Lot # 25: 1956 Ted Williams 400th Home Run Baseball with Family Letter of Provenance & SIA Photo Match LOA

History calls out long and loud, with this 1956 Ted Williams 400th home run baseball. On July 17, 1956, Williams became the fifth MLB player ever to reach the 400 home run plateau, when he belted a sixth inning pitch from Kansas City's Tom Gorman into the right field bleachers at Fenway Park. You don't have to imagine owning the baseball Ted hit for this historic milestone home run, because it's right here in front of you for the claiming. Collectors should be very familiar with this baseball, as it showed up in Williams left hand, in the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams card #57, captioned "1956 - Ted Reaches 400th Homer".

Adorned with a big, fat "400" penned in blue ink, this period correct OAL/Harridge baseball has been in the possession of family members of the friends Williams gave the ball to way back in the 1950s. The accompanying Letter of Provenance is signed by one of the family members, who states the ball was given to his aunt and uncle, along with other items Williams accumulated over the years. When the friends moved to Maine, Williams insisted the items go with them. The letter also states Williams would visit their Maine home on his way back from fishing the Maramichi River in Canada, something dedicated fans know he loved doing.

The Boston Globe reported this well-struck baseball was retrieved by Peter Hickey of Waltham, Massachusetts, and that Red Sox coach bullpen coach Mickey Owen and stadium ushers located Hickey, and traded him a new ball for the historic milestone ball. Williams announced he was giving Hickey two tickets to a future Sox game.

The factory labeling stamps on this evenly toned baseball are somewhat faded, but still readily discernible. In addition to the signed family letter, this amazing treasure is also accompanied by an SIA Photo Match Evaluation LOA. Seen below are images of the AP wire photograph of Williams holding his 400th home run bat and baseball, and the airbrushed 1959 Fleer card featuring the same shot. The images of the wire photograph and Fleer card are shown for reference only, and they do not come with the offered baseball.