We’ve come across what appears to be a heck of a find, this vintage Spalding National League baseball. Stamped with NL president Ford C. Frick’s signature, it’s a beauty, and there is little information about it. What makes it unique, and apparently extremely rare, are the multi-colored laces. Two-toned laces were a thing of the past by the time Frick became president of the NL, according to all the records available for vintage major league baseballs.
So what gives with this pristine ball, why the two different stitch colors? The last multi-color laced NL ball of the early 1900s is, according to many resources, a John Heydler NL President stamped black and red laced Spalding ball, last put into play in 1933. Frick became the league’s president in 1934, but judging by the manufacturer’s stamp on this ball, it’s most likely from the late ’40s. It also came with the box pictured below, but there’s no way to verify that it was originally packaged in this box (although it’s likely that it was).
Multi-colored laces on official MLB baseballs did not come back around again until the 1990s, and those are mostly only employed for the All-Star Game and a few rare league-wide events – not for typical game play. (Read the incredible story about the Rebirth of Multi-Colored Laces here!)
In the meantime, our old BigLeagueBaseballs.com friend and vintage-style baseball creator William Peebles (check out his amazing hand-made baseballs) was kind enough to send in the picture below, taken from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. It is one of the few known two-tone-stitched balls like this that we’ve seen, except it’s different…
The ball pictured, as noted, was hit by Hank Greenberg for his 20th home run in 1940. So we at least know these were used in official MLB regular season games in the 1940 MLB Baseball Season. And since Greenberg was a member of the American League’s Detroit Tigers, this ball should be a Reach-made William Harridge President-stamped American League baseball.
Another beautiful example submitted by a long-time fan of the site has recently been added (below) with slightly different stamping. Rumor has it that these two varieties of Spalding National League Frick baseballs were used in the 1947 and 1948 All-Star Games. That rumor has been floated by a few very trusted incedibly knowledgable vintage baseball collectors.
So did both league’s field baseballs with multi-color laces for a short time period? Could these possibly be “mistakes?” Or is it possible that one of the laces has just faded completely while the other remained unchanged? I have doubts about both of those possible explanations. In other words, no, I think they two-toned lace combo is by design in all examples we’ve presented here.
Update: Another red/tan laced Frick discovery! And this is a much older specimen, a 1937 New York Yankees Team Signed Baseball. Why would an American League team be signing a National League ball? Unless… it was used in the World Series at the NL host NY Giants stadium!
“The Bronx Bombers’ appearance on an ONL (Frick) ball suggests the autographs may date to that classic Subway Series when the Fall Classic was confined to the tiniest plot of land divided by the Harlem River. Manager Joe McCarthy (3/10) takes sweet spot honors, with his trusted first baseman Lou Gehrig (6/10) immediately to the right. Other notables include DiMaggio (2/10), Gomez (2/10), Combs (2/10), Dickey (3/10), Lazzeri (1/10), Dahlgren, Crosetti, Rolfe and more. Autograph quality spans the range of the listed ratings, fairly evenly distributed across that scale. Twenty autographs remain visible. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Auction LOA from James Spence Authentication.“
Heritage aUCTIONS (HA.COM) Sold on Nov 11, 2011
To be honest, we were notified about this 1937 Heritage ball ages ago, way back in 2011. I forgot to update this article with the images. But now it feels we’re seeing a pattern of these red and tan stitched balls being used somewhat willy-nilly, across leagues, events and at least one regular season game. It is interesting we have multiple examples from both of Major League’s marquee events, the Midsummer and Fall Classics.
Does anyone out there have any other information to add, or more images to share? Please find us through our socials and send us a message, or you can comment on this article below and we’ll email you. We’d love to hear from you!
