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#13
12-21-2011, 06:57 PM
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These two photos from my collection show the Bambino signing under normal circumstances. For three decades, Babe Ruth signed tens of thousands of BASEBALLS. Christy Walsh saw to that. Anywhere Ruth went, be it a luncheon in his honor, a hospital to cheer up the sick, a train stop on the way to the next city, were the local dignitaries and the town kinship would wait for the Yankees train to make a quick stop, Christy Walsh made damn sure that there was a never-ending supply of fresh balls for the Big Bam to sign.
He also made scores of visits to Army bases all over the country, where once again, several dozen balls would be signed and given away. Don't forget his vaudeville days. Balls, Balls, & more Balls. I haven't even started on what the country's top Ruth Scholar Bill Jenkinson, called his "Hidden Career". Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of games and appearances. They would include, Spring Training games, Exhibition Games, which were mandatory for ALL big league players to participate in, and at no extra money! It was the owners who prospered from those games. Also included in his "Hidden Career" were the Barnstorming games and appearances. Babe Ruth played in dozens of Barnstorming games in EVERY season he was active in, as those were the games in which he made a fortune everywhere they played. More Balls. Before and after a Barnstorming game, Ruth was called upon to speak to local ladies clubs businessmen, lunch with the town's politicians, in which MORE BALLS were signed. This is just a very brief summary of how and why Babe Ruth signed Baseballs are the commodity they are today. Here was the supply and we are the demand!  Also, if you're wondering where I got this information. Some from reading as much as I could about Ruth's life as well as books, articles, interviews, from his teammates that also shed some light on the Babe's "Hidden Career". But the most important info that I have gotten regarding the "how did Babe Ruth sign so many Baseballs?" question that's driving us crazy... I've been friends with the Christy Walsh Family for 10 years now, and have had multiple conversations with the Family regarding this specific issue. The comparison was made that Christy Walsh spent more money on brand new Baseballs than he did on his office rent! He was the brains behind the Bambino and single handedly changed the way America's big business advertised their goods. And when Babe would sign a new deal with, say Ford or Burmashave, everyone there got Babe Ruth Signed Baseballs!  So, I hope this sheds some light on why there are so many signed Ruth balls. There are probably hundreds more sitting in someones attic, basement, bottom drawer and who knows where else. With my best regards, Jimmy BTW... On a personal note, when I bought my very first photo from the Walsh's, Mrs. Christy Walsh Jr's wife Pat, told me that I was the first person that had bought from the family since Barry Halper! Which I thought was pretty cool. The photo on the left was acquired from the Walsh Family. BabeRurhChristyWalsh.jpgbabeandkidssnapshot.jpg Last edited by thekingofclout; 12-21-2011 at 08:14 PM. 
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