Earliest Known Yogi Berra Single Signed 1944 Baseball With Home Address Beckett
$2,495.00
Maybe you're a fan of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra's classic malapropisms, his steadfast resolve as the backstop to a Yankees' dynasty, or his career as a coach. Either way, this is one of the earliest examples of Berra's signature known to collectors! Still, Berra is not only a legend in the MLB Hall of Fame but also served with distinction in the Navy as a gunner's mate on the USS Bayfield during the Normandy invasion. Berra was shot in the left hand during Operation Dragoon, subsequently hiding the injury from his worried mother and avoiding the Purple Medal paperwork, as it would alert his mother to his injury. This Spalding Official Duro-Seam Softball, containing evidence of wear, includes one of the earliest Berra signatures in the hobby and was signed and inscribed on Nov. 20, 1944. Berra inscribed "To Timothy" in black ink, adding "Nov. 20, 1944 Yogi" and "Larry – Berra 5447 Elizabeth Ave St. Louis Norfolk -TARS K.C. Blues" in faded black ink. It is interesting to note that Berra signed his street address in his hometown of St. Louis, as the street has the nickname "Hall of Fame Place" due to his friend Joe Garagiola Sr. and announcer Jack Buck's street as well. Berra made his debut in 1946 with the Yankees, going on to have one of the most celebrated careers in MLB history. This is your chance to obtain one of the earliest pre-MLB signatures from Berra, and the scarcity of his early signatures makes this all the more in demand. The ball is accompanied by an LOA from Beckett Authentication for the signature and inscription.
D#11
