President Herbert Hoover Signed 1932 Official American League Baseball JSA COA

Presidential signed baseballs dating from the first half of the twentieth century are highly desirable and rare. This signed ball by Herbert Hoover, thirty-first president of the United States, is an extreme rarity. Hoover has signed the official American League baseball (Harridge) in black fountain pen across the sweet spot. All of the manufacturer’s stampings remain bold and distinct. Based upon those stampings, this ball can be dated precisely to the two-year manufacturing period of 1932-1933, indicating that it was most likely signed by Hoover during his single term in office (1929-1933). Hoover, who played shortstop during his youth, was a great fan of our national pastime and once remarked that “baseball is the greatest of American sports.” The record shows that Hoover attended nine Major League games during his presidency, including four consecutive season openers in Washington where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch and three World Series games (1929, 1930, and 1931). For anyone attempting to assemble a complete run of signed presidential baseballs, this is an extremely rare opportunity. The ball has been coated with a layer of protective shellac (common during that time). Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.

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