As part of the festivities to officially open the baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, current and former major league players participated in a ballgame called the "Cavalcade of Baseball" at Doubleday Field with Eddie Collins and Honus Wagner serving as honorary captains. It was the only time such a game took place as the benefit game was changed to a match up of two major league teams the following year. Mel Ott, Hank Greenberg and Dizzy Dean led the Collins team while the "Wagners" were headlined by Arky Vaughan, Ducky Medwick and Lefty Grove. A total of 27 signatures cover the surface of this incredible OAL (Harridge) ball, including many of the honored Hall of Famers as well as participants of the game with 15 Cooperstown inductees in total, along with a United States Postage stamp commemorating 100 years of baseball affixed between the stitches. Rarely has there been a collection of baseball legends so immaculately displayed on a signed baseball than this OAL (Harridge) orb. A light layer of shellac was expertly applied to give the ball a slight toning but preserves and magnifies the incredible autographs. To the left of the postage stamp is a stunning Babe Ruth signature, just below Clark Griffith and above Honus Wagner, with Connie Mack, George Sisler, Carl Hubbell, Gabby Hartnett, Eddie Collins, Lloyd Waner, Billy Herman, Ford Frick, Casey Stengel, Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Cy Young rounding out the Cooperstown crowd. We've seen several first day covers that are signed by the honored Hall of Famers, the finest of which is also offered in this auction, but this is the only signed baseball known that includes the honored HOFers as well as many of the game participants. This ball should probably be on display in Cooperstown but will no doubt reside in a world-class collection. LOA from JSA.
***ADDENDUM*** There are actually 16 Hall of Famers on this incredible ball. Arky Vaughan is mentioned in the description as having played in the game but it was omitted that his signature appears on the ball as well, which is significant since he is one of the tougher Hall of Fame signatures of the time period. One of the top players in baseball at the time this ceremonial game was played, his passing came in 1952 at the young age of just 40 years old. The title has been changed to reflect the correction.