By Amar Shah

They both served in the Army during the Great War. For both, baseball was more than a pastime. They both became fond of the written word. And tragically, both would have their lives cut short.

One of these men was Christy Mathewson, one of the greatest pitchers of all time. The legendary Hall of Fame New York Giants right-hander, known as the “Big Six” and the “Gentleman Hurler,” won 373 games during his career, won a World Series, and was named to Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team.

“He set a high moral code,” said manager Connie Mack of Mathewson. “He gave dignity and character to baseball. He was the greatest pitcher who ever lived.”

The other man was lesser known but served with the 15th Infantry Regiment in China and would later become a newspaper editor in Shanghai.

During Game 1 of the 1922 World Series, the two men’s paths may have crossed for an instant. More than 100 years later, a baseball signed by two baseball immortals involved in that World Series is the only surviving clue of that possible encounter.

This red-and-black-stitched Official National League baseball is signed in black ink by Mathewson and his Hall of Fame manager, John McGraw, and dated October 4, 1922, the date of Game 1. The duo worked together as player and manager for 15 years and created one of the most iconic pairings in baseball history with the New York Giants. Balls signed by both men are exceedingly rare, but the story of how this ball was preserved and passed down to our consignor from his grandfather - the original owner of the ball - is even more interesting.

“He (the consignor’s grandfather) served for two tours and was honorably discharged in April 1922, a few months before the ball was obtained,” the consignor said. “That would have given him more freedom than he would have been afforded while in the service.”

Fast forward to October 4. That day, the Giants hosted the Yankees for Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The Giants, led by Mathewson and McGraw, had beaten their crosstown rivals a year earlier, and the Bronx Bombers, led by Babe Ruth, were looking for redemption. Hours before the much-anticipated rematch was set to commence, the Polo Grounds were already starting to fill up.

“At noon most of the reserved seats had been filled, and the start of the game was two hours off,” The Michigan Daily reported. Among the late-arriving notables was Mathewson, “whose entrance thrilled the crowd.”

“We think that he probably traveled back home during that time and was somehow able to go to the World Series,” the consignor said of his grandfather.

Prior to the game is when the family believes the consignor’s grandfather was able to obtain both men’s signatures.

Collectors viewing the Mathewson-McGraw autographed baseball at REA’s booth inside the National.

But despite the proximity of their signatures on this extremely rare baseball, Mathewson and McGraw were very different types of individuals.

Writer Frank Deford wrote of Mathewson and McGraw, “Never were two men in sport so close to one another and yet so far apart in ilk and personality.”

McGraw was old-school and brash.

“McGraw eats gunpowder every morning and washes it down with warm blood,” Arlie Latham, a New York Giants coach, once said.

John McGraw managed the New York Giants from 1902-1932.

Mathewson was the opposite, earning a reputation as the Christian Gentleman.

“He had the sweetest, most gentle nature. Gentle in every way,” said his teammate and catcher Chief Meyers.

Despite their contrasting personalities, this unlikely pairing created years of success together.

While Mathewson had served in the United States Army’s Chemical Warfare Service during World War I, our consignor’s grandfather served as a wagoner with Company I of the 15th Infantry in China. His Army record listed his occupation as printer, and he was an avid baseball fan, even playing organized baseball in China.

“He went back to Shanghai, ran a paper there, and served as the chief editor of the Shanghai Evening Post,” the consignor said of his grandfather.

Sadly, during World War II, he was captured by the Japanese and placed in an internment camp. He was eventually released, but passed away at the age of 43.

Mathewson also became a writer, but he would eventually share another tragic similarity with the consignor’s grandfather.

During his time in the service, Mathewson was exposed to lethal gases that damaged his lungs. He later developed tuberculosis and died in 1925 at the age of 45, just three years after the ball was signed.

After the consignor’s grandfather died, the ball passed down to his son, who was only three years old at the time.

“It probably held a lot more value to him because it was one of the few things that his father passed down to him that he was able to hold on to,” the consignor said.

The family believes the signed baseball was carried out of Shanghai with the consignor’s grandfather’s wife and their young son.

The consignor’s father eventually became an avid collector himself.

“I knew he collected everything,” the consignor said. “He had ridiculous amounts of baseball cards and comics.”

After his father’s death, the ball remained with his wife.

“It was in a cedar closet at our old house, and then it was in my mother’s closet here,” the consignor said.

The family had always known about the ball. What changed was their understanding of its significance.

Although McGraw and Mathewson donned a New York Giants uniform together for fifteen seasons, baseballs signed by both legends are extremely rare.

“We always knew we had it,” the consignor said. “We always knew it was signed by Hall of Famers, and we always knew it was old. We just didn’t understand the significance of it until recently.”

Now, this heirloom connecting generations of fathers and sons will be offered as part of REA’s Summer Catalog Auction, running from July 28 to August 16.

After Mathewson died, McGraw mourned his former player and friend.

“I do not expect to see his like again,” he said.

The same might be said of the consignor’s grandfather and the extraordinary baseball he preserved.

This story was originally published on Sports Collectors Daily.

About Amar Shah

Amar Shah is a multiple Emmy-winning writer and producer who has written for ESPN.com, NFL.com, The Wall Street Journal, The Orlando Sentinel, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Slam Magazine and The Washington Post. In the 90s, Amar was a teen sports reporter and got to hang out with the Chicago Bulls during their golden era. He even landed on the cover for Sports Illustrated for Kids with Shaquille O’Neal. His debut novel "The Hoop Con" is now available with Scholastic. You can order it here: here.