Lot # 950: 1939 American League All-Stars Team Signed OAL/Harridge Baseball with (21) Signatures Including Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg - Full JSA LOA

It was a lucky 7th playing of the All-Star Game for the American Leaguers, when they participated in the period signing of the offered OAL/Harridge baseball. The AL squad came out on top of a tight contest, winning by a score of 3-1. The venue turned out to be even luckier for the hometown crowd, as Yankee Stadium hosted both the All-Star Game, and the World Series in 1939. The Yankees stars performed admirably in both of these main stage events, sweeping the World Series, and collecting half of the AL squad's six hits in the Mid-Summer Classic, including a 5th inning home run by Joe DiMaggio. While time has taken its toll on the (21) signatures covering the offered baseball, fortune has smiled on some of the biggest stars. The Jimmie Foxx signature stands out as the most distinct example, and those of Bill Dickey, Hank Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio are easy to spot.

Featured signers are:

Sweet spot: undetermined, "Lefty" Grove (HOF, d.1975);

North panel: Johnny Murphy (d.1970), George McQuinn (d.1978), Rollie Hemsley (d.1972), Bob Johnson, "Red" Rolfe (d.1969);

South panel: Joe DiMaggio (HOF), Tommy Bridges (d.1968), "Red" Ruffing (HOF), George Selkirk, Jimmie Foxx (HOF, d.1967);

East panel: undetermined, John Schulte, "Doc" Cramer, Luke Appling (HOF), Bob Feller (HOF);

West panel: Ted Lyons (HOF), Bill Dickey (HOF), Hank Greenberg (HOF), Joe Cronin (HOF), Joe Gordon (HOF, d.1978).

Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.