The granddaddy of all 20th century multi-signed baseballs, this special artifact was signed on June 12, 1939 at the Hall of Fame's opening ceremonies. The ball is a Spalding official Hall of Fame baseball with Hall of Fame logo, purchased on this same date in Cooperstown. Overall, the condition of this leather baseball is EX although there is one panel where the leather split from getting damp and then expanding. All 11 inductees that attended the ceremonies are here, namely: Babe Ruth (7.5/10), Grover Cleveland Alexander (5.5/10), Honus Wagner (6.5/10), Eddie Collins (7/10), Connie Mack (7/10), Cy Young (7/10), Larry Lajoie (4/10 with break in leather), George Sisler (2/10 with break in leather), Tris Speaker (4.5/10), Ty Cobb (2.5/10 and small) and Walter Johnson (3/10). Others on the ball are Will Harridge, Ford Frick, and Hank Greenberg. Members of the Baseball Writers Association of America selected the initial class of Hall of Famers from the 20th Century, and the first five were chosen three years prior, in 1936. They were Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Johnson and Mathewson. The pastoral location of Cooperstown was selected for the Museum by a local hotel owner - Stephen Carlton Clark - who was looking for a way to attract tourists. As of today, there have been 297 individuals elected to the Hall of Fame, including 207 former Major Leaguers, 35 Negro Leaguers, 19 managers, 9 umpires, and 27 pioneers, executives and organizers. The Hall's motto remains: "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations."