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A Lou Gehrig Graduation Day

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Topnotchsy

Featured Contributor, The best players in history?
Aug 7, 2008
9,446
170
After years of working during the day and going to school part-time at night, today was my graduation and officially have an MBA.

For those who have been following my collection (which probably amounts to a single person: me) I've found that the items I find most interesting are the one's that are attached to areas where baseball intersects with other elements of life. I've sold a lot of the cards I own and picked up some signed items that grabbed me.

I've been watching this ball for a few months but was never able to pull the trigger. Now I figured I'll take my freedom from paying grad school tuition and treat myself to something special.

Beginning in the 1910's the US sent baseball teams to Japan periodically. The most famous team to ever go was in 1934 and included Babe Ruth, a cast of All-Stars, and Moe Berg, the catcher who was also a government spy.

Slightly less famous was the team that went in 1931 but the team was loaded with great players including: [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] Lou Gehrig, Rabbit Maranville, Mickey Cochrane, Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, George Kelly, Lefty O'Doul,[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] etc.[/FONT] and that's who signed this ball.





Japan Ball 1.jpgJapan Ball4.jpg

Japan5.jpgJapan Ball2.jpg
Japan Ball3.jpgJapan 6.jpg
 

A_Pharis

Active member
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Juan Gris

Well-known member
May 23, 2013
2,222
106
Columbus, OH
Absolutely stunning! There is so much history on that ball that it would be hard for me to put it down once I started looking it over. Congrats on the MBA and the ball.
 

BigAppleJak

Member
Aug 8, 2008
990
2
Great ball, and congrats on your MBA!
If you have the time, read the Moe Berg Biography, Catcher was a Spy, amazing stuff.
His photos of Japan from this tour were used in our bombing runs during WWII!!!

Congrats again!
 

mchenrycards

Featured Contributor, Vintage Corner, Senior Membe
As one who went to school the same way you did I congratulate you as I know it is not easy at all. So congrats on the MBA and congrats on the great pick up. I am surprised to see the autograph of noted sports writer and Gehrig friend Fred Lieb on the ball. A pretty cool item to say the least.
 

Topnotchsy

Featured Contributor, The best players in history?
Aug 7, 2008
9,446
170
lol thanks

WOW! Very cool!

Thanks!

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks. It's been a long road, but it's nice to be done.

Congratulations! Amazing pickup.

Thank you. It's the nicest item I've ever bought, so pretty psyched about it

Congrats!

Thanks!

Lou who??? You got a Beans Reardon autograph!!









:wink:

Congrats on the ball and MBA!! Welcome to the club!

Lots of beans for Mr. Beans lol. From an article I saw he was an umpire on the trip. I'm planning on doing some research on some of the lesser names which should be a fun project.

And thanks for the welcome. I take it you are a member? Where did you go to school?

Congratulations on the accomplishment and that is a terrific ball. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. It took 4 years because I was working (teaching) during the day, so it's nice to be done.

Absolutely stunning! There is so much history on that ball that it would be hard for me to put it down once I started looking it over. Congrats on the MBA and the ball.

Lol, I feel the same way. I saw the item a while back and kept in touch with the seller since I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to acquire it, but thankfully things worked out on it.

Great ball, and congrats on your MBA!
If you have the time, read the Moe Berg Biography, Catcher was a Spy, amazing stuff.
His photos of Japan from this tour were used in our bombing runs during WWII!!!

Congrats again!

Huge Berg fan here; what an unbelievable story. My Avatar used to be a signed magazine picture of him, though when I moved my whole collection a while back I sold it. He was actually the way I was introduced to the Japanese trips.

As one who went to school the same way you did I congratulate you as I know it is not easy at all. So congrats on the MBA and congrats on the great pick up. I am surprised to see the autograph of noted sports writer and Gehrig friend Fred Lieb on the ball. A pretty cool item to say the least.

Yah it was definitely difficult balancing work and life with school, but I'm glad I did it this way.

I'm just beginning my research on the ball and the 1931 trip (beyond the biggest names) but from what I saw in an article (link below) he was on the trip with them.

http://www.vintageball.com/1931Tour.html

Been following your collection for years. Congratulations on the MBA, buddy!

So this is what it takes to get you to come out of the wood works. How in the world are you doing? It's been ages... I appreciate the sentiments!

Amazing ball & congrats on the degree! What kind of coa did it come with?

Thanks! It's PSA/DNA.

Congratulations! What do you plan on doing with your MBA?

Thanks. That's a bit of a tricky question lol. I was a teacher the last few years and really wanted to get involved with something like Google's Play for Education department, but I'm a little low in the business/sales/technology experience department for something like that. I got a job at a pharma start-up and will see where things go. Not sure what will be long term (does anyone really ever know?) but will see how things play out.
 

MaineMule

Active member
Aug 7, 2008
5,454
0
Maine of course......
Lots of beans for Mr. Beans lol. From an article I saw he was an umpire on the trip. I'm planning on doing some research on some of the lesser names which should be a fun project.

And thanks for the welcome. I take it you are a member? Where did you go to school?

I'll have to research Beans. I have also read the Moe Berg story a long time ago so great that this was the trip he did his "research."

...and I'm Babson MBA '93!
 

Topnotchsy

Featured Contributor, The best players in history?
Aug 7, 2008
9,446
170
I'll have to research Beans. I have also read the Moe Berg story a long time ago so great that this was the trip he did his "research."

...and I'm Babson MBA '93!

Definitely let me know what your research finds!

Berg was on the 1934 trip so that was the one a few years after this (with Ruth on that one the price is significantly higher).

Nice MBA great school!
 
Apr 23, 2012
405
0
New Orleans
Thanks. That's a bit of a tricky question lol. I was a teacher the last few years and really wanted to get involved with something like Google's Play for Education department, but I'm a little low in the business/sales/technology experience department for something like that. I got a job at a pharma start-up and will see where things go. Not sure what will be long term (does anyone really ever know?) but will see how things play out.

Good plan. Get back in education when you can! The world needs more good teachers, administrators, and innovators in schools. Best of luck to you.
 

LWMM

Well-known member
Feb 21, 2009
1,062
46
Nice ball, and congrats on the degree; Way to go! You're in Minnesota, right? Is that where you went to school?
 

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