Yankees-themed signed balls top Coach’s Corner Sep

Four signed baseballs, all with a New York Yankees theme, make up the top-four items for sale in Coach's Corner Sports and Celebrity September Auction.

The auction will end on Sept. 15, with online and fax bidding currently going on at the auction house's website. Overall, there will be more than 3,200 items available.

The lead item is a 1934 Tour of Japan signed ball with Babe Ruth's autograph on the sweet spot, as well as Lou Gehrig, Connie Mack, Jimmie Foxx and others on the squad. The ball is a vintage Reach League ball, the signatures are in variety of colored inks.

The second item is a Ruth single-signed Official American League Harridge baseball signed in blue ink on the sweet spot.

The next two items are Lou Gehrig-themed. One is a ball signed following the filming of the movie "Pride of the Yankees" and includes Eleanor (Mrs. Lou) Gehrig, Ruth on the sweet spot, Bill Dickey, actor Gary Cooper (who portrayed Gehrig in the film) and sportswriter/agent Christy Walsh. The ball is dedicated to "Billings Ford."

A Gehrig single-signed Official National League Heydler ball rounds out the top four assortment of Yankee-themed, baseballs.

Meanwhile, a 1960s Oak Vista vending machine loaded with 50 capsules containing baseball charms is on the auction block.

Back to the more traditional, the auction contains the usual supply of signed baseballs. Those offered this time include a Mel Ott signed Official NL Heydler ball, a Hank Greenberg signed Rawlings ball, a "Home Run" Baker signed vintage ball, a Thurman Munson signed Official AL ball, a Ty Cobb-Jimmie Foxx signed Official AL Cronin ball, a multi-signature Hall of Fame ball that includes Mantle, Nelson Fox, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and many more, a Sadaharu Oh signed Rawlings ball, a Satchel Paige signed NL Feeney ball and Curt Schilling's signature on his 100th career win baseball, which was consigned by a former Phillies teammate).

This auction features cuts, books, pictures and signed photos, including a Hank Aaron signed Braves litho, a Wilt Chamberlain signed photo, a Derek Jeter-Alex Rodriguez signed 16-by-20 photo, a Joe Louis-Sugar Ray Robinson signed boxing magazine page, a Ted Williams signed check and a Don Mattingly signed animation cell.

Other signed bats, uniforms, memorabilia and other equipment pieces include a Honus Wagner signed Louisville Slugger 125 bat, a signed Mickey Charles Mantle Louisville Slugger, a Ben Roethlisberger signed Steelers jersey, a Roethlisberger signed full-sized helmet, a Peyton Manning signed Colts team football, a Roger Maris-Mickey Mantle signed Louisville Slugger, a Lou Gehrig signed Louisville Slugger 125 bat, a Mario Lemieux game-used 40th All-Star game jersey and a Wilt Chamberlain signed basketball.

The auction also features a 1964 Topps Stand-Up of Mantle graded Gem Mint 10, a 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie card graded Pristine 10, a 30-card Perez-Steele first series postcard set from the Hall of Fame, a 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey card graded NM/MT 8, a 1971 Topps Terry Bradshaw rookie card graded pristine 10 and a 1976 Topps Walter Payton card graded pristine 10.

From the art and entertainment world comes a large-sized "Sopranos" signed cast photo, a Boris Karloff signed 8-by-10 photo, a 4-by-5 foot Frank Sinatra piece of original Kauffman artwork and a Walt Disney signed Donald Duck comic book.

From the pages of history comes a Pope John Paul II signed Vatican postcard, an Andrew Jackson signed Presidential document and a 1974 photo showing President and Mrs. Richard M. Nixon and President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford, signed by all four of them. 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