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1954 President Dwight Eisenhower Single Signed Baseball From TV Game Show
Opening Day in Washington, April 13, 1954. Game is between the Washington Senators and the World Champion New York Yankees. President Dwight David Eisenhower throws out the first pitch of the season to Yankee pitcher Johnny Sain. Photographers wanted more photo-ops so young pitcher Gonzalo Naranjo basically had a catch with the President. Now national news, Naranjo was a contestant on the highly rated television game show I've Got A Secret. Naranjo's secret: "I played catch with Ike at the ball game yesterday." The event was so well known that panelist Bill Cullen actually correctly guessed, "Are you the fellow that played catch with (Ike)?!?!" Gonzalez proceeds to pull out this very baseball and discusses all the details and that Eisenhower signed this baseball for him. And here it is! It is important to note from a historical standpoint that this baseball was signed by Eisenhower as President. Official American League baseball (Will Harridge era) signed by "Dwight D. Eisenhower" in blue ink beginning on a side panel and carrying over into the sweet spot. Also included are two videotapes, the first of which shows footage from Eisenhower throwing out the first ball that day. The second tape contains footage from the show I've Got A Secret on which Naranjo was a contestant because of this ball. This footage is the ultimate provenance. Gonzalo gave the "catch" ball to Sain and then got the ball back from manager Bucky Harris. Condition: Signature is overall EX-MT. Ball itself is cream colored with a couple of brown spots nowhere near the signature from foxing.
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