Just in time for baseball season, this excellent and scarce teetotem, which was once part of the "Walter Johnson Baseball Game," an early baseball themed board game, published in 1925. The game was named in honor of the star pitcher for the Washington Senators, Walter Perry Johnson (1887-1946), nicknamed "the Big Train" for the blinding speed of his fastball. In the board game, each player would go to bat--facing off against Johnson--by spinning the teetotum, which would dictate the play on the field. The teetotum has 20 sides: 1 Home Run, 1 Triple, 1 Double, 2 Singles, 3 Infield Outs, 2 Fly Outs, 1 Sacrifice Fly Out, 1 Double Play, 1 Error, 1 Stolen Base, 3 Balls, 2 Strikes and 1 Foul. And the top unscrews, to reveal--which I did not realize until I got it home--eight silver game tokens bearing Johnson's likeness. I love the sport of baseball, and spinning tops of all sorts (and this spins fast and long and very satisfyingly), and it seems to me this could spur the invention of all sorts of other games and uses. It would also make a good pill box!
2 3/8" t x 1 3/8" d. Very good condition, general wear from use, photos shot with magnification revealing a few tiny crusty bits stuck to the surface, should be easy to wipe off. Terrific as an object, nice weight. Lid unscrews easily and screws back tight. A scarce and very collectible thing (the complete game, of which this is the best part, typically sell for @ $500.
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