Claude “Lefty” Williams Signed Baseball 1919 Black Sox JSA COA

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MacGregor “Ralph Kiner League” baseball signed twice in blue ink by Chicago White Sox pitcher Claude “Lefty” Williams, one of the main conspirators in the infamous 1919 “Black Sox” scandal. The first signature, scripted “Claud ‘Lefty’ Williams,” transverses both a portion of a side panel and the sweet spot. The second signature, scripted “Claud P Williams,” appears on the panel directly below the sweet spot. A third signature George Frazier is on a side panel. The year “1954” is noted on the panel above the sweet spot. As is the case for nearly all of the “eight men out,” Williams’ signature is exceedingly rare today. This is the first Lefty Williams single-signed ball we have offered in the past twenty years. Both Williams and teammate Eddie Cicotte played major roles in the infamous 1919 “Black Sox” scandal, during which eight members of the White Sox conspired to “throw” the World Series. Although Williams was not the ringleader of the conspiracy (that role went to Chick Gandil), as the second-best pitcher on the team he was certainly one of the most important. It was also Williams who, under threat of physical harm to his family, lost the final game of the Series. Williams and Eddie Cicotte were the only two White Sox pitchers on the take in the Series, and, not surprisingly, they suffered all five losses for Chicago. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA.

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