This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 6/25/2015.
Following the 1931 baseball season, a team of Major League All-Stars organized by Herb Hunter and Fred Lieb travelled to Japan for a 17-game goodwill tour. The ‘31 tour followed in the footsteps of the Tours of Japan in the 1920s. The Americans played 17 games against top collegiate teams and amateur all-star squads, winning all. The Japanese were over-matched, scoring just 30 runs as the Major Leaguers pounded out 149. The consensus was that the Japanese were slick fielders and had some good pitchers but were poor hitters. This “KOMATSU” manufactured “National Junior League” baseball features the signatures of 17 members of the United States All-Star Team that visited Japan in 1931. Notable signatures include Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Mickey Cochrane, Frank “Lefty” O’Doul, Rabbit Maranville, Al Simmons, George “High Pockets” Kelly and Lefty Grove. Also featured on the ball is Fred Lieb, an American Sportswriter, baseball historian and close friend of Lou Gehrig who with Herb Hunter organized the 1931 Tour of Japan. Lieb was inducted into the writer’s wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. Hunter’s signature is also present, he played in the majors from 1916-1921, served in the Navy in both WWI and WWII, and orchestrated the Tours of Japan in 1920 and 1922. Additional signatures include Harold “Muddy” Ruel, Tom Oliver, Willie Kamm, Larry French, Ralph Shinners, Billy Cunningham, “Beans” Reardon (umpire) and Dr. Leonard Knowles (team trainer). The signatures are all done in black fountain ink and in our opinion rate a 9 overall with Gehrig being on the light-side. The baseball is in immaculate condition, a true piece of baseball history. Accompanied by a Full LOA from JSA. Jimmy Spence reviewed his files and told us that this is the best example of a 1931 U.S. All-Stars Tour of Japan baseball that he has ever seen. Comes with the original cardboard box for the Japanese-manufactured baseball.