A baseball signed by Frank Sinatra, Hubert Humphrey and Lyndon B. Johnson sold for $10,800 on Thursday night at Huggins & Scott Auctions.
Sinatra, who first wielded his star power in support of the Democratic party during the 1944 election of Franklin D. Roosevelt — lending his likeness for a promotional flyer and speaking at Madison Square Garden in favor of Roosevelt a week prior to the election — is most famously linked to John F. Kennedy, with whom he built a close relationship and campaigned for aggressively in 1960.
Though one of his lesser-known political relationships, Sinatra endorsed Hubert Humphrey for president in the tumultuous 1968 election.
The date of Sinatra’s signature is inscribed above his name (Nov. 3, 1968), lining up with the final rally of Humphrey’s campaign. The following day, Sinatra would join other stars such as Johnny Carson and Paul Newman, taking calls during a live phone bank broadcast on television.
President Johnson, who also signed the ball, endorsed his vice president, Humphrey, after he opted not to run for reelection.
Humphrey would ultimately lose the election, held two days after the date on the ball, to Richard Nixon.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.