(LOT 1584)
Honus Wagner Signed Baseball PSA/DNA LOA
Honus "Hans" Wagner is considered one of the greatest ballplayers to EVER play the game and certainly of the early 1900s and 1910s, listed at shortstop on The Baseball Scholar's All-Decade Teams for both decades. Unusually built for baseball with a barrel chest, massive broad shoulders, huge hands and arms, and bowed legs that easily deprived him of an inch or two of height, the 5'11", 200 lb. Honus had expected power, but also a keen eye for hitting and an unexpected burst of speed. Beginning his big-league career with the Louisville Colonels in 1897, in 1899, the Flying Dutchman became the first player credited with stealing first, second, third and home in succession, a feat he repeated in 1902, '07 & '09. Remarkable! Joining his near-hometown Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900, Honus led the Buccos to the first 1903 World Series only to lose to the Boston Red Sox. However, in 1909 he was redeemed as he led the Pirates to World Series victory over the Ty Cobb-led Detroit Tigers. He hit .333 with seven RBIs and set a WS record with six stolen bases; the record stood until 1967.

Honus finished his 21-year career in the Steel City (1900-17), winning eight batting titles, leading the National League seven times in doubles and three times in triples and earning a reputation as the greatest NL player with Detroit's Ty Cobb wearing the same crown in the American League. His 131 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) remain the highest career total of any shortstop in history. All of these accolades, accomplishments and exploits led to his inclusion in the 1936 National Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class along with Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth and Christy Mathewson. Presented here is one of the finest single-signed Honus Wagner baseballs that Memory Lane has EVER had the pleasure to offer to our bidders.

This incredible William Harridge ball is signed by Honus Wagner in blue ballpoint on the Sweet Spot at about a "7-9" strength. At first glance this is single-signed; however, after ultra-close inspection, it was determined that "additional autographs have been intentionally obscured". While we do not know for certain when this ball was signed, it is presumably from the mid-1940s when Wagner was a coach for the Pirates. Regardless of the "intentional obscuring" of extra signatures, this gorgeous, cream-colored horsehide penned "only" with Honus Wagner on the Sweet Spot would certainly be the centerpiece of most single-signed baseball collections. PSA and Beckett LOAs included.

MIN BID $3,000
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