Auction Item Details
Lot 925
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Lot Number: 925
Description: Significant 1905 World Series Last Out Baseball inscribed by John McGraw. Enormously significant toned and game used official baseball which is believed to be the last ball in play on October 14, 1905 when the New York Giants defeated their arch rivals the Phila. Athletics for the World Championship. Game #5 pitted the two most feared pitchers in baseball against each other; the A's Chief Bender and the Giants Christy Mathewson. Bender pitched well giving up only five hits but Mathewson was just too much retiring the final ten batters that he faced to win his third game of the Series with a record third shutout and complete what many hostorian feel is among the greatest accomplishments in baseball history. Ball itself is toned and shows good game usage wear, McGraw has signed the side panel, "To Mr. Brush I give to you this Championship base ball J.J. McGraw". Sigature and inscription are clearly legible and rate between 4-7 out of 10. Other panels are inscribed as follows: Panel #1-"Giants 1905 Champs of the World"; Panel #2-"Phila. v. New York Nationals Series "1905" Oct. 14. '05 Last Ball in Play Mathewson Defeats Bender"; Panel #3-"From His Giants to the "Mr." McGraw 1905". Ball is accompanied by a period scrapbook from John McGraw's effects believed to have been compiled by his wife that includes John Brush signed letter from Dec. 21, 1905 regarding a "present". Based on the ball inscriptions, provenance, and scrapbook we can clearly deduce that this last out ball was presented by the team to John McGraw and then given by McGraw to Giants President John Brush. The ball came from the collection of McGraw so we can only assume that the ball was at some point returned to John McGraw possibly upon the death of Brush. It is notable and extraordinarily rare that a ball of this significance with clear lineage of descent and provenance becomes available for public sale and should be considered one of the finest pieces of its' type in the hobby: VG-EX overall
Estimated Price: ($15,000.00-$20,000.00)
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