A baseball signed by the baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and kissed screen legend Marilyn Monroe is up for auction.
It has been locked in a box and stored in a closet since 1952. But this baseball is expected to fetch at least $20,000 when it is sold at an auction, reported Daily Mail online.
The ball symbolises the love affair between the Hollywood screen siren and the sporting hero, which made them one of America’s most famous couples.
The ball is one of 15 signed by the 1952 World Champion Yankees, which were then given to the players of a softball team who won a league organised by film studios 20th Century Fox.
This particular ball was given to sound editor Eddie D'Orazio and, following his death in 1969, it was passed down to his eldest son.
“I was only six years old when my dad got this ball. I thought it was a really neat heirloom, so to speak, and something that I always attached to the memory of my dad — he was only 55 when he died, so it was a connection between us. I knew it needed to be protected so I kept it in a box in the closet unless I wanted to show it somebody, maybe once every couple of years,” said Eddie
The signatures and lipstick mark are still clearly visible on the ball, thanks to the care that has been taken to preserve it over the years. The signatures of 26 other Yankee baseball legends also appear on the ball, including Mickey Matle, Yogi Nerra, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Mize, Billy Martin, Allie Reynolds and Gene Woodling.
{{/usCountry}}The signatures and lipstick mark are still clearly visible on the ball, thanks to the care that has been taken to preserve it over the years. The signatures of 26 other Yankee baseball legends also appear on the ball, including Mickey Matle, Yogi Nerra, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Mize, Billy Martin, Allie Reynolds and Gene Woodling.
{{/usCountry}}