Two Mixed Umpire Signed Baseballs Including 1920 World Series Umpires Connolly, Klem, Dinneen, O'Day, & Barlick, Reardon
Property From The Tom Connolly Collection

The first ball, a Spalding ONL (Heydler) red and green stitched baseball features the signatures of four of the most significant umpires in the major leagues. Tom Connolly and Bill Klem were the first two umpires elected in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. William J. Klem, known as the "father of baseball umpires", was a National League umpire from 1905 to 1941. Klem was widely respected for bringing professionalism and innovation to umpiring, He was the first to use arm signals while working behind home plate, and the first to wear the chest protector inside of the shirt.

Both Bill Dinneen (sometimes spelled Dineen) and Hank O'Day were major league players before making the switch to umpiring. These four umpires officiated the 1920 World Series together, and it is very possible that this ball was signed at one of those games.

Condition: The signatures range from 7/10-9/10. The ball is creamy white with some minor soiling and aging. The box is marked in pen "Umpires 1924 World Series" and is falling apart. Three out of the four are listed as working the 1924 series. However, Ernie Quigley is listed instead of O'Day. LOA: PSA/DNA.

The second ball is a Reach OAL (Harridge) featuring autographs by umpires including HOFer Cal Hubbard in black ink on the sweet spot; HOFer Al Barlick, plus "Beans" Reardon, Lee Ballanfant, Charlie Berry and Bill Grieve.

Hubbard is the only man to be elected to the baseball, college football, and pro football Halls of Fame. He was once examined at the Boston Optical Lab and was found to have 20-10 vision, the strongest ever recorded - even better than Ted Williams.

A WWII Coast Guard veteran, Barlick umpired a record seven All-Star Games, spanning four decades. Beans Reardon acquired his nickname because he was raised in Boston. He was famous for salty language and heavy beer drinking. The ball is a creamy white and the signatures average 9/10. LOA: PSA/DNA.