coxfan
09-15-2012, 09:23 AM
Occasionally I do a summary of MLB authentication of one game, to give an idea of the ever-changing state of MLB authentication. This is a summary of the 8-15-12 perfect game by Felix Hernandez (Seattle) over Tampa Bay. If I've made errors in my summary (quite possible), please feel free to correct or add.
I found 136 authenticated items from that game in the MLB database, numbered from EK242204 through EK242339. I'll just use the last three digits of each entry in the following:
204-225 and 229 are balls in the usual format: "Pitcher X to batter Y in inning Z". Through the first three innings, they are evenly split between the two pitchers. For some reason from the 4th inning on they're almost all Hernandez's pitches. 212 is a clerical error, as it should read "bottom third" instead of "top third." Ten of these balls were signed by Hernandez on 8-20, with the signing added to the database entry.
256-65 are listed just as pitched by Tampa Bay, without details such as batter or inning. 266-70 are listed as pitched by Hernandez, without batter or inning. There's no explanation of why the authenticator kept track of the team hitting but added nothing else on these balls.
There is some unclear terminology, as 226 and 230 are "lineup card" but 227-8 are "replica lineup card." There are also "official score sheets" for each team, separate from the "batting order cards" that are listed under different numbers.
Documentation of clothing items is sometimes incomplete. The lack of a players' names won't matter for jerseys, but matters for other items such as shoes, in the database. There's an "umpire's cap" listed with no umpire named.
Other things include 9 items of "game-used dirt" with three from home plate and six from the mound. Three bases are listed but without innings.There are nine "game-ready balls" listed as 239-47. Numerous "game tickets" and "series score cards" are listed with no indication of whether they were game-used or by whom. There's a rosin bag, a cleat-cleaner, and a daily workout sheet authenticated.
In all, it looks like some things were done after the perfect game when the authenticator had had little time to prepare for full documentation of this unexpected event.
I found 136 authenticated items from that game in the MLB database, numbered from EK242204 through EK242339. I'll just use the last three digits of each entry in the following:
204-225 and 229 are balls in the usual format: "Pitcher X to batter Y in inning Z". Through the first three innings, they are evenly split between the two pitchers. For some reason from the 4th inning on they're almost all Hernandez's pitches. 212 is a clerical error, as it should read "bottom third" instead of "top third." Ten of these balls were signed by Hernandez on 8-20, with the signing added to the database entry.
256-65 are listed just as pitched by Tampa Bay, without details such as batter or inning. 266-70 are listed as pitched by Hernandez, without batter or inning. There's no explanation of why the authenticator kept track of the team hitting but added nothing else on these balls.
There is some unclear terminology, as 226 and 230 are "lineup card" but 227-8 are "replica lineup card." There are also "official score sheets" for each team, separate from the "batting order cards" that are listed under different numbers.
Documentation of clothing items is sometimes incomplete. The lack of a players' names won't matter for jerseys, but matters for other items such as shoes, in the database. There's an "umpire's cap" listed with no umpire named.
Other things include 9 items of "game-used dirt" with three from home plate and six from the mound. Three bases are listed but without innings.There are nine "game-ready balls" listed as 239-47. Numerous "game tickets" and "series score cards" are listed with no indication of whether they were game-used or by whom. There's a rosin bag, a cleat-cleaner, and a daily workout sheet authenticated.
In all, it looks like some things were done after the perfect game when the authenticator had had little time to prepare for full documentation of this unexpected event.