New to the board, need some help with an autographed item

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 10:19AM

Hi everyone. I've been out of the hobby for a while but recently started going through some of my stuff. Other than the late 70's and 80's stuff that seems to be really common (and plentiful), I found a few items that are probably of some value. One in particular I got from my grandfather who was an aquaintance of Johnny Mize. It's a 1953 American League All Star Team signed baseball. It's in pretty rough condition and has a small hole in one side where I assume Mr. Mize had it on display at one time. One of the odd things about the ball is that it's on an Official National League Ball, but I'm assuming that's because the game was in Cincinnati at Crosley Field that year.

I'll try to upload some pics when I can figure out how to. Doing some research I can make out most of the roster of the '53 AL Team but some of them are a bit faded and sketchy. I can clearly make out Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Satchel Paige, Mike Garcia, Billy Pierce, Johnny Sain, Sam White, Hank Bauer, Larry Doby, Minnie Minoso, Gus Zernial, Chico Carrasquel, Ferris Fain, Nellie Fox, Billy Goodman, Billy Hunter, George Kell, Harvey Kuenn, Johnny Mize, Eddie Robinson, Al Rosen, Mickey Vernon, Casey Stengel, Lou Budreau, and Jim Turner.

There is one sig that is hard to make out but it has to be either Ted Williams or Allie Reynolds. I believe it's Teddy, but you can only make out the Williams part of it. My questions are these

How much is something like this worth? and Should I get it authenticated by PSA or some other company before possibly selling it?

As I said, if I can figure out how to put some pics up I'll do so shortly.

orioles93 · November 26, 2012 10:41AM

Dont know what it would be worth, but yes get it authenticated by PSA. It will make it much easier to sell and will go for more.

Brick · November 26, 2012 10:51AM

Hi, hello, how are ya?

corvette1340 · November 26, 2012 11:10AM

pics?

JoeBanzai · November 26, 2012 11:19AM

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 11:23AM

very good , thanks

Can someone help me out on the pictures?

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 11:24AM

do I need to use a service like flickr?

bouwob · November 26, 2012 12:10PM

These always come in handy...
What you will want to do is this:
1) Open up an account here: www.photobucket.com
2) Search for the pictures on your computer by clicking "Browse" on your photobucket "homepage" (the page that comes up when you log in) once you have your photobucket account.
3) Find the pictures (tip: it may be easier if you save them all in one place under a name that is easy to)
4) Click on the file name, and hit "open"
5) Once you have all of the pictures you want in the little white spaces, then click "Upload"
6) Then, look at your albums (the place where the pictures are in photobucket). If you click on a picture, there are three white bars with links in them to the bottom right of the picture. Click on the third one that says "IMG Code". It will copy automatically.
7) Then, simply paste it into the Forum where you would type a message, and they'll show up.

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 9:10PM

thanks to member bouwob for the help. Here are some photos of the ball.

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 9:28PM

Here are a few without the flash that may be easier to see. The ball is in pretty rough shape but the signatures look way better and are easier to see in person than in the pictures.

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 9:31PM

In the very last picture, the autos are from top : Nellie Fox, Johnny Sain, Eddie Robinson, ??, Satchel Paige

Does anyone know who the 4th one down is?

harrell84 · November 26, 2012 9:39PM

The panel with Mickey Mantle on it has one one top I can't put a name to, then Billy Goodman, Mike Garcia, Mickey Vernon, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer, Jim Turner, and Johnny Mize.

Does anyone think given the ball belonged to Johnny Mize, is in such poor condition, and is on a National League ball that it may be game used? How would someone determine that?

harrell84 · November 27, 2012 2:21AM

Does anyone have any info. on this ball or suggestions?

jay0791 · November 27, 2012 3:17AM

although not in great shape there cannot be many of these at all.

I would get it psa authenticated.

value? hard 2 say. in the $100's for sure

stown · November 27, 2012 3:54AM

Via Wiki, the 1953 AL AS Roster:

Pitchers

25 Mike Garcia
21 Bob Lemon *
29 Satchel Paige
19 Billy Pierce
22 Allie Reynolds
11 Johnny Sain *

Catchers

8 Yogi Berra
22 Sammy White *

Infielders

17 Chico Carrasquel
8 Ferris Fain
2 Nellie Fox
10 Billy Goodman
6 Billy Hunter
1 George Kell
26 Harvey Kuenn
36 Johnny Mize
10 Phil Rizzuto
8 Eddie Robinson
7 Al Rosen
3 Mickey Vernon

Outfielders

9 Hank Bauer
14 Larry Doby
7 Mickey Mantle
9 Minnie Miñoso
9 Ted Williams *
19 Gus Zernial

Manager

37 Casey Stengel

Coaches

4 Lou Boudreau
31 Jim Turner

* DNP

harrell84 · November 27, 2012 4:11AM

I had the roster and I can make out every player or coach on the ball except Ted Williams, Allie Reynolds, and Phil Rizzuto. There are 29 players listed on the roster, but there are 31 signatures on the ball. One of the sigs I'm fairly sure is either Williams or Reynolds but the other 2 I have no clue about.

lostdart58 · November 27, 2012 4:35AM

The poor condition will keep the value low. $200-$350.........

...do not quit your day job just yet....

harrell84 · November 27, 2012 4:58AM

I've been offered $1000 for the ball if it passes authentication from PSA which will cost around $175 with shipping.

I found one on Ebay in better condition with only 29 signatures and on an AL baseball at a buy it now or best offer of $2250.

MooseDog · November 27, 2012 11:01PM

<< <i>In the very last picture, the autos are from top : Nellie Fox, Johnny Sain, Eddie Robinson, ??, Satchel Paige
Does anyone know who the 4th one down is? >>

It looks like George Myatt. He is listed on the roster as a coach for the 1953 Senators. The one at the top of the Mantle panel is George Susce. He is listed on the 1953 Red Sox roster as a coach.

I don't see Williams on there unless he's on one of the sweet spots obliterated by the flash. His autograph is very distinctive but his vintage signature was a little simpler than what you normally see. Allie Reynolds autograph never changed much throughout his life. Here's what it should look like:

MooseDog · November 27, 2012 11:07PM

If the one under Boudreau is one of the one's you can't tell it my best guess is Rizzuto but I can't really tell from the scan. If you can get a better picture or scan I can tell you for sure.

harrell84 · November 28, 2012 5:27AM

Here is the one below Boudreau and then the one on the sweet spot under Casey Stengal

Thanks for the help. Any idea as to value after authenticated? In the shape it's in is it even worth getting authenticated?

MooseDog · November 28, 2012 6:02AM

I'm a little more sure the first is Rizzuto just based on the "shape" of the signature.

The other is not Reynolds, and looks close enough to be Williams. I can't say that it is Williams or a clubhouse sig though. If the ball did indeed belong to Mize the odds certainly favor it being good.

As to value - nicer NL signed balls from the same year show up in auction results from 2006- 2010 at around $1200 and a really nice NL ball at $1800. Yours, given the condition, I would think would be significantly lower than that, maybe in the $400-500 range at best if you consigned it to one of the major sports auction houses (less fees too), but you never know at auction. My experience is that "flawed" items, for lack of a better term, bring lower than estimates.

If you have a buyer at $1000 if you get authentication, and you really want to sell it, I think it's a no-brainer. Send it to PSA and sell it. If it were mine AND I was interested in selling I would do it and not worry about leaving money on the table. The one catch you might run into is that if the Williams is deemed to be a clubhouse signature, your buyer may bail at the $1000 price. If you have anything that can CONFIRM that Mize owned the ball then value rises significantly.

vladguerrero · November 28, 2012 6:07AM

Not to be a jerk but... first one in with "clubhouse" ...hope it's not though

harrell84 · November 28, 2012 6:24AM

I don't have any provenance saying it belonged to Mize, but it definitely did. In fact, he gave my grandfather a whole bag of balls that he had from over the years. He said that before he died he had become so grumpy and distant that he basically threw a bag across the barn with the balls in it and told my grandfather to burn them, lol.

I'll probably get it authenticated and just keep it. The board member that made the offer has rescinded it.

MooseDog · November 28, 2012 8:51AM

Personally, I'd forego the authentication. With a qualifier on the Williams because I can't see it, the other keys - Mantle, Berra, Paige, Fox, Stengel, all good. You don't need to pay $150 or more to have someone tell you that.

If, for your own peace of mind, you want an expert opinion I'd recommend contacting Jim Stinson Sports. He's currently doing online opinions on the Net54 board in exchange for a $20 donation to the Red Cross for Superstorm Sandy victims. I'd value his opinion on sports autographs, especially baseball, higher than just about anyone on the PSA staff.

Authentication For Red Cross

I would only go the PSA route if you intend to sell it in the very near future.

New to the board, need some help with an autographed item

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