Offered is the opportunity to possess a 1934 team-signed St. Louis Cardinals' ball, with four Hall of Famers among the fourteen (14) signatures, from that year's World Champions - the team known as the "Gashouse Gang". The Gashouse Gang term derived from a factory that would turn coal to "town gas" for lighting and cooking. The factory usually emitted a foul smell, and it was usually located in a poor part of a town. The gashouse Gang term was actually also given to earlier St. Louis Cardinal teams, but the term best fit the '34 World Series winners.
The '34 Cardinals played in Sportsman Park III and had a season record of 95-58. The squad had four NL All-Stars: manager and second baseman Frankie Frisch, who batted .305 that year; outfielder Joe "Ducky" Medwick. He hated the "Ducky" nickname and preferred being called "Muscles". He hit .319 that season; third baseman Pepper Martin, who finished the season at .289; right-hander Dizzy Dean, who went 30-7 in '34, the last National Leaguer to win at least 30 games. The offered baseball is a "Boys League" ball, as machine stamped on the baseball's sweet spot. Printed in blue ink by an unknown hand on the sweet spot is Worlds [sic] Champs and 1934 Gashouse Gang". Hall of Famer Joe Medwick signed on the sweet spot. Other hall of Famers: Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch and Leo Durocher. Stars: Pepper Martin, Rip Collins, Dazzy Vance, Paul Dean. Plus, Tex Carleton, Bill Walker, Francis Healy, Jack Rothrock and MORE.
The ball has several spots in which very small pieces of the ball's skin have come off. Except for a few signatures that are illegible, the autographs average about 7/10. The ball has been coated with shellac or a shellac-like substance. The ball has darkened and shows wear.