One of the Finest 1951 N.Y. Yankees Championship Team Signed Official A.L. Harridge Baseballs w/ Magnificent Joe DiMaggio (SS) and Mickey Mantle Rookie Scripts

Outstanding PSA/DNA "NM+/7.5" Overall Grade!

1951 Yankees Auto Ball

One of the most coveted championship team signed balls is a 1951 N.Y. Yankees baseball that includes authentic Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle (rookie) signatures, with this awe-inspiring offering possibly portraying the finest aesthetics of any existing 1951 Yankee team signed ball. Graded a spectacular PSA/DNA NM+/7.5, its origin can be traced back to the formidable hitter Johnny Hopp who actually finished second to Stan Musial in the 1946 N.L. batting title race as well as winning two consecutive World Championships with the Yankees in 1950 and 1951. Many years later in 1989, he would meet up with a young boy named Colby (our esteemed consignor). Colby was a "die-hard" Yankee fan and stood "star-struck" as the 73-year old Hopp filled his head with magnificent stories about Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and the seemingly infinite number of baseball tales he had to offer as they sipped cold lemonade on hot summer afternoons.

Hopp even shared the story of how he once met Babe Ruth at a bar in Omaha to trade baseball banter; arguably the greatest baseball-related "thrill" of his illustrious career! Eventually, Colby's dad would agree to purchase some of Hopps' remarkable memorabilia that included a vast array of signed baseballs, among them scripted horsehide spheres of Ruth and Gehrig. One of the balls that caught their eye was the imposing 1951 Yankees team championship autographed baseball, and it was this ball they ultimately purchased, narrowing beating out none other than collecting icon Barry Halper who was likewise in the process of purchasing many of Hopp's esteemed artifacts. The 1951 signed ball has remained in the family until this year, safely protected from damaging sunlight, and now offered to the collecting community as one of the premier 1951 Yankee team-signed baseballs extant.

Who could have possibly imagined that when the immortal Joe DiMaggio was ready to "hang up his cleats after the 1951 season, an emerging young star with Goliath-like supernatural power would be ready to fill "Joltin Joe's" hallowed centerfield position. That Oklahoma-bred phenom was the legendary Mickey Mantle, and his majestic exploits on a baseball diamond including his incredible tape measure home runs will surely echo for eternity. No Hollywood screenplay could possibly match that magical 1951 New York Yankees championship year with one baseball icon "passing the baton" to another. At the start of the 1951 season, the New York Yankees were already in the midst of baseball's greatest championship run, already having claimed two World Series victories in 1949 and 1950, only to add three more years to their remarkable record of five consecutive championships. The quiet leader of this virtually unbeatable ball club was still Joe DiMaggio, yet the "Yankee Clipper's" skills were slowly beginning to diminish due to a run of injuries over the past several years. Simultaneously, word was spreading like a wildfire of an almost "godly" like superstar from Commerce, Oklahoma named Mickey Charles Mantle.

Nicknamed the "Commerce Comet" due to his blinding speed, Mantle left his minor league Joplin, MO. team to join the Yankees at the beginning of the 1951 season. DiMaggio called Mantle the greatest prospect he ever saw, and although Mantle had to be sent back to the minors for a brief period due to a serious batting slump, he eventually returned for good to become one of our National Pastime's all-time icons. History was now in the making with BOTH DiMaggio and Mantle playing the outfield together with what would eventually become "Joltin Joe's" final season. In typical fashion, the Yankees steamrolled to another World Championship, with DiMaggio exiting the game as the winner he was born to be, and Mantle claiming the first of his eventual seven championships. Since these two Hall of Fame icons only played a single season together, their legendary names are only linked on a 1951 Yankees team signed artifact. This explains why in the memorabilia circuit, a 1951 Yankees signed baseball resides as one of the most highly sought-after collectibles.

1951 Yankees Auto Ball

Unfortunately, a myriad of these balls circulating in the hobby carry various "clubhouse" signatures whereby a clubhouse attendant signed for the unavailable players, and in many cases these clubhouse signatures represent either Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle. An additional issue with vintage team signed balls is the significant number of light signatures donning the baseball due to nearly 70 years of potential fading/wear. This is certainly not the case here with the remarkable 1951 Yankees team signed baseball offered here including an incredible Joe DiMaggio autograph on the sweet spot and a likewise extremely bold Mickey Mantle "rookie signature" on the north panel! The ultra-desirable vintage "Joe DiMaggio" autograph portrays solid "8/9" strength with the hallowed Mickey Mantle script also reflecting "8/9" quality. There are 26 "authentic" signatures in all, with the ball excluding Casey Stengel who is typically absent from most '51 team balls or included as an extremely "non-desirable" clubhouse script (it is a near-impossible task to find an authentic Stengel on any 1951 Yankee team ball).

Graded an incredible PSA/DNA 7.5, all 26 authentic signatures have been inscribed in bold ink with their autograph strength conservatively ranging between "7" and "9". The Official American League Harridge baseball has managed to elude any obtrusive flaws, retaining a majority of its original factory issued qualities including tight red stitching and only "a touch" of faint toning evident on its light cream-like horsehide surface. Four legendary Hall of Famers grace the baseball including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Johnny Mize (no Stengel & Rizzuto), as well as the rather obscure and highly coveted Billy Martin script. Johnny Hopp penned '51' Yanks in his own hand over the Official American League stamp and his own signature is reflected on the East Panel.

1951 Yankees Auto Ball
1951 Yankees Auto Ball
1951 Yankees Auto Ball
1951 Yankees Auto Ball

A complete list of the signatures and their designated position on the baseball is listed as follows:

  • SWEET SPOT: Joe DiMaggio/HOF;
  • EAST PANEL: Frank Shea, Tom Morgan, Ralph Houk, Billy Martin Allie Reynolds, Johnny Hopp;
  • WEST PANEL: Hank Bauer, Yogi Berra/HOF, Joe Collins, Ed Lopat, Johnny Mize/HOF, Jackie Jensen, Tom Ferrick;
  • NORTH PANEL: Gene Woodling, Jerry Coleman, Tommy Byrne, Gil McDougald, Bobby Brown, Mickey Mantle Rookie Script/HOF, Vic Raschi;
  • SOUTH PANEL: Fred Sanford, Frank Crosetti, Charlie Silvera, Joe Ostrowski, Cliff Mapes.

Unquestionably, 1951 turned out to be a landmark year for not only the New York Yankees but baseball itself with a National Hero (Joe DiMaggio) miraculously replaced by the immortal Mickey Mantle. Thus, their coexistence on this aesthetically brilliant PSA/DNA 7.5 offering elevates this offering to a stratospheric level. Additionally, as significant provenance, it resided in former baseball star Johnny Hopp's personal collection for some 28 years before our consignor's father purchased it from the star outfielder in 1989. Synonymous with DiMaggio's and Mantle's iconic stature, it stands tall as one of the pinnacle 1951 New York Yankee championship baseballs on the planet, and an heirloom worthy of a final resting place in any world-class compilation! - Full PSA/DNA "NM+7.5" LOA


Every Young Boys Dream

Every young boy has dreams. In the summer of 1989, I had a chance to live in the reality of one of those dreams. Growing up at the ballpark and watching baseball on tv was a regular part of my summer routine. Watching my favorite players also developed a love for the history of the game. I loved the current, but it was the history of the game that intrigued me. Little did I know that just down that street on avenue N lived a man that had played a great role in that history. What started out as lemonade on a hot day, turned to stories untold and memories forever treasured. Could it really be that the man at the end of my street was a four time World Series winner with quite possibly one of the greatest dynasties of all time. Could it be that that same man roomed with Mickey Mantle and had unearthed stories on Musial, DiMaggio, Gehrig and Ruth. It was truly a young boys dream come true. I soaked in the stories as we sipped on our daily lemonade. We played golf together and he shared only appropriate stories for my ten year old mind.

In Johnny's mind, Ted Williams was the greatest hitter of all time. One of my favorite stories was about babe Ruth. He met up with the Babe in Omaha after losing the batting title to Musial on the final week in the early 40's. Ruth was declining in health but reached out to Johnny because he saw something special in the young man nicknamed "cottony". Ruth invited Johnny to meet for a beer In Omaha. Johnny initially turned him down because Johnny wasn't a real beer drinker. However, he changed his mind knowing the significance of this moment. Ruth was ailing and his voice almost unrecognizable. The young Hopp traveled from Hastings to Omaha and met Babe at his hotel. The ailing sultan of swat showed up in a red velvet suit and Johnny had beer with the greatest baseball player to ever put on the cleats. What a story.


Through stories and time I was eventually invited to a very special moment in my young life. We had agreed to buy some memorabilia. My dad had agreed to terms and we would come on a Friday to make our special purchase. However, due to last second travel plans, we delayed our arrangements until Monday morning. Over the weekend, In surprising fashion and timing, Johnny was contacted by Barry halper. This was Barry's hay day and he was building a collection that was unmatched in its time. Johnny had agreed to sell his collection to Barry Halper. It was a Monday morning and we got a call from Johnny bright and early. He said five words I will never forget. He said... "don't bring the check book". I was crushed and tears filled my young eyes. We walked to Johnny's in great disappointment not knowing what would lie ahead. I knocked on Johnny's door that morning with tears in my eyes and disappointment in my soul. This is where the story turns. Johnny saw those tears and was moved to compassion. He couldn't handle the disappointment as seen evident by my tears. He invited us inside and we began a wonderful journey into Johnnys past.

We were eventually lead into the long awaited arrival to Johnny's basement. It was the pinnacle moment that I had longed for. The picture of Ruth and Gehrig, the babe Ruth ball hidden under the stairs, and of course the treasured yankee balls. All the summertime stories came alive in a fresh new way as we were in awe over the collection that quite honestly seemed like a mini version of the hall of fame. The visual representation seemed to bring history to life. The Balls, bats, pictures, jerseys, gloves and the stories that came with them. This was a once in a lifetime moment and we soaked it in. Johnny let us pick the cream of the crop prior to Barry coming to town. The ball you are bidding on is a one of a kind part of baseball history and it's quite possible that very few if any exist in the condition you see. He stored this ball in a special trunk for fifty years barely touched or seen. We have enjoyed the ball and we hope that the right person will enjoy owning this rare piece of history and the stories behind it.