Bugsy Raymond signed balls? Glory of their Times

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by jerseygary

Another thing too, if he did this as often as the stories said he did, how many were simply tossed to a neighborhood kid to use in a game? Back then I'd venture to guess that a baseball, a real good baseball, was worth more to a kid by putting it to use than sticking it in his sock drawer.

Here's a story to back this up. I asked my Uncle Ed (Walter Johnson's son) once if he and his brother, Walter, Jr., ever got autographs from the players they came into contact with. I knew they both had Washington uniforms and used to shag flies during batting practice as teenagers when their father was managing the Senators, and he had some great stories about that. Here's what he told me:
"Oh, sure, we used to get balls signed by them all the time, I guess we had just about everybody at one time or another. But you know how it is, there'd be a neighborhood game and we needed a ball so we'd grab one of those and play with it. Eventually, we'd have run through all our balls and the last one left, of course, would be the one signed by Babe Ruth. But sooner or later that one would go, too. We always figured we could get more any time we wanted, but of course in the end they all went."

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Here's a story to back this up. I asked my Uncle Ed (Walter Johnson's son) once if he and his brother, Walter, Jr., ever got autographs from the players they came into contact with. I knew they both had Washington uniforms and used to shag flies during batting practice as teenagers when their father was managing the Senators, and he had some great stories about that. Here's what he told me:
"Oh, sure, we used to get balls signed by them all the time, I guess we had just about everybody at one time or another. But you know how it is, there'd be a neighborhood game and we needed a ball so we'd grab one of those and play with it. Eventually, we'd have run through all our balls and the last one left, of course, would be the one signed by Babe Ruth. But sooner or later that one would go, too. We always figured we could get more any time we wanted, but of course in the end they all went."

Hank,

Too funny! Great post.

[prewarsports]

I think the main thing to think about is the era, by the 1920's people were getting autographs and players were signing baseballs. I dont know why, but basically this did not happen pre 1920. I bet there are maybe 50 team signed balls in the entire hobby that pre-date WW1 and maybe a handful of single signed balls that were mostly trophy balls and from the players estates and not really autographed for the signature alone by a fan. Once you get into the 1920's you find them rarely and by the late 1920's there are tons of signed album pages and baseballs and things like that.

You can pretty much sum it up as Pre WW1 (c. 1920), be VERY skeptical even if authenticated on any single signed baseball. Many of the authenticated Ansons and Planks that have sold in major auctions with authentication are bogus, I wouldn't touch em with a 10 foot pole. Team baseballs are super rare too but you find them from time to time as keepsakes and almost always from players estates and not obtained by fans.

Rhys

[Hankphenom]

Fred Snodgrass mentions this on "Glory." "We didn't have autograph hounds in those days," he says. "Oh, someone might want to come up and shake your hand or something, but that's all."