Auction Item Details
Lot 18
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Lot Number: 18
Description: Scarce 1919 World Series Game Six attributed baseball (Ray Schalk provenance). Orange and black stitched Spalding Official National League baseball bears a side panel notation, done in period fountain pen, reading "Worlds Series, Oct 7th at Cincinnati, Sox 5 Reds 4, 10 innings, 1919." The game was played at Redland Field in Cincinnati and would mark the second won by Chicago after the Reds took a commanding (4) games to (1) lead. The best of nine series would go on to become on the most famous, and infamous, in baseball history as the "Eight Men Out" had conspired with gamblers to lose in exchange for a tidy sum of money. Chicago went on to win Game (7) before a late night visit to Sox pitcher Lefty Williams before Game (8) is said to have compelled him to give up an early lead, and thus the Championship, to the Reds. Ball has soiling and evident usage wear throughout with largely faded stampings. The baseball has an incredible provenance having descended in the family of a Chicago area Italian gentleman who spent his early teen years working at a Chicago south side social club called "the 504 Club". According to family history, the man relayed his tales of running errands and making drinks for these low level "goodfellas" of the day who frequented the club. During the late 40's and early 50's while the gentleman was working at the club, Ray Schalk owned a bowling alley on the South side of Chicago. Apparently, Ray owed some money to one or more of the club members. The guys at the club were able to recoup some of the money that Ray owed from his business. Along with cash from Ray, they obtained many memorabilia items to which several were given to the young man as a tip for his work. One such item was this particular 1919 World Series baseball. The ball resided in the family collection since that point and was recently discovered by a direct descendant. One of a scant few game equipment artifacts related to the most infamous World Series in the history of the game. Includes letter of provenance from the family and LOA from Hunt Auctions: EXEstimated Price Range: ($5,000-$10,000)
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