Who Is George Pfister And Why Is His Name On My Baseball?

Be forewarned: this story has no nice conclusion, no pat ending. It's a work in progress.

My birthday was last week. I got some nice presents: a couple of books, a bag of pistachios, a little cash (in-laws), and a baseball. The ball was presented to me wrapped in tissue paper at the bottom of a gift bag. It had been placed in a clear, plastic box.

The baseball was a gift from my mother who found it while cleaning out my dad's dresser earlier in the year. She knows I'm a baseball fan and thought I might like to have it. But this was not just an ordinary baseball. This one had been signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

"Where did Dad get it?" I asked.
"Your grandfather gave it to him."
"Well, where did Grandpa get it?"
"I don't know. I suspect a client gave it to him but that's only a guess."
"Which Brooklyn Dodger team signed it?"
"I don't know."
"Do you have a list of who signed it?"
"No."
"Did Dad ever tell you anything about it?"
"No. He wasn't a big baseball fan."
"So there's nothing more you can tell me about it?"
"No. It rolled around inside your father's bureau for years. He got it from his father. That's all I know about it."

How piquant, a mystery of sorts.

Tuesday I spent the afternoon on the web trying to figure out which Brooklyn Dodger team signed the ball. The ball itself looks old. It is yellowed and a little soiled. Some of the signatures have faded; a few are badly faded. Because I vaguely remember seeing the ball as a child (where and when I can't recall) I'm almost certain the ball is not a fake or forgery.

There are some easily identifiable signatures that assure me the Brooklyn Dodgers had, in fact, signed the ball. Signatures for Gil Hodges, Jackie Robinson, and Roy Campanella are among the least faded. So I started looking at Dodger rosters from the late '40s and early '50s. I noticed that one of the signatures was all by itself: Chuck Dressen. I discovered he managed the Dodgers from 1951-1953. After perusing the rosters for those three years, I convinced myself that the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers had signed the ball.

Once I had the roster in hand, I was able to determine - almost - who had signed the ball. Other baseball luminaries who signed include: Andy Pafko, Joe Black, Carl Erskine, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, Ralph Branca (threw the pitch to Bobby Thompson that was hit for the "shot heard 'round the world") and Carl Furillo. Other less notable signers include Bobby Morgan (8 years active), Ed 'Sandy' Amoros (7 years active), and Joe Landrum (2 years active).

Maddeningly, some of the signatures are difficult to make out. I'm fairly certain two of the signatures belong to Ben Wade and Clyde King. One of the signatures has quite a flourish to it making it difficult to decipher. It could be Clem Labine's signature but it's hard to say.

But the most perplexing signature on the ball belongs to George Pfister. His autograph is clear - George Pfister - right there between Joe Landrum and Rocky Bridges. There's only one problem:

George Pfister didn't play for the 1952 Dodgers!

George Pfister played exactly one game in major league baseball. He was a catcher on the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers. He had exactly two at bats, got no hits, no walks, not even a strikeout. Then he vanishes from baseball history. Yet there's his name, clear as day, right on my ball! Now a certain George Shuba played for the 1952 Dodgers but there's no way this is George Shuba's signature.

What is George Pfister's signature doing on this ball? Was he a coach? I haven't been able to find that information on the web. Was he a trainer? Why would a trainer sign the ball? Could Baseball-Almanac.com have the roster incorrect? Maybe but I doubt it. Perhaps George Pfister is a crank who forged the entire thing and included his name along with the others from this great baseball team.

I don't know how much the ball is worth. The guy at the local card store said it could be four figures. I kind of doubt it though since it's so yellowed. I'm putting it in my safe deposit box nonetheless.

Four Hall of Famers - Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, and Duke Snider - and George Pfister have their names on my ball.

I guess I've got some more sleuthing to do.
K-