Christy Mathewson Single Signed 1918 National League Baseball PSA DNA & JSA COA

Introduction

In the rough and tumble Dead Ball Era of our national pastime, when the sport was populated by brawling drunks and illiterate farmhands, Christy Mathewson was recognized almost as much for his gentlemanly comportment as he was for his remarkable Hall of Fame abilities. As commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis famously eulogized the fallen baseball hero, “He was an inspiration to everybody, and may we have more of his kind.” The 373-game winning right-hander autographed this 1918 Official National League (Heydler) ball in the years just before his untimely demise, the delayed result of a World War I gas attack.

This early passing, and bulk of the century that has since elapsed, have conspired to deny the collecting hobby of all but a meager few autograph exemplars, particularly on the hide of a baseball. In fact, fewer than twenty Matty singles have are known to exist. This specimen distinguishes itself within that endangered species, with most of the letters of the side panel signature applied in very bold black fountain pen ink. We suspect that this was a game used baseball that was presented to him after being fouled or homered into the stands.

Regardless of its specific derivation, the Mathewson single allows one serious hobbyist to fill an empty space present in all but the most impressive and comprehensive of Hall of Fame autograph collections
Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.

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