Primarily a backup "immovable object" catcher for hie entire career, Gene Desautels fashioned a thirteen-year big league career that ran from 1930 until 1946, with interruptions for minor league demotions and a year in the service after enlisting with the Marines in 1944. He's signed this PSA Authentic 1939 Play Ball in an unusual purple Sharpie, writ bold on two lines, a real gem of an autograph. It's a PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10, strong in appearance and signed by a strong man; this is the only one of this combination in their database. The card originates from the Shibe Park collection of autographed cards, an original owner collection carefully collected by a teenage boy who, in 1939 and 1940, obtained many autographs from players arriving at the train station near Shibe Park, and continued for many years to obtain signatures in person and through the mail.  This example does appear to have been applied in fiber-tip marker, making it possible that this was signed later than the majority of the 1939 and 1940 Play Ball cards in this collection.