"He made me want to throw my bat away when I went to the plate," said Hall of Famer Johnny Evers about fellow Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander. "He could throw into a tin cup all day long," added Evers. Alexander used that pinpoint control and a great curveball to achieve his great success. Presented is a single-signed Grover Cleveland Alexander baseball. Alexander pitched for 20 Major League seasons. He started with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1911 and set a record for rookies with 28 wins. Alexander was a terrific pitcher for the Phillies, averaging 27 wins and 356 innings between 1911-17. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs in December 1917. In the 1918 season, he only pitched in three games for the Cubs before he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as a sergeant in France during World War I. He was gassed in the war, and experienced shell shock, as well as epileptic seizures, and had well-documented battles with alcoholism. Despite the foregoing difficulties, Alexander returned to play for the Cubs in 1919 and led the NL in ERA at 1.82. The next season, Alexander won 27 games and again led the NL in ERA with 1.91. He remained a top pitcher for the Cubs until 1926, when he was claimed on waivers in mid-season by the St. Louis Cardinals and won nine games to help St. Louis to the pennant. In the World Series that year against the New York Yankees, Alexander pitched complete game victories in Game 2 and Game 6. Then, in Game 7, Alexander relieved in the seventh inning with the bases loaded, two out, and the Cardinals clinging to a 3-2 lead. "Old Pete" struck out Tony Lazzeri to end the seventh inning Yankees threat, and then Alexander pitched two more innings of scoreless relief to save the game. Pete stayed with the Cardinals through 1929 and finished his career by briefly pitching for the Phillies in 1930. Alexander finished his career with a record of 373-208, with 90 shutouts and a 2.56 ERA. Alexander has signed the non-official "Approved League Ball" in ink on the sweet spot. The ball shows good use, with a general darkening, dirt marks, scuffs, and tiny places where the skin of the ball has come off. The single-signed ball comes with a PSA/DNA LOA.