Martin Luther King Jr., signed items relating to baseball are exceedingly scarce. Offered here is one of those rarities, which is also the first such example we have ever seen and it may be unique: a Brooklyn Dodgers ticket stub signed by MLK on the reverse. PSA has encapsulated the ticket stub and certified the signature as "Authentic." King's signature, "M. L. King," has been scripted in pencil on the reverse of the stub, with the signature grading 4/10."

The ticket was issued for a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Ebbets Field on July 18, 1957. King was in town that day at the request of evangelist Billy Graham, who invited King to deliver the invocation at "Billy Graham's New York City Crusade," held at Madison Square Garden. Obviously, while in New York, King took time to catch a game in Brooklyn. Our consignor's grandfather was also at that game, and was lucky enough to obtain King's signature on the only thing he had handy at the moment, his ticket stub. The ticket has remained in the family's possession since that time. 

Very few items have such outstanding "crossover" appeal as this piece, as it touches upon several different areas of collecting, including baseball, politics, civil rights, religion, and pop culture. The stub (1.25x2.75") displays a few moderate creases and a tiny area of surface paper loss on the reverse.