Local auctioneer with 1929 Babe Ruth auto ball - real or not?
 

Came across this local auctioneer who has a 1929 Babe Ruth autographed ball that apparently has passed PSA/DNA authentication. I'm no expert on autographs, especially Babe Ruth, but something looks slightly off about the "e" in Babe in this sig. PSA/DNA correct on this one?

Auction is next weekend -- I won't be bidding. Click on the upcoming auctions section/Babe Ruth info. page.

http://www.daileyauctions.com/

The autograph looks good to me, but I find his description interesting. Young John caught one of Ruth's home runs? that is NOT an official AL Ball obviously.

I currently live 10 miles from Burlington, Wisconsin which is where this ball came from. The description states that the owner and his father took the short drive to Comisky park to see the White Sox play. I can tell you that today, it would take me easily 2 hours to get to a Sox game on a Sunday morning with no traffic. I can only imagine in 1929, with no expressways how long it took them to get to the south side of Chicago from southern Wisconsin. There is no way in hell its just a "short trip" to the south side!!

Depends how you define short trip. It could have taken them 5 hours to get there. I grew up further away in Madison and remember it being roughly a 3 hour drive to Chicago on modern highway.

Ruth ball
 

I do not like the way the Ruth looks. That is just me, I would ask for Mr Simon to give his 2 cents. The signature just looks too perfect and free of any defects. Very level signature. Especially if there is a PSA 1 sig of Gehrig which I cannot see. I will say that I believe this comes from a collector / dealer in that area who has had other Ruth's, that appeared good to me. Maybe not the same person, but there has been other Ruth's come out of this area.

The auctioneer also calls this a "home run" ball. I suppose that ran out of official balls in the quaint midwest town where this game was played.

I'm certainly not an expert, but I don't think that I have ever seen a Mickey Mantle autograph where he has "dotted" the "i" with an "o" before like in the referenced auction.

http://www.daileyauctions.com/fullpic.php?picid=2861

The rest of it looks sloppy to me, but that "o" on the "i" just jumps out at me.

I wouldn't touch that Mantle w/ a long pole!

Ruth Ball - Sold!!!! $7250