Baseball Signed By Babe Ruth From The Film The Pride Of The Yankees

photo: sotheby’s

Spalding National League baseball signed by a number of people involved with the film The Pride of the Yankees; lightly soiled overall, some signatures rubbed and faded, a couple of scuffs, including one below Ruth's signature. Mounted on an ink blotter marked The Pride of the Yankees | Compliments of Christy Walsh."

Frank Cory was a Hollywood studio guard in the 1920s to 1940s who became friendly with Gary Cooper. Cooper starred as Lou Gehrig in the 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees, and arranged for others involved in the film to join him in signing this ball for Cory. Gehrig's widow inscribed the ball "with appreciation Eleanor Gehrig." It is also signed by Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey, two of Gehrig's teammates who played themselves in the movie; Babe Herman, a left-handed major-leaguer who doubled in some scenes for the right-handed Cooper; co-star Walter Brennan; director Sam Wood; and producer Sam Goldwyn. Christy Walsh was babe Ruth's agent.