Ask Babe: More questions for the Babe

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Dear Babe: My siblings and I recently inherited a baseball that was my dad's. He told us it was signed by Babe Ruth. William Summers was an American League umpire in the 1930s and was a family friend. He gave it to my dad in the '30s. Of course, we thought it was pretty valuable and wanted it appraised. Much to our surprise, we found out from one of the Antiques Roadshow appraisers that it was a clubhouse signature. Does just the fact that it's old give it any value or does the signature make it worthless (but a great story...)? At least now we aren't fighting over it. -- Jean Oberlander, Nashua, N.H.No fighting is good. I passed along the image of your baseball to Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas, who also works the Antiques Roadshow circuit. He agreed that you indeed have a baseball with a Ruth signature that wasn't signed by The Bambino himself. The red and blue stitching indicates it is a Reach American League ball that was in use from 1901-1933.The ball is the real thing but not the signature. It might be worth $50 or so.Dear Babe: I have a signed Joe Torre bat from when he played for the Atlanta Braves. I think the date would be between 1966 and 1968. My brother actually has it and he says it is not in mint condition. He thinks it has been played with over the years. We think it was a promotional bat, but it is a Louisville Slugger. It has Joe Torre and the Atlanta Braves printed on it. But, there is nothing on the knob and the writing on the barrel is too worn to read. There is a signature, but it is printed on and not actually signed. My brother has a Dave Winfield Louisville Slugger that has the No. 8 on the knob. We don't know where the Dave Winfield bat is from. My Aunt worked as an accountant for the Atlanta Braves at that time, so it may have come from her. -- Elaine Dotson, Tucker, Ga.We don't have a lot of info, but we can make some educated guesses on the Torre bat. "A signed Torre store model bat is worth $100 while a signed game used bat is worth $1,000. They did produce Torre store model bats,'' said Mike Heffner, president of www.lelands.com auction house in South Dennis, Mass. A promo bat that has been used over the years has little, if any, collector value.As for the other bat, if it was obtained around the same time as the Torre bat, then the No. 8 on the handle might indicate that it was a Winfield model used by Jim Busby, who wore No. 8 for the 1966 Atlanta Braves, according to the book, "Baseball By The Numbers.'' Torre was with the Atlanta Braves for three seasons - 1966-1968. In the first two of those years No. 8 was worn by Billy Hitchcock, so it's doubtful he would have put his number on the knob of a bat. While it might be a game-used bat, its value is diminished by the fact that the player who used it isn't the player whose name is on the barrel. I don't think it has a lot of value.Dear Babe: I have two envelopes with post office cancellations for Super Bowl XXXIII when Denver played. I had Keith Brooking sign them for me. At the time his dad and my sister worked together. -- Joe Lemos, Decatur, Ga. "Each year the post office issues commemorative envelopes for the Super Bowl. The ones from Super Bowl XXXII are worth $10,'' said Dean Zindler of Zindler's Sports Collectibles in Norcross, Ga. "Yours would be worth $20 since it is autographed by a longtime Falcon favorite."BABE NOTE: The Mickey Mantle Story saga continues in 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights with another installment of 10 inserts -- Nos. 66-75 in the style of 1957 cards. In addition to the 330-card base set, there also a 25-card insert set featuring World Baseball Classic hopefuls. Continuing with the political theme, there are 41 cards showing off First Couples. There are also cut signatures cards of all 41 First Ladies. For details visit www.topps.com.(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)