Lot # 988: 1964-1966 Pittsburgh Pirates Multi-Signed Wilson Prep League Baseball with Roberto Clemente - Full JSA LOA

A vintage treasure surfaces in the form of this 1964-1966 Pittsburgh Pirates multi-signed Wilson Prep League baseball. While this ball is adorned with four signatures, the one that matters most is that of the great Roberto Clemente. The others are Vern Law, Jim Pagliaroni, and Jerry Lynch, and the overlap period for this quartet of Pirates stars playing together was 1964-1966. The greatly admired Clemente was at his peak during this period, winning back-to-back National League batting crowns in 1964-1965, followed by winning the NL MVP award in 1966, when he recorded career bests for home runs and runs batted in. Favorably for display purposes, the signatures are located individually on separate side panels of the evenly toned ball. The signatures of Clemente, Law, and Pagliaroni remain fairly distinct, while Lynch's signature has softened, and the ball's factory labeling is readily discernible. Clemente's remarkable play made him a diamond legend, and his ultimate sacrifice at the age of 38, during a 1972 New Year's Eve relief mission to aid Nicaraguan earthquake victims, cemented his status as a genuine hero.

Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.