Spectacular 1950s Ed A. Walsh Single Signed and Inscribed Cooperstown Baseball - Full JSA LOA

• Sold For: $9,102
• Year: 1950
• Auction: 2018 May
• Lot #: 3
• Auction Category: Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos

The finest Ed Walsh single to date hit the auction block in 2012 and sold for over $14,000. Forgive us, but we believe this one to be superior. And here"s why: First, provenance-wise, it was obtained first-hand by noted autograph seeker Charles Evers, who often visited players in their homes, and whose personal notes attest to having acquired Walsh"s signature at the legend"s home in Cheshire, Connecticut. A frequent Hall of Fame Weekend attendee, Evers supplied Walsh with a "Semi-Pro League" (de Beer & Son) ball that is stamped as having been issued in Cooperstown, and Big Ed appropriately added the inscription, "Hall of Fame / Cooperstown / N.Y." Second, the attractiveness of Walsh"s consistent blue-ballpoint "8-9" signature—in combination with the HOF inscription—can hardly be overstated. By contrast, the aforementioned predecessor that sold for such a princely sum in 2012 bore a disjointed inscription, where the word "White" appeared on the sweet spot and then "Sox" was drawn in logo form on a separate panel. Moreover, that $14,000 ball was quite soiled and toned (with light stampings), whereas Evers" exemplar has been well-protected and dutifully cared for over these many decades. Indeed, given the extreme rarity and extraordinary quality, it"s not outside the realm of possibility for this Walsh sphere to rival the adjacently offered Mathewson and Ruth cuts as the most valuable gem in the entire Charles Evers Autograph Collection. Full LOA from JSA.