Interesting Antiques Roadshow article

[cubman1941]

Just read this about a person who brought in two signed baseballs to Antiques Roadshow. Prime example of either the appraiser not knowing, mis-speaking or the translator of the article not knowing or not proof reading. The player in question is Joe Giard who played with the Yankees one year according Baseball -Reference.com.

"Curious about how they had been stored, Philip asked where they were kept, to which the guest admitted: "Oh they were in a sock drawer, a dresser drawer and I didn't think they were much of anything." Philip then revealed: "Well let's just say this is going to be a tale of two baseballs."
He pointed out: "The first baseball here on the right is really interesting, because you see there's [a signature from] Babe Ruth right here on the sweet spot. And then when you flip it over to this side, right here, you have Lou Gehrig and then when you flip it over again, you have what I call the key signature. Not that it's the most important player but that's right here, Joe Girardi."

Philip, discussing the importance of the autograph, said: "Joe Girardi was the key signature as he only played on the Yankees for one year and by having him on the baseball, we're able to identify this as a 1927 Yankee baseball." "

[Kevin]

Wait, what?

[cubman1941]

Yup, the article quoted the appraiser as saying - Joe Girardi. I thought at first Girardi had gotten a baseball signed by Ruth and Gehrig and added his name but no - the appraiser said it could be identified as a 1927 ball because Joe Girardi only played for the Yankees one year - 1927.

[bnorth]

I have a Joe Girardi warmup jacket from when he was the manager of the Yankees with all the bells and whistles. Maybe I should quit wearing it all the time.

[frankbmd]

As a chubby little kid in 1957, I met Benny Bengough, who did play on the '27 Yankees. Bengough was a coach for the '57 Phillies and spoke at our church in Clearwater, FL during the Phillies spring training. I have his autograph, but no balls from 1927.

I didn't see the program referred to above, but Benny confirmed that he was the third string catcher on the '27 Yankees team behind Collins and Grabowski.

Joe Girardi was born in Peoria in 1964.

[Topnotchsy]

For those who aren't fully following...


https://www.baseball-reference.com/p...iardjo01.shtml