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Extraordinary Jimmie Foxx Single-Signed Ball - PSA/DNA MINT 9
Sold For:
$39,000
Year: 1955
Auction: 2015 Fall
Lot #: 8
Auction: Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos
MacGregor "Offical Southern Association" (Hurth) ball signed in black ink across the sweet spot by legendary Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx. This is one of, if not the finest Jimmie Foxx single-signed ball in the hobby, and certainly the finest we have ever had the pleasure of handling. Graded MINT 9 by PSA/DNA. The autograph has been graded 9 and the ball graded 8, for a final overall grade of 9 (as noted in the accompanying LOA from PSA/DNA, a final grade can receive a plus or minus of .5 depending upon the ball's eye-appeal). PSA does not currently publish a population report regarding graded single-signed balls; however, it has confirmed that no GEM MINT 10 Jimmie Foxx single-signed balls are listed in its database. As such, this ball ranks as the highest-graded example and stands as a paragon of excellence to which all other Foxx singles will now be compared. The current SMR value for a Jimmie Foxx MINT 9 single-signed ball is $75,000. We have never seen or heard of another MINT 9 Foxx single. The highest-graded PSA/DNA Foxx single-signed ball that we know of, an 8.5 example, sold at auction for $58,139 in October 2013. At that time the auction house described it as the highest-graded Foxx single-signed ball ever certified by PSA/DNA. Obviously, that title was short-lived following this ball's entry into the hobby.
This ball has been in our consignor's family as a keepsake for many decades and was only recently submitted for grading. Unfortunately, the current (youngest) family member has no knowledge of the exact details of which family member obtained it, except that his uncle worked at the Polo Grounds and his family has long had a great connection to the game as serious fans. (In fact, our consignor's father is actually pictured in the front row of the stands in the famous photo of Willie Mays' September 29, 1954, World Series catch! He is the one holding the newspaper, seated next to his friend Bobby Nelson). Charles Hurth was president of the Southern Association from the mid-1940s to sometime in the late 1950s (he was a nephew-in-law of Branch Rickey and in 1960 Hurth was appointed president of Rickey's new Continental League). In any event, the Southern Association folded in 1961, thereby almost certainly dating this ball to the 1950s. As reflected in its grade of 8 by PSA/DNA, the ball appears almost exactly as it did when removed from its original box, with all of the manufacturer's stampings remaining bold and legible. Foxx's signature is equally impressive and contrasts beautifully against the white background. If any collector has been waiting for the perfect Jimmie Foxx single-signed ball, that wait is now over, for we cannot imagine a finer example ever surfacing. The ball remains housed in its original PSA/DNA ball cube (seal broken). Full LOA from PSA/DNA and LOA from James Spence/JSA.
Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).
This ball has been in our consignor's family as a keepsake for many decades and was only recently submitted for grading. Unfortunately, the current (youngest) family member has no knowledge of the exact details of which family member obtained it, except that his uncle worked at the Polo Grounds and his family has long had a great connection to the game as serious fans. (In fact, our consignor's father is actually pictured in the front row of the stands in the famous photo of Willie Mays' September 29, 1954, World Series catch! He is the one holding the newspaper, seated next to his friend Bobby Nelson). Charles Hurth was president of the Southern Association from the mid-1940s to sometime in the late 1950s (he was a nephew-in-law of Branch Rickey and in 1960 Hurth was appointed president of Rickey's new Continental League). In any event, the Southern Association folded in 1961, thereby almost certainly dating this ball to the 1950s. As reflected in its grade of 8 by PSA/DNA, the ball appears almost exactly as it did when removed from its original box, with all of the manufacturer's stampings remaining bold and legible. Foxx's signature is equally impressive and contrasts beautifully against the white background. If any collector has been waiting for the perfect Jimmie Foxx single-signed ball, that wait is now over, for we cannot imagine a finer example ever surfacing. The ball remains housed in its original PSA/DNA ball cube (seal broken). Full LOA from PSA/DNA and LOA from James Spence/JSA.
Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).