His parents called him Richard William, but after baseball fans saw him pitch he was given the nickname "Rube" after Rube Waddell, and it stuck. In 1911, the New York Giants took a leap of faith when they signed Marquard to an $11,000 contract, the largest sum ever for a ballplayer at the time. It took him a few years to come around, and after the 1911 season, Rube found his pitching groove. The writers inducted Marquard into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 and so the onslaught of fan mail blossomed. Of all the Dead Ball era player signatures, many will admit that Marquard is the easiest to obtain on most items. With one exception - single signed baseballs. Presented here is a stunning Rube Marquard single-signed Official League ball in black felt tip pen. The autograph fully consumes the sweet spot and an adjacent panel; '8-9' or better. The ball is pearly white and looks as though you could have bought it yesterday. The original collector of this piece noted 'Hall of Fame 1971' on a side panel. An excellent opportunity to acquire a single-signed ball which is missing from most HOF collections. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA.