Collection of fifteen Major League team-signed baseballs spanning the years 1948 to 1971. Each of these balls originates from the personal collection of former Major League player and manager Sam Mele. Mele played and managed from 1947-67, and then worked in the Red Sox farm system for another twenty-five years, where he discovered and helped develop Jim Rice. Seven of the balls have a metal hook screwed into the ball label so that they could be hung, while four others have a hole in that spot where the hook was removed. (The four balls that have neither a hook nor a hole are the two 1956 Indians balls and the two 1971 Twins balls.) Many of the balls have the year written on one of the panels. As with any large team-signed ball collection like this, one should allow for the possibility of a few clubhouse signatures on each ball. The collection consists of the following: 1) 1948 Cleveland Indians. 16 signatures (averaging 4/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Doby and Feller (the Boudreau signature is a stamp). Shellacked. FR. 2) 1950 NY Yankees. 24 signatures (averaging 6/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including DiMaggio (ss), Stengel (Mgr.), Ford, Berra, Mize, Lopat, Page, Coleman, Martin, Henrich, and Mapes. Shellacked. GD-VG. 3) 1950 Boston Red Sox. 23 signatures (averaging 2/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Williams (ss) and D. DiMaggio. Shellacked. FR. 4) 1950 Detroit Tigers. 16 signatures (averaging 1/10) on a red-stitched ball (manufacturer's stampings no longer visible), including Wertz. Shellacked. FR. 5) 1950 Philadelphia Athletics. 24 signatures (averaging 4/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Shantz and Fain. Shellacked. GD. 6) 1950 Chicago White Sox. 20 signatures (averaging 2/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Appling and Fox. Shellacked. FR-GD. 7) 1955 Chicago Cubs. 30 signatures (averaging 7/10) on an ONL (Giles) ball, including Banks (twice) and Sauer. Shellacked. GD. 8) 1955 St. Louis Cardinals. 28 signatures (averaging 3/10) on an ONL (Giles) ball, including Musial, Schoendienst, and Virdon. Shellacked. FR-GD. 9) 1955 Cincinnati Reds. 22 signatures (averaging 5/10) on an ONL (Giles) ball, including Black, Temple, and Mele. Shellacked. FR-GD. 10) 1955 Milwaukee Braves. 25 signatures (averaging 6/10) on an ONL (Giles) ball, including Aaron, Mathews, Logan, and Pafko. Shellacked. GD-VG. 11) 1955 NY Giants. 24 signatures (averaging 6/10) on an ONL (Giles) ball, including Mays, Wilhelm, Dark, Rhodes, Grissom, and Liddle (the Durocher signature is a stamp). Shellacked. GD-VG. 12) 1956 Cleveland Indians. 29 signatures (averaging 4/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Wynn, Avila, Colavito, and McLish. GD-VG. 13) 1956 Cleveland Indians. 29 signatures (averaging 6/10) on an OAL (Harridge) ball, including Wynn, Lemon, Avila, Colavito, Wertz, and McLish. VG. 14) 1971 Minnesota Twins. 30 signatures (averaging 8.5/10) on an OAL (Cronin) ball, including Killebrew, Blyleven, Oliva, Carew, and Kaat. NM-MT. 15) 1971 Minnesota Twins. 29 signatures (averaging 8/10) on an OAL (Cronin) ball, including Killebrew, Blyleven, Oliva, Carew, and Kaat. Minor age toning. EX-MT.