Lot # 2337: Lefty O'Doul Single-Signed Baseball - JSA

Baseball (manufacturer's stampings faded) signed by outfielder Lefty O'Doul in blue ink along the sweet spot. Tough-to-find signature! O'Doul has inscribed the ball " To Phillip/Best Always/ From Lefty O'Doul/4-19-'49." O'Doul, who was a legend in the Pacific Coast League during his minor league days, was one of the game's best hitters during the late 1920s and early 1930s, and his .349 lifetime average is the highest for any eligible player not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Starting in 1928, O'Doul posted season batting averages of .319, .398, .383, .336, .368, and .284, with those .398 and .368 marks representing league-highs. Unfortunately for O'Doul, he was already 31 years old when he began his first full season in the major leagues in 1928. After his MLB career ended in 1934 (highlighted by being a member of the 1933 World Series Champion New York Giants), he returned to the Pacific Coast League as player/manager of the San Francisco Seals, where, in 1935, he mentored a young rookie by the name of Joe DiMaggio. O'Doul was also one of baseball's great overseas ambassadors, having made numerous trips to Japan, where he helped foster the game's popularity. The ball displays a few surface abrasions and spots of discoloration. Good to Very Good condition overall. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.