2024 Summer Premier
Wed, Jul 17, 2024 01:00PM EDT - Sat, Aug 3, 2024 10:30PM EDT
Lot 2
Important 1939 Inaugural Hall of Fame "Original 11" Inductees Signed Baseball from Collection of Eddie Rommel (MLB Pitcher & Umpire) - PSA/DNA LOA
Sold for
$360,000
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
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| $0 | $10 |
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
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| $300,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
To commemorate the centennial of the “official invention” of the game of baseball in 1839, the National Baseball Hall of Fame was founded to preserve the exploits of the game’s early stars. Beginning in 1936, the voting began to elect the founding members of the Hall of Fame. On June 12, 1939, the very first Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held in Cooperstown to honor the Classes of 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939.
Eleven living inductees were in attendance that year: Connie Mack, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, George Sisler, Honus Wagner, Pete "Grover Cleveland" Alexander, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, and Larry "Nap" Lajoie. Among those present at the Hall’s opening in 1939 was Eddie Rommel who pitched 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1920-32) and won 171 games. One of the first to perfect the modern knuckleball, Rommel was part of Connie Mack’s 1929 and '30 back-to-back World Series Champion clubs. He would later go into coaching and, eventually, umpiring, calling American League game from 1938 to '59.
At some point during the opening festivities, Rommel had the "Original 11” inductees sign this Reach Official American League (William Harridge) baseball. On the sweet spot is Mack with Alexander below him; on the north panel are Wagner, Ruth, The Big Train, and Lajoie; Collins has the south panel to himself as does Cobb on the west panel; and on the east panel are Sisler, Young and Speaker. Except for Cobb in blue, all signatures come in black fountain ink and are impressively preserved on the creamy-toned ball which has a very light coating of shellac. There is minor spotting from age and storage, but overall the ball appears EX/EX-MT. The eleven signatures range 5-8/10 in strength and eye appeal, with The Babe, Ty and Cy shining brightest. Featuring eleven of the greatest baseball players upon their induction to the Hall of Fame, this is certainly one of the most important signed baseballs to ever come to auction.
In 2019, we sold one of the only other 1939 "Original 11" Hall of Famer balls for $623,369 to set the all-time auction record for any signed baseball, a record which still stands today.
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