By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, 609-463-6716 Published: Tuesday, June 03, 2008

The Press of Atlantic City

A baseball signed by the 1927 Philadelphia Athletics like Ty Cobb and Lefty Grove was presented to Margaret Mace Elementary School in North Wildwood. It’s linked to the town because it once belonged to former Mayor George Redding. North Wildwood superintendent of schools Michael Buccialia talks about Margaret Mace being home to the ball.

NORTH WILDWOOD - The cafeteria at Margaret Mace Elementary School easily could have been mistaken for a major league ballpark Monday.

There were rowdy fans, hot dogs and even the Phillie Phanatic in all his green glory.

This was a celebration of all things baseball, and of one baseball in particular.

That ball, now kept in a Plexiglas case, began its journey here from Philadelphia in 1927.

It was there that then-North Wildwood Mayor George Redding gained access to the Philadelphia Athletics clubhouse and had the ball signed by 23 players and managers.

Redding brought the ball back to North Wildwood as a gift for his friend, School Superintendent Joseph Elwood Chester, who hadn’t been able to attend the game.

It became Chester’s prized possession and later that of his widow, Marie Hartem Chester.

“Imagine his joy when Mayor Redding, upon his return, gave J.E.C. this autographed baseball,” Marie Chester wrote in a handwritten 1991 letter explaining the history of the ball.

When she died, it was to be donated to the United Methodist Homes of New Jersey Foundation along with the rest of the Chester estate.

But fate intervened and on Monday the ball, covered in the faded signatures of the likes of Ty Cobb and Connie Mack, came home.

The United Methodist Homes donated the ball to the city and the city worked with the school to place it on permanent display in the school’s lobby.

Attorney Andrea Balliette, executrix of Chester’s estate, recalled finding the ball in a safe deposit box after Hartem Chester’s death. She suggested the United Methodist Homes might want to allow the ball to stay in North Wildwood, and the foundation agreed.

It was later presented to City Council in 2006 somewhat matter-of-factly, until city events coordinator and avid Philadelphia Athletics fan Joe Quattrone realized what they had.

“I’m hearing the names as they accepted it and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God,'” Quattrone said as he recalled that City Council meeting.

Since then, the ball has been authenticated, documented and certified.

“It was just like a dream come true,” Quattrone said, sporting a replica Philadelphia Athletics jersey.

The baseball features the signatures of Hall of Famers Lefty Grove, Jimmy Dykes, Al Simmons, Connie Mack, Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Cochrane - all signed with a steel-tip fountain pen in black ink.

Ray C. Minor, vice president of advancement for the United Methodist Homes, said it was only right that such an important piece of North Wildwood’s history be returned.

“The Chesters were a big part of the community. They worked for the community. So it’s natural that it be kept in the community,” Minor said.

The ball will be housed - along with memorabilia including a brick from the former Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, a letter written by Mrs. Chester describing the ball’s history and a letter of authenticity - in a case donated by former state Sen. James Cafiero and Balliette, his sister.

Members of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, of which Quattrone is a longtime member, also attended Monday’s celebration, giving out pins, baseball cards and other A’s goodies to the school’s 300 students.

Mike Fesnak, a member of the society, said the ball’s discovery was very exciting for baseball fans of all kinds.

“You like to hear the story behind it,” he said.

Rosenello noted that the ball is not the school’s only Philadelphia Athletics connection. Two students, Luke and Cain Rullo, happen to be the great-grandchildren of Athletics player Joseph V. Rullo Sr. who played for the team in 1943 and 1944.

The news brought cheers from the school’s 300 students, but the cheers grew even louder when the Phillie Phanatic arrived.

The Phanatic’s presence was a surprise for the students, one typical of what officials called the special relationship between the school and the community.

“It’s a tribute to what the city stands for,” Superintendent Michael Buccialia said of the event.

To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:

TGilfillian@pressofac.com