Name/Title
Multi-signed baseball attributed to the Almendares team — Wilson "Ted Williams" model (horsehide cover, felt center)Entry/Object ID
2025.1.144Description
A leather-covered baseball carrying numerous autograph signatures in green, blue, purple/violet, and red inks across all panels, many overlapping the seams and the printed factory branding. The factory printing, read across multiple views, includes the "Wilson" brand, "MADE IN U.S.A.," the facsimile "Ted Williams" name, "…BALL," a stock code "A1163," and a specification block "HORSE HIDE COVER / FELT CENTER." The cover is stitched in the standard two-piece pattern with red waxed thread. The ball bears no flag decoration and no date inscription (distinguishing it from the separately cataloged "1968 / HABANA" decorated baseball). The cursive "Ted Williams" is the printed brand facsimile, not an autograph. Per donor-supplied context (recorded as attributed, not independently verified), the signatures are those of Almendares players of the 1959–1960 Cuban professional (winter) league season.Use
Kept by Leopoldo Arús Gálvez as a souvenir.Collection
The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collectionMade/Created
Manufacturer
Wilson Sporting Goods CompanyDate made
circa 1961Time Period
1960sPlace
Country
U.S.A.Continent
North AmericaEdition
"Ted Williams" modelNotes
Maker: The Sears/Wilson Ted Williams line dates from circa 1961.
Date: The Wilson "Ted Williams" branding indicates ball manufacture circa 1961 or later — see Research Notes.
Place of Origin: Ball manufactured in the United States (Wilson). Signed in Cuba (attributed; Almendares represented the Almendares district of Havana).Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
Printed/stamped manufacturer marks: "Wilson"; "MADE IN U.S.A."; facsimile "Ted Williams"; "…BALL"; stock code "A1163"; "HORSE HIDE COVER / FELT CENTER"; additional partly legible factory text.
Autograph signatures: numerous, in green, blue, purple, and red inks, across all panels; most readings uncertain. Donor-supplied identifications (attributed, not verified against individual signatures, not identified from the images): José Rivero, Tracy Stallard, Ángel Scull, Enrique Izquierdo, Tony Taylor, and Mike Cuellar.Materials
Material Notes
Materials: Horsehide leather cover (per stamp); felt center with wound interior (per stamp; interior not examined); red waxed stitching thread; applied inks in multiple colors (green, blue, purple, red).
Technique: Factory-made retail baseball (horsehide cover, felt center), machine/hand-assembled with stitched two-piece cover; hand-applied autograph signatures in ink; printed and stamped factory branding.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Leopoldo Arús GálvezNotes
ownerRelated Places
Place
City
HavanaCountry
CubaRegion
Caribbean, Central AmericaNotes
acquisition, preservationPlace
Country
U.S.A.Continent
North AmericaNotes
productionResearch Notes
Notes
Ball/manufacturer: Wilson "Ted Williams" model, made in the U.S.A. The "HORSE HIDE COVER / FELT CENTER" specification indicates a retail/amateur-grade ball rather than an official cork-center professional game ball.Notes
Almendares (Alacranes/Scorpions) was a Cuban League club (1878–1961). Tony Taylor (Almendares from 1956–57; 1958–59 Cuban batting champion), Mike Cuellar (multiple Almendares winters, incl. the 1958–59 Caribbean Series champions), and Ángel Scull (perennial Almendares outfielder) are documented Almendares players of the late 1950s. Tracy Stallard was an American import pitcher. Enrique Izquierdo and José Rivero are not verified here. The names were not checked signature-by-signature, and signers are not identified from the images.Notes
The ban on stateside imports in the final 1960–61 season further means an American signer (Stallard) fits 1959–60 or earlier — yet that predates the ball's likely manufacture. Possible reconciliations: the ball was signed at a later (post-1961) reunion of former Almendares players using a then-current ball; the attributed date is approximate; or signatures accrued over time. Notes
The professional Winter League was dissolved after 1960–61 as baseball was reorganized under the revolutionary government (National Series from 1962). Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
March 17, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 18, 2026
