Does a 1938 baseball signed by Fred Haney and others have any value?

[giacomo30]

I have recently found 2 baseballs of my grandfathers with signatures on them. My gramps, Bill Francis Miller aka wild bill played minor league ball for san antonio missions 1936,1937,1939 also the toledo mud hens in 1938, the st. louis browns for 1 game on oct. 2nd 1937, hollywood stars 1938, and finished with the springfield browns 1940. Anyways ive recently been trying to find some memoribliaon him online and come to find at my grandmothers house his old ome found 2 baseballs signed but what seems to and be some players from the 1938 mud hens such as (fred haney, benny mccoy but his signature is spelled what looks like Bennie Micoy but its same person, also signed by joe rogalski, gordie hinkle, ed coleman and there r a few others cant quite read but just know learning names. The other ball is from people from the san antonio missions 1936-1937 what i can read is signed by (sig gryska, sam harshaney, buck stanton, and 3 maybe 4 more people). Some of these signatures i dont recognize from research cld be coaches or even a few players from other teams. So im just curious which i will anyways is this somthing to feel good about having or finding.

[danc]

Unfortunately, looking up those specific teams on Baseball-Reference.com, a lot of those players failed to make much of an impact in the majors (some just a cup of coffee) and outside of Fred Haney, and these being obscure minor league teams, the value is rather minimal. Maybe $50-60 each.

DanC

[Chris Counts]

Also, the condition of the ball, the clarity of the signatures and even the maker of the ball can play a significant role in its value ...

[rhettyeakley]

If decent the values of these balls would be more than $50 or so each.

It sounds a bit morbid but often the value of anything signed has more to do with when the person passed away than it does with how much of an impact they had in the game. A quick look at the names and Rogalski passed in 1951, Coleman in 1964--both fairly early dates for someone playing in the late 1930's. Of the two balls the Mud Hens is worth more as it was a higher minor league and the vast majority of their players at least had a cup of coffee in the majors.

Also, if the 1938 Mud Hens ball possibly has Ox Ockhardt on it that would be a nice signature!

-Rhett

[HexsHeroes]

.

giacomo30,

the premium autograph on your ball, if present, would be Joe Rogalski. He had a very brief cup of coffee with the 1939 Detroit Tigers, and died fairly young in 1951. Single signed, on a flat item, he's a $150-$300 autograph. Not sure of the value on a minor league ball, but should still generate some interest from collectors.