Collection of four late 1940s/early 1950s high-grade team-signed baseballs consisting of the 1948 Boston Braves, 1949 Boston Braves, 1949 Pittsburgh Pirates, and 1952 Chicago White Sox. Each of these balls originates from the personal collection of former Major League catcher Phil Masi, who was a member of each team represented here. Please note: as with all team-signed balls from this era, one must allow for the possibility of a few clubhouse signatures on some or all of the balls.
1948 National League Champion Boston Braves. Twenty-three blue-ink signatures (averaging 8/10) on an ONL (Frick) ball, including Spahn, Southworth (Mgr., sweet spot), Fitzsimmons (coach, sweet spot), Masi, Holmes, Sisti, M. McCormick, Bickford, Torgeson, Conaster, White (player/coach), F. McCormick, Potter, Barrett, Ryan, Stanky, B. Elliott, Sain, and Dark. NM-MT.
1949 Boston Braves. Twenty-two blue-ink signatures (averaging 8/10) on an ONL (Frick) ball, including Southworth (Mgr., sweet spot), Keely (coach, sweet spot), Masi, Sain, Holmes, Reiser, B. Elliott, Conatser, Brown (coach), Johnson (coach), Voiselle, Cooney (coach), Rickert, Russell, Heath, Potter, Antonelli, Hall, and Ryan. NM-MT.
1949 Pittsburgh Pirates. Twenty-four black-ink signatures (averaging 9/10) on an ONL (Frick) ball, including Kiner, Basgall (sweet spot), Masi, Restelli (sweet spot), Meyer (Mgr.), Westlake, Sewell, Riddle (coach, on ball label), Hopp, Walsh, Poat, Stevens, Werle. Gumbert, Lombardi, Bonham, Posedel (coach), Rojek, and Castiglione. NM-MT.
1952 Chicago White Sox. Twenty-nine blue-ink signatures (averaging 7/10) on a Chicago White Sox souvenir ball, including Fox, Minoso, Masi (on ball label), Richards (Mgr., sweet spot), Robinson (sweet spot), Miranda, Wright, Brown, Pierce, Berres (coach), Krsnich, Rodriguez, Judson, Rivera, and Rogovin. Phil Masi's uniform number ("38") is written on the ball label. NR-MT.