NEWS
Historic ?Matchless Ball? up for bids on Overstock.com
04-20-2005
July 10, 1934 was the day of the second annual American League All-Star game; a game that included one of the 10 most memorable incidents in baseball history. New York Giants? pitcher ?King Carl? Hubbell was on firmly planted on the pitcher?s mound of the Polo Grounds when he historically struck out five legendary Baseball Hall of Fame players consecutively. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin all swung and missed the cunning efforts made by Hubbell that day. Today, April 20, that historic ball goes up for auction on Overstock.com.
The ?Matchless Ball? is the only surviving official (REACH) American League ball from that historic match up of baseball greats. After the game, the ball was passed around the dugout and signed by thirteen unforgettable players: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Joe Cronin, Al Simmons, Sammy West, Jack Russell, Bill Dickey, Earl Averill, Red Ruffing, Mel Harder, Tommy Bridges, Lefty Gomez, Jimmy Dykes, Ben Chapman, Heinie Manush, Walter Johnson, Micky Cochrane and Charlie Gehringer. New York Yankees great Tommy Henrich added his signature after the game, thus adding to the provenance of this historic relic. The ball gained international interest when it was stolen from the Babe Ruth Museum, only to be mysteriously returned during an exhibit for Ruth?s 100th birthday celebration.
Semi-retired baseball author and collector Dan de la Torre is the individual selling the ball. He came across the memento while in a Georgia shopping mall in 1992. The ball was misidentified and sold at an unrealistic price. De la Torre, knowing he had something special in his possession, researched the ball and found that it was indeed the infamous ?Matchless Ball.? He went to write a novel chronicling the ball?s history entitled ?Pitched From the Past, The Journey of the ?Matchless Ball?.?
Bidding for the 10-day auction will begin today at 3:00 p.m. EDT and close on Friday, April 29th at 5:00 p.m. If this round piece of historic sells at or above $500,000. de la Torre will donate some of the money to HOSPICE, a national non-profit organization that cares for the terminally ill and their families. The ball has an estimated value of $500,000 - $1,500,000, with the auction bidding beginning at $250,000.
Included in the lot is a notarized copy of the ?Statement of Authencity? signed by Mel Harder; this document authenticates his and his teammate?s signatures and testifies to the balls relevancy. Another ?Statement of Authencity? signed by Tom Henrich is also included, along with the original copy of the ball?s 1993 appraisal and a limited edition, autographed copy of de la Torre?s book ?Pitched From the Past, The Journey of the ?Matchless Ball?.?
Place your bid for this incomparable piece of baseball nostalgia at www.auctions.overstock.com/cgi-bin/auctions.cgi?PAGE=static&pagenum=483.
Learn more about the some of the players that signed the ball through their Official Web pages: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Carl Hubbell, Lefty Gomez, Walter Johnson, and Micky Cochrane.
