1910 Reach Official American League Baseball RARE BALL Signed By Billy Evans
1910 Reach Official American League game-used baseball with April-06-09 patent stamping and 1910 side stamping. The ball has been inscribed and signed (eventually traced over in ink) by umpire Billy Evans to Broadway actress Edith Luckett, who would later go on to become best known as the mother of Nancy Reagan. American League balls with this stamping configuration were only used in the first weeks of the 1910 season, making the few known examples extremely rare. Billy Evans was known as the Kid Umpire, and in 1910 he was 26 years old and starting his fifth year as an American League umpire.
Edith Luckett was 22 years old and a rising Broadway theatrical actress. Edith and her family were from Washington DC, and she was still living there in 1910. Evans umpired 11 games in Washington in the first few weeks of 1910, six behind home plate. It is well documented that Edith was a lifelong baseball fan, going to as many games as she could every every season. The connection between Evans and Luckett in 1910 is unknown, but they would run in some of the same social circles later in life.
Full inscription reads: To Edith Luckett From Billy Evans / With a Wish That Some Day She Will Make A Big Hit And Her Star Will Shine Brighter Than Any On Broadway / Billy Evans. The ball originates from the collection of Joe E. Brown, who was a well known Hollywood movie star of the 1930's and 40's and a pioneer of early sports game used memorabilia collecting. He and Billy Evans were poker buddies (see photo of them together, below). The ink tracing over the inscription and signature is very faithful to what can be seen of the original and it is possible that Evans himself could have done the tracing.
If you collect early baseballs, this example is a once if a lifetime rarity with added associations to Broadway, Hollywood, and American political history. The ball is in very good, antique, game-used condition. Light coating of old shellac. Note: Photos of Edith Luckett and Joe E. Brown are included in listing for reference only.