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DaveThere is quite a story behind this ball. You can get more images and information about it at my site, I have a page set up for it along with images and a copy of the Certificate of Authenticity.
The site address is at gfg.com/baseball
This ball has been looked at by many of the expert authenticators in the hobby such as Mike Gutierrez and Jim Spence, who authenticated it.
I still have not spoken to anyone who has seen a ball signed by Gehrig in this manner. " H.L. Gehrig "
The ball was bought from Jacks wife, he is mentioned in this email I received in Jan of 2003 from Scott, who is apparently related to them.
The price on this ball is $35,000. You can contact me through my website if you are interested.
Hi! My name is Scott Dale, and I have the complete story of your Babe Ruth, Lou Gerhig baseball. My grandfather's name was Bill Klemm (like the umpire, only one "m"). He passed away last February. He always told us about his uncle who ran the concessions stand at the home field of the Wheeling Stogies semi-professional baseball team. When Pap was just a kid, he and his brothers, Earl and Jack, would walk through the crowd and sell peanuts and Crackerjacks. By Pap's account, The Stogies were a minor league team somehow affiliated with the New York Yankees. Anyway, they story goes that in the summer of 1932, the Yankees came to Wheeling, WV to play the Stogies in an exhibition game at the baseball field in the Fulton area of Wheeling (The field is still there, but the grandstands are gone). Anyway, Pap and my uncles worked at the game, and after it was completed, the two teams were treated to a meal, which was catered by my grandfather's uncle who owned the concessions stand. After the meal, and a few drinks, the sluggers signed the ball and gave it to Pap's uncle as payment for the catering job. Ruth wasn't flirting with Aunt Katherine (Pap said that she never liked being called Kay, but people did it anyway), he was a bit tipsy when he signed the ball. So the ball went with Aunt Katherine who stored it in the attic for years. Eventually, Aunt Katherine and Uncle Herb moved to Iowa. Uncle Jack was in the moving business, and cleaned out the effects of Aunt Katherine's house. Uncle Jack (that's my great-uncle) never told Pap that he found the ball, but he must have. You the bought the ball from Uncle Jack. Congrats on a great find. Pap always mentioned the ball as I am an avid baseball card collector, but he never knew what happened to it. It's nice to know that it is with someone who can appreciate it. If you want, check the facts of my story...it's all true. (Except Aunt Katherine died June 21, 1980). Please call me to verify this. I'm in law school so I'm not always home, but I would love to talk to you about this.
My name is Scott Dale, and I was born and raised next to that ballpark in Fulton.