Walter Johnson-signed Baseball with Box, ca. 1925
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APPRAISER:
You brought in this wonderful Walter Johnson-signed ball. How did you get it?
GUEST:
From my friend Big Dick, who had it. He was a toy salesman and a sports salesman, and after his death, his daughter gave it to me.
APPRAISER:
How do you think Big Dick got this baseball?
GUEST:
I'm sure he acquired it and took it to a game, perhaps. I know he worked all over the United States.
APPRAISER:
Are you a baseball fan?
GUEST:
I like the Giants, I have to admit.
APPRAISER:
What do you know about Walter Johnson? 'Cause he was not a Giant, he was a Senator.
GUEST:
Yeah... So actually, nothing.
APPRAISER:
Really?
GUEST:
Yes, I'm sorry to say.
APPRAISER:
So what attracted you to this ball?
GUEST:
I think the age.
APPRAISER:
We've done a lot of Babe Ruth- signed baseballs on this show.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Walter Johnson was really his equivalent as a pitcher.
GUEST:
Ah!
APPRAISER:
He was known as the Big Train, because he had this blazing fastball. And in fact, when he debuted as a rookie way back in the early 1900s, Ty Cobb said that his fastball hissed like danger. Walter was actually born in Kansas, moved to the oil fields of California with his family, but got discovered pitching semi-pro ball in Idaho.
GUEST:
Ah!
APPRAISER:
The manager of Washington at that time kept getting these telegrams about this kid who was striking out everyone. He had 77 scoreless innings. So he sent out a second-string catcher to scout him, and they signed him that day.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Well, Walter went on to pitch for the Senators for 21 years, starting in 1907 and retiring after the 1927 season. He actually had ten 20-win seasons.
GUEST:
(softly): Wow.
APPRAISER:
And that's a major marker for pitchers. He also had in his career 110 shutouts and over 500 complete games. Today, you're lucky if you have a pitcher in a season that has one complete game.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
He built up the Senators so much that actually, when he was getting ready to retire in 1924, the team was so good, he stayed and they made it to the World Series.
GUEST:
(chuckles) Wow.
APPRAISER:
And they won! Crowning achievement for them.
GUEST:
That is great.
APPRAISER:
He's the second-winningest pitcher of all time, with 471 wins.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
The only one who has more wins is Cy Young.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
He was inducted in the first class of the Hall of Fame in 1939 with Ruth and Ty Cobb. He wouldn't throw at p, players. He let his fastball and then his curveball do the talking.
GUEST:
Oh!
APPRAISER:
We see very few Walter Johnson-signed balls. And you say, "Well, why is that?" Two reasons. One, in Washington, he was probably not as well- known as Ruth was, in the epicenter in New York...
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
...during his career.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And the second thing is, unfortunately, he passed away at a relatively young age in 1946. He had a brain tumor.
GUEST:
Oh.
APPRAISER:
This is a special ball. I've seen a number of balls over the years, Walter Johnson, and they generally sell for $5,000 to $15,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
We've never seen a single signed Walter Johnson ball like this ball. This is spectacular. If we were going to grade this ball on a scale of one to ten, the ball itself and the signature, I would say, would have to grade out at least a nine.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh.
APPRAISER:
So now you've...
GUEST:
I, I've got goosebumps.
APPRAISER:
We like goosebumps, goosebumps are good!
GUEST:
(laughing) Yeah.
APPRAISER:
And you have the original box. I would put an auction estimate of $60,000 to $80,000.
GUEST:
(laughing) Oh, my God. (laughs) I cannot believe that-- that is crazy.
APPRAISER:
I believe this would sell for at least $100,000.
GUEST:
Oh, my gosh. That is insane. It's just insane. Well, I'm thrilled, obviously. Just shaking. (laughing) That is crazy, thank you so much.
APPRAISER:
If you're keeping the ball, you've got to insure it for at least $150,000.
GUEST:
(gasps) Okay.
APPRAISER:
It is the best Walter Johnson-signed baseball that we have seen.
GUEST:
I'm astounded-- I could cry, truly. That's, thank you so much. I thought five-- I thought $5,000.
APPRAISER:
You thought $5,000?
GUEST:
Yeah, maybe, at the most.
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