Chico Ruiz was one of the few utilitymen to appear on the cover of a national magazine. On another occasion, this Cuban swifty made news after he pulled a gun on Alex Johnson in the California Angels' clubhouse in 1971. Unfortunately, his career was cut short when he was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 33 on February 9, 1972. His short career and premature death have made his autograph quite difficult to find. This rare example was obtained during spring training in 1965 by collector Jim Armstrong and is the only "single" we have ever seen. Penned in bold black ink on the sweet spot of this lightly but evenly toned Spalding baseball, the signature grades an 8-9/10.