Walter Johnson Single-Signed Baseball and Handwritten Letter - JSA

Sold For:

$18,000

Year:

1925

Auction:

2022 Spring

Lot #:

2268

Category:

Autographed Baseballs/Flats/Photos

Presented is an extraordinary official American League red-and-blue stitched baseball (Johnson) inscribed by Walter Johnson in black fountain pen across the sweet spot. Johnson has signed the ball "To Walter Johnson Hammer/Walter Johnson," with both the inscription and signature clearly legible. A date noted in an unknown hand on an adjacent side panel reads "4/3/25." The ball has been coated with a layer of protective shellac to which there are a few small chips and abrasions. In Very Good condition overall. This ball has a unique provenance as indicated by the personalization "To Walter Johnson Hammer," who was named after the pitching great. The ball is accompanied by a copy of a photo featuring the legendary Hall of Famer with Walter Johnson Hammer as a 6-month-old baby, who is holding this very ball! An article of this special introduction and the photo taken that day was featured on the front page of The Item-Tribune, a New Orleans based newspaper, on Sunday April 5, 1925. The caption explaining the event reads as follows: When Walter Johnson won the last game of the 1924 World Series, Charlie Hammer, a dyed-in-the-wool baseball fan, decided to name his newly born son in honor of the greatest twirler in the Majors and did so. Friday, when Johnson pitched his first game in New Orleans, Walter Johnson hammer looked on. Of course, young Mr. Hammer didn't know what it was all about, but when Walter Johnson took him in hand and posed for the above picture, the youngster "played the game" as if he did. Johnson placed in the hands of this namesake a new baseball autographed as follows: "To Walter Johnson Hammer From Walter Johnson" and the baby was clutching the baseball tightly when Walter passed him back to Papa Charley. A copy of this newspaper article is included. Accompanying the ball is a short handwritten letter by Walter Johnson, which reads as follows: Good Luck and Best Wishes/To my namesake, Walter Johnson Hammer/From Walter Johnson. The writing is scripted in black ink, and the note is in Excellent condition overall with just a single horizontal fold line at the center. The note includes the original mailing envelope (Johnson's personal stationery), postmarked November 24, 1924, which is addressed in Johnson's hand to Charlie Hammer. The envelope is heavily damaged but still intact. We are very familiar with this particular signed baseball as this is the second time we have had the privilege of offering it. Consigned directly from Walter Johnson Hammer (includes two signed letters), this ball originally appeared as Lot 661 in REA's Summer 1997 auction and has been consigned to this auction directly from the purchaser at that sale. All Walter Johnson single-signed balls are truly scarce, and virtually none have the remarkable provenance of this example! The fact that it is accompanied by a copy of a photo picturing Johnson with the recipient and a copy of newspaper article explaining the days event combine to make this single-signed ball one of the most ideal and unique examples that could possibly exist. Full LOAs from James Spence/JSA (separate letters for the ball and note). Total: 2 signed items (ball and note) plus various accompanied materials. Reserve $1,000.