The Babe and Al Capone: Together on a Baseball

Mile High Card Co. has announced an unparalleled sports/historical artifact coming to market: A Babe Ruth/Al Capone autographed baseball obtained from the combined families of Hall Of Famer Herb Pennock and fellow Hall Of Famer Eddie Collins and made available with exceptional provenance.

The featured keepsake is an immensely rare item and is widely thought to be the only signed baseball featuring the two most iconic men from the roaring 1920s through the 1930s Depression era of America.

The offered ball traces its lineage back like a fine wine or a champion racehorse. In 1931, the year that Al Capone was on trial for tax evasion, the New York Yankees played at Comiskey Stadium on Chicago's south side on three different occasions, including a one game stint on May 9, as well as two other five-game series on June 23-25 as well as Aug. 23-26. The featured ball was signed by Capone, who was a known baseball fan, and although signing the ball first, he opted for a side panel full while recognizing that he was amongst the royalty of the game.

None other than New York Yankee Hall of Famer Herb Pennock was the one who asked for the feared gangster’s penmanship upon the ball. After being granted the Capone autograph, Pennock thought it would create quite an heirloom if he had his teammate and friend Babe Ruth add his autograph to the ball. Ruth, as if transfixed by the association to the gangland legend, has added a prominently large well-scripted and flowing ensemble. The ball is consigned to Mile High from the family of Hall of Famer Eddie Collins and Hall of Famer Herb Pennock, who originally obtained the amazing sphere.

This phenomenal item comes with a tremendous amount of amazing evidence that includes the following: A tremendous hand-written account of the ball from Eddie Collins grandson in which he relates an account of Miller Huggins reprimanding Yankee players for interacting with such an unsavorable character such as Capone before a game. Also included is an interview of Eddie Collins grandson from the pages of Sports Collectors Digest in the mid-1990s in which he recounts the offered ball and its place within his famous family’s history. As well there are several photographs displayed upon our website that were offered up by the Collins family as testimony to the authenticity of the esteemed orb, including one which Herb Pennock’s daughter is being held as a small girl by Babe Ruth. The ball comes with LOA’s from James Spence Authentication (JSA) as well as John Reznikoff of University Archives.

This exceptional piece of Americana will be one of the many key items featured in Mile High Card Co.’s January Premium Auction that will be live on their website at www.milehighcardco.com starting Jan. 14 and culminating Jan. 31.