1932 Yankees team-signed ball tops Coach’s Corner

A single-signed Babe Ruth baseball, a Marie Antoinette signed document from 1774, a 1932 Yankees team-signed baseball, a rare Beatles signed "Butcher" cover and a Lou Gehrig single-signed ball headline a list of items Coach's Corner Sports & Celebrity Auction, which will end April 28.

The auction features more than 3,500 items.

The lead item is a Ruth single-signed Official AL William Harridge baseball. It is signed on the sweet spot in bold blue ink and has been dated on the back as 1946 by the consignor.

Of equal interest to collectors is a single-signed off-white Lou Gehrig Official AL ball signed on the sweet spot as well as a team-signed Official NL Spalding ball that carries 14 autographs of the 1932 Yankees.
Prominent on this ball are Ruth (sweet spot), Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Herb Pennock, Tony Lazzeri, Dusty Cooke, Bill Dickey and others. Other Gehrig items include a signed magazine photo, a 6-by-8 Yankees photo and a signed Louisville Slugger bat.

The Antoinette document was signed July 15, 1774, and nominated Officer Serdeau as a Royal Table Steward of the Queen's Household. The document also includes many markings and seals and Antoinette's signature on the back in black ink.

A signed copy of the 1966 Beatles "Butcher" album cover ("Yesterday and Today"), which was considered in bad taste, is also available. All four members of the "Fab Four" have signed the cover in black marker.

Other interesting and significant signed baseballs offered in this auction include a Ty Cobb signed Official Little League ball, a Jimmie Foxx signed Official League ball, a Roberto Clemente signed Spalding ball, a Rogers Hornsby signed Official NL ball, a Sam Rice signed red-laced 1950s ball, a Christy Mathewson signed Official Federal League ball, a Chuck Klein signed Rawlings ball and a Cy Young signed Official NL Giles ball.

This auction features some noteworthy cuts, books and signed photos such as a J. H. O'Rourke signed postcard, a Jackie Robinson signed (and cashed) check, a Jake Beckley signed pencil cut, a W. A. Hulbert signed 3-by-5 card, a Roberto Clemente signed 5-by-7 photo, a Thurman Munson signed Yankees photo, a Turkey Stearnes signed and dated 3-by-5 card (signed one year before he died), a Barry Bonds signed 19-by-33 giclee on canvas, an Old-Timers photo album with 18 superstar signatures including Stengel, Frisch, Marquard, Feller, Joe DiMaggio, Cronin, Dickey and others, and a Joe Kelley signed scrapbook cut.

Also a golf legends signed 8-by-10 photo, circa 1993, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Gary Player, Fred Couples, Corey Pavin, Byron Nelson, the late Payne Stewart, Greg Norman and others (totaling 13).
Signed uniforms, memorabilia and equipment include a Jim Brown signed NFL football, a Derek Jeter signed All-American Pro Model bat and a signed Yankees jersey, a Mike Schmidt game-used and signed Phillies 1987 home jersey, a Sandy Koufax signed Dodgers jersey and a Wayne Gretzky hand-signed Rangers jersey.

The auction also features a Hank Aaron signed bat in a Pennzoni display case, a Honus Wagner signed vintage baseball glove, a Ty Cobb signed baseball bat, a Jim Thorpe signed mini bat and a Jimmie Foxx signed souvenir bat.

Other items in the auction are a 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle card No. 150 graded pristine 10. Also among sports cards offered will be a 1967 Topps Joe Namath card graded pristine and a 1980-81 Topps rookie card of both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, graded pristine 10.

From the art and entertainment world comes a pair of Marilyn Monroe signed pieces. One of them is a black-and-white photo of Monroe with actor Sir Lawrence Olivier and the other is a cut presented in a Lucite holder with a few Monroe photos. Also available are a signed W. C. Fields 8-by-10 photo, a signed "Hogan's Heroes" cast photo and a Pablo Picasso signed government postcard.

From the pages of history comes a hand-written note from "Moby Dick" author Herman Melville (dated Feb. 1, 1869). Bids will be accepted online at www.myccsa.com, by phone at 215-721-9162 or by mail prior to the auction date.

- Ted Taylor