1945-46 Santurce Crabbers Autographed Baseball With Josh Gibson

Auction: Spring 2006 Catalog

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1945-46 Santurce Crabbers Autographed Baseball With Josh Gibson

A signed baseball for the ages. The rarest of rarities: a team signed baseball that features the "Black Babe Ruth". He is joined by a dozen of his Santurce Cangreros (“Crabbers”) teammates from his final season in Puerto Rico. All are in blue fountain pen: Joshua Gibson, Pedro Cepeda (signed as “Perucho”), Juan E. (Tetelo) Vargas, Negro Leaguer Joe Fillmore, Kirkpatrick Aponte, Sammy Cespedes, Coco Ferrer, Alfonso Gerard, Manuel (Manache) Hernandez, Radames Lopez, “Bala” (Bullet) Diaz, “Arturo”, Pedro Zorrilla (the team owner), Pedro Millan Clara, Rafaelito Ortiz, and M. Vazquez. The Gibson signature is one of the strongest on the ball, rating an 8.5/10 all the way. The balance are 7-9 overall. Shellacked to a light gold tone, the ball presents very well. The ball itself is quite interesting. A Spalding Official National League (Ford Frick) ball it has the added wartime “U.S.” stamp. It also has the Puerto Rican League official stamp "Liga Professional de Base Ball de Puerto Rico" on the sweet spot with "Fernando Zegri, Pres." seal on the side panel. This is one of only three known baseballs that bear an authentic signature of Josh Gibson. We are aware of two others: one came from the Cool Papa Bell Collection and was auctioned by us in the 1980s; the second was also a Puerto Rican League team ball but Gibson’s name was “printed” rather than being in script, this ball here is the third. To our knowledge a single signed baseball does not exist (the ones we have seen auctioned were not authentic). EX.