Maybe easier question.
Is this a 'team' signed ball, or stamped souvenier ball?

It doesn't look stamped to me. It's very hard to make an accurate determination on the Umbricht because it's faded and the photo doesn't pick it all up, but what I can see of it matches up well with my sig of him. Worth pursuing.

Thank you. I believe so.

Others thoughts? If I can get ideas on it NOT being a stamped ball, then I'll be in the +95% that it's real.

Interesting issues for it....like why would Rusty sign it twice? (Guys just passing the ball around and not noticing?)

Does not appear to be stamped.

Not super unusual to see a team ball signed twice by a player. Especially if a player was in a rush or just did not pay close attention. Boxes of baseballs were left in the clubhouse for the players to sign these team balls. If a player felt like it, they would sign the balls in their "spot". That is why on these team balls, you usually see certain players signatures always in the same location over the years. They get accustomed to signing in the same location. For example, Roger Maris almost always signed these team balls in across the narrow small part of a panel. On the other hand, a player like Ray Oyler often signed his team balls at the round larger edge of the ball.

If the balls needed to be completed and there were empty "spots" with missing sigs, the clubhouse guy or someone else would do their best imitation and these would be the "clubhouse" signatures. On many team balls, you would see some star players with the clubhouse versions and also some managers, who were probably too busy doing other tasks. A lot of the 1970s Yankees team balls have clubhouse versions of Lemon and Martin.

As for these team baseballs, the owners liked to have a hundred or so team balls signed every month, and give them away for different reasons.

Thank you. That's what I was thinking. What threw me off is how little (none) overlap of autos here. Guess it's just how it is. I'm happy to have a Jim auto on ball. I have a couple on flats. I think it's good. Your comments are helpful. Thank you.

Given the pros and cons I'm going to display in my collection as real. It also matches other Umbricht auto(s) I have on flats.