[BASEBALL]. Original Underwood & Underwood Photo of New York Giants Pitcher Jeff Tesreau Getting a Spit-Ball Ready PSA Type I Authentic. [Underwood & Underwood, October 10, 1913]. This famous black and white photo (9 ½ x 6 ¼”) shows “the Ozark Bear Hunter” Jeff Tesreau coating a ball with spit, covered by his hands (one hand is gloved); this photo later appeared as the June, 1919 cover image of Baseball Magazine. On the verso are several ink and pencil notations, and a typed caption on yellow paper. Some minor rubbing to edges, the left margin is just barely trimmed unevenly, a faint pencil circle surrounds Tesreau’s head, some soiling to verso. Excellent. “OZARK BEAR HUNTER - JEFF TESREAU WHO MAY PITCH 3rd GAME OF WORLD SERIES. Big Jeff Tesreau - the Ozark giant, demonstrating how he gets the ball ready for a “spit” delivery.” Charles Monroe “Jeff” Tesreau was a pitcher for the New York Giants. He was nicknamed “Jeff” due to his resemblance to boxer Jim Jeffries. He pitched a no-hitter in 1912. The spit-ball was banned in the 1919-1920 season, with the exception of 17 existing pitchers, who were allowed to use it until their retirement. The spit-ball is illegal because it causes a pitched baseball to travel in an unusual and unnatural manner (not unlike a fastball with knuckleball action). Encapsulated by PSA, Type I Authentic. From the Mark Rucker Collection (this comes with Rucker’s chapbook A Thousand Words (2022) in which Rucker explores this topic, featuring this photo).