The ex-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn once ruled baseball and national headlines for 15 years (1969-84) with an iron-fisted style noted for barring Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle from baseball due to their casino employment, handing down a number of harsh one-year drug suspensions, and nixing Charlie Finley’s sale of three players for $3.5 million.
But his tenure also succeeded in restoring fan confidence and boosting attendance and lucrative TV deals to unprecedented levels. His single is an elusive one, and even tougher when seeking an example penned during the initial phase of his office.
Presented is an OAL 1978 World Series (Kuhn) baseball autographed by the Cooperstown exec. himself, Bowie Kuhn. He signed it on the sweet spot in blue ballpoint pen (“8-9”). The ball itself shows toning from age and the signature was top coated for preservation.
Authentication: JSA Full Letter
This ball is from one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of autographed baseballs in the world. Altogether they were easily displayable in custom shelf form and alphabetically displayed nonetheless. The choice of medium was visually easy for the encyclopedic collector who put these together. It took several decades to amass these rare autographs of the most prominent entertainers, historical figures, and sports players. It proved quite difficult to acquire autographs of non-ballplayers on such an odd object (a baseball) but diligence proved otherwise and that it’s possible. So, now with the collection complete and his shelves empty there’s only one thing left to do….bid on this item and start the challenge to see how far you can take it.