FAILED PSA
Stunningly bright baseball from a dark chapter in the sport's history in
this 1919 World Series Game 1 ball signed by Cincinnati Reds manager
Pat Moran. Given away by Moran on October 1, starting the infamous
series that would result in a tarnished Reds' championship as a result
of the notorious Chicago "Black Sox" scandal. Official National League
(Heydler) ball is amazingly near-white with mild use exhibited and has
nice, clear labeling, though the Heydler stamp is slightly faded. On the
ball, in period ink and writing, is "Oct. 1 1919 Cincinnati Reds World
Series" on one panel; on another panel, in the hand of Pat Moran is,
"Given to Harry C. Hagen (last name unclear but named in the included Letter of Provenance) by Pat Moran Mgr." With the
series starting at Cincy's Redland Field, Chicago White Sox starter
Eddie Cicotte hit Reds' leadoff hitter Morrie Rath with the second pitch
of the inning, an agreed-upon signal between Cicotte and the gangsters
with which he was in contact that the fix was indeed on; Cincinnati went
on to a 9-1 victory in that opener and ended up clinching the best-of-9
series by a 5-3 margin. Timeless artifact from a turning point in professional baseball history, immortalized by the book and subsequent film, "Eight Men Out," and remains one of fewer than five known in existence dating from that incredible series.