This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 7/8/2004.
Roger Maris signed his first professional contract right out of high school for a $5,000 bonus, turning down a scholarship which would have given him a free ride through college. He broke into the big leagues in 1957, and in 1960 joined the New York Yankees. In his very first game in pinstripes he hit a home run, setting the tone for the season that would follow. In 1961, he became a baseball immortal, hitting 61 home runs to topple Babe Ruth's long-standing record and forever etching his name in the record books. He has signed the sweet spot of this OAL MacPhail baseball in blue felt tip marker and added the extraordinarily rare "61 in 61" inscription on the panel below. The signature rates a near 10 and appears on a lightly toned ball. The autograph comes with a letter from PSA/DNA.