The BILLINGS GAZETTE pitches up news of a baseball signed by Babe Ruth now going up for bids. But what’s remarkable about this particular auction item is the near-mint condition of the 61-year-old ball and the story of how it was acquired & kept.

77-year-old Carvel Lincoln, then a 16-year-old pitcher from Idaho, was in Billings for a junior baseball tournament. Also at the 1947 tournament was the Babe, who showed up for the opening ceremonies and later gave a short speech at that evening’s banquet:

“I can still remember it like it was yesterday,” (Lincoln) said Monday in a telephone interview from his home. “It was a thrill to see him. He was sitting at the table, coughing quite a bit. He had a real deep, raspy voice.”

By that time, Ruth had been diagnosed with cancer, which would claim his life less than a year after his Billings visit. But he was well enough (and presumably paid well enough) to go touring on behalf of Ford and the American Legion. And during his Billings stop, Babe signed a bunch of balls, which were given to the coaches, who then gave them to their players.

Lincoln took his ball home to Idaho and put it in his desk drawer, where it remained for the next few years - until his bride-to-be (no, not that bride-to-be) helped rediscover it:

His fiancée was at his house and the two were in his room one day when she asked about his desk, he said. “I opened the drawer. I’d completely forgotten about the ball. Oh, that’s my Babe Ruth ball,” he said.

Carver soon carted the ball off to a safe deposit box, where he’s had it since. Originally planning to leave the ball to his grandchildren, Lincoln recently decided to auction the ball off instead, with the proceeds going toward his grandkids’ college funds.

The bidding lasts until May 17, and the ball could fetch up to $100,000. As one auctioneer explained, “This baseball looks like it was signed yesterday. That’s how phenomenal it is.”

And to keep the ball in good condition, may we suggest to any prospective collectors to purchase the Lee Elia talking display case?