As author W. Harrison Daniel recounts in his biography Jimmie Foxx, the Beast was down and out by early 1958. Destitute, ill and unemployed, he publicly turned down the invitation to attend a Boston BBWAA banquet and the news quickly spread about his sorry state. Soon money flowed Foxx's way from numerous compassionate donors nationwide—and Red Sox General Manager Joe Cronin announced that a position had opened up for him with the triple-A Minneapolis Millers as a batting instructor and an aide to Manager Gene Mauch. Thus Foxx found himself at the Millers spring-training camp where he signed and inscribed this toned, soiled and shellacked unofficial ball, "JIMMIE FOXX / DELAND FLORIDA / MARCH 29 1958." The strikingly attractive, bold-as-can-be signature shows slight bleeding/smudging and thus technically rates about "6-7" overall though it presents at a far higher level with quite a dramatic visual presence. Full photo LOA from JSA. This item has a reserve (estimated value $2,500 - $3,500).
|