Offered is a unique Boston Red Sox signed baseball, albeit a very neatly carved-in-half ball, assembled painstakingly over the course of more than a decade by Red Sox fan and collector Arthur McAvoy. McAvoy knew Ted Williams personally, and spent countless hours at Fenway, apparently rubbing elbows with any number of Red Sox luminaries whose autographs he was able to procure on the offered half baseball. The ball, most likely an official Cronin-era American League baseball, was originally signed boldly by Ted Williams on the sweet spot prior to November 1968, when the included photo shows the original owner holding the ball with just Ted's signature applied—he had acquired it at an early sports memorabilia auction (1968) at The Old Man of Seabrook Auction Galleries in New Hampshire.
The collector later had the ball signed by 18 other Red Sox Hall of Famers, owners, announcers and other players. The signatures include: Curt Gowdy (Red Sox Announcer), Ned Martin (Red Sox announcer), Dave Coleman (1-year player 1977 Red Sox), Walt Dropo (1950 AL Rookie of the Year, Red Sox 1949-1952), Johnny Pesky (Red Sox 1942-52, signed twice), Mel Parnell (Red Sox 1947-56), Dwight Evans (Red Sox 1972-1991), Haywood Sullivan (Red Sox Owner), Joe Cronin (HOF, Red Sox 1935-45 and American League President), Bobby Doerr (HOF, Red Sox 1937-51), Mike Andrews (Red Sox 1966-70), Bowie Kuhn (Commissioner of Major League Baseball), Frank Malzone (Red Sox 1955-65), Carl Yastrzemski (HOF, Red Sox 1961-83), Buddy LeRoux (Red Sox Owner), Jim Rice (HOF), Rico Petrocelli (Red Sox 1963-76), Dom DiMaggio (Red Sox 1940-53).
The baseball is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Beckett Authentic. The standard sized baseball has been expertly cut in half, and shellac was applied to the underside to keep the insides intact. No shellac was applied to the outside of the ball. Excellent condition, technically, with some toning.