Walter Johnson Single-Signed Baseball with Provenance, A Good Story, & PSA (sold)

[Jobu]

$2750 (SOLD) net to me.

Update 1/11/22: I got a replacement letter from PSA, so this bad boy is all set to go.

Single-signed 1925 Walter Johnson baseball. This ball sold through Heritage in 2010 ---- they take great photos, much better than my cell pics at the end of the post:

https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1...ription-071515

The writing is a bit light, but it looks better in person than it does in the photos I took with my cellphone and the signature is stronger than the inscription.

This ball was signed in California, likely in Los Angeles, amidst show downs with Babe Ruth, Walter's failed PCL ownership bid, and a lot of serious thinking about whether he would play again.

Unlike so many autographs, it also has terrific provenance coming directly from the family of noted sports writer/editor Ed Frayne, who worked for the Los Angeles Record from 1915-1926 before moving to the East Coast (and later returning to Van Nuys, CA). The DC Evening Star on Jan 21, 1925, the day after this ball was signed, reported that Walter was in LA pursuing opportunities and deciding whether he would play again in 1925:

Evening Star - Washington DC January 21 1925 page 29.jpg

This trip was to visit his boyhood home in Olinda, pitch exhibition games against Babe Ruth and other stars, visit Hollywood movie studios, and to try to wrap up ownership of a PCL team. After that purchase fell through, Walter decided to return to Washington for another season. In 1925 the Nats won the pennant, Walter delivered his final 20-win season, and set a record for the highest batting average by a pitcher: .433. (http://cwcfamily.org/articles/family/wjsabr.htm)

Here is a video about one of the games on the tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO-mGPHyB3c

And an article about the game and the tour:

https://www.mlb.com/cut4/babe-ruth-a...me/c-155304596