A short history on why we don't prefer collecting baseballs

[Swoboda4]

Collecting postseason baseballs are currently the thing among wealthy fans and some collectors. I'm guilty of going after one after collecting three from the regular season. I soon realized though that collecting more than a few will soon start you on the road to having a lot of baseballs that look basically alike.

[Juicyfruit66]

I bought one from the first game I ever took my boy to, but other than that I'd rather spend the money on bats...not only do they look different , they actually belonged to the player

[Juicyfruit66]

Pitch in the dirt

[metsbats]

I am still going to argue that no two baseballs will look alike. The three balls in your photo Robert clearly prove this. And each one is significant due to what resulted after putting it in play.

[sctizzle]

I agree that no 2 will look exactly the same and while they are close in resemblance the uniqueness of the specific play create a great keepsake. Mlb has done a very good job in the process and while mistakes happen, it is not often and usually it's something simple like a scoring change took place and the ball was mislabeled or a pitch in the dirt was labeled as a foul to the screen or vice versa.

I have a display case in my sons room that to me is very unique and might be one of a kind based on what I did. There were 15 games played the day he was born--I have one authenticated game used ball from each of those games as well as opening day, Mother's Day, all star, futures star, home run derby, post season and now World Series. To top it off, a family friend had a player sign a ball and date it the day he was born. I love the display and although it's just 21 baseballs that might look the same other than the ones with different logos, as David said, each one tells a story and they all tell the story of the day and year my son was born.

The casual fan at a game would much rather get a game used baseball than a jersey or bat. Baseballs are usually much more affordable and easier for someone to display. Obviously game used collectors would much rather bats, jerseys, etc. but being able to own something specific to a certain play at a game appeals to many more fans.

Scott

[Swoboda4]

Scott, great idea and my son is the reason I pursued the Syndergaard game three ball. David I agree with your points. Maybe its too early to come to this conclusion but the hologram on baseballs has been around a number of years and I was heading to how little game used baseballs come up for everyday discussion prior to the postseason. They seem to be the item of choice of high bidding fans for the reasons you gave. But if you have a lot of G/U baseballs (think Ball Hawk in a tub full of them) unless you individually (or in Scott's case collectively for a great single reason) display a baseball (Im thinking of framing the WS game 3 ball w/ Syndergaard photo I took) you run the risk of having to get a magnifying glass to check the hologram number-like I had to do before putting the six photos together-and then saying, "Oh yea, this is the ball.....".

[coxfan]

One advantage to balls over other game-used items is they take less space. My wife and I live in a condo that's greatly located: Right by a large university with a strong athletic program; three blocks from our State Capitol; walking distance from four museums, etc. But the condo's small, so space management is a big deal for us. Especially since we have over 1600 books, etc. Balls can be placed on the edge of bookshelves.

Plus, I don't mainly intend to display the balls, but rather to treat them as artifacts of significant events. I make out an index card on each ball, giving its aignificance (eg contributing to a division title, or helping to set a record). And I have a few from personal events, such as the birthdates of three of my grandsons. I don't have to look frequently at displayed balls to enjoy them, any more than I have to open books frequently to appreciate having rhem in my collection.

[helf35]

I got into strike out baseballs for Chris Sale and any game he breaks a record or hits a milestone. It lets me still collect without breaking the bank. At his pace jerseys were getting to out of hand for me plus I just don't have the room. That being said I will always prefer bats.

[brianborsch]

I def hear you on them looking similar but I agree that it is more meaningful to me to have the baseball as an artifact from a significant event. I like collecting the GU hit baseballs more than bats.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

The downside to balls (for me) is they seem to get mold/dust easily. I might start string them in my wine chiller, just to normalize the humidity.

[Popinjaysnamesir]

The bulk of my collection is baseballs. While collecting baseballs could result in a collection of identical items, it doesn't have to be that way. There are a number of commemorative baseballs used in games that help tell the story if the game.

My collection is focused on the different leagues that have existed which helps keep them from being identical.

I think I prefer the baseballs because they represent a "moment." The authentication helps identify specifically what the moment is.

Anyway, here's what I've put together. I don't have it displayed in a particularly cool manner.

http://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfOrganizedBaseballTheCollection

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

The problem with collecting baseballs is they just aren't very presentable. With a jersey it has the players name on it and a lot of times you can photo match it and get a picture to put next to it. Baseballs are just so small and plain. However, they are affordable compared to just about anything else so that is a plus.

For me I don't like to collect them. I have a couple meaningless ballsbecause they make a nice addition to other items. I also had a home run ball because I wanted one so badly for a while and I have another higher end ball because it goes with one of my other items so I couldn't pass up that opportunity.

For me my favorite balls would have to be ones that have something highly unusual(big scuff/dirt caked on) or a ball that goes with another item(most notably a bat).

[Swoboda4]

You can make baseballs presentable. I made this cabinet after I saw a photo of Sparky Anderson sitting in front of a cabinet full of signed baseballs. I thought that was great looking, His was stainless steel (I think) and I wanted mine to be dark stained wood. So after a few trips to home Depot and wood staining in the garage I ended up with this. These are just official baseballs and a few from my kids little league. I think if you were to use game used balls and have that player associated with the play sign it will enhance the idea of an autographed baseball. Mind you an important and expensive ball I feel should never be signed as its value is decreased when something is done to it, like an expensive baseball card should never be signed. Now a cabinet full of blank game used balls needs explanation but a cabinet full of signed game used baseballs looks better.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Cool display. I'd worry about those "gold" base holders though. Some of them use screws (bolt + nut) to hold the base to the top, and that can actually rust.

[Swoboda4]

The gold based displays that are open face-forward are "snapped down" into place. The older equatorial "top half" open are the screw downs I think. But you're right about not having the ball come into contact with a screw; and since were dangerously close to a joke I'm changing topics. "Popinjaysthenamesir", the other type of game used baseballs I discovered last year are the ones stamped "practice". The one pictured I caught at Citi Field in 2014 during BP. It was hit by a Yankee and I caught it on the fly (Can I say I got a Yankee out?!), and found it was stamped "practice" on the sweet spot. I'm too old to be knocking kids down but Zack Hample will appreciate my strategy at catching BP baseballs: Get there early stay away from the front row where everyone is crushed side by side; stay in the row behind them free to move laterally. I seem to be slowly making a case FOR collecting baseballs but only the "common" game used BASEballs for autograph.

[lakeerie92]

I am going to have to disagree with your assessment.

[Swoboda4]

Ha! Very nice. You sort of have a "signature" on them.

[Roady]

"we"? Who is this "we" of which you speak? :confused:

[Popinjaysnamesir]

"Popinjaysthenamesir", the other type of game used baseballs I discovered last year are the ones stamped "practice". The one pictured I caught at Citi Field in 2014 during BP. It was hit by a Yankee and I caught it on the fly (Can I say I got a Yankee out?!), and found it was stamped "practice" on the sweet spot. I'm too old to be knocking kids down but Zack Hample will appreciate my strategy at catching BP baseballs: Get there early stay away from the front row where everyone is crushed side by side; stay in the row behind them free to move laterally. I seem to be slowly making a case FOR collecting baseballs but only the "common" game used BASEballs for autograph.

Generally you can get the practice stamp off with an eraser. A very fine grit fingernail file will get the tougher ones. I have front row tickets in RF at Tropicana and they won't let you into the front row during BP otherwise, so I often have free reign. I don't keep them most often though or I'd overflow my home.

I don't understand why they stamp them "practice" though. I'm fairly certain the team does the stamping since different teams have different stamps, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm really surprised the stamp isn't sold as an advertisement space or at least doesn't feature an advertisement for the team.

[coxfan]

Given the number of BP balls that wind up in fans' hands, the idea of stamping an ad on them instead of "practice" is excellent. How about: "Next time visit our game-used shop". By way of space management, I've found that stacked, filled ball cubes can double as useful bookends!

[carbonrosa]

At first, I wasn't sure where to post these pictures. Not wanting to repeat on different posts but I decided to choose this one since I completely disagree on wanting to collect baseballs. I could rant on and on on why baseballs have just as much character as bats or at times lack of just as bats do as well, but decided just to show a great way to display a game used baseball on your wall.
So to begin:
I purchased The first pitch (A Strike) thrown by Matt Harvey Game 1 of the NLCS Mets vs. Cubs. The first pitch ever thrown at Citi Field during a NLCS Game.

I then contacted Ed Murawinski the cartoonist for The Daily News to custom size one of his Mets cartoons he created for the paper "Armed and Dangerous" that was posted before the playoffs.

I just received this poster so I'm still at the beginning stages of this project but the next step is buying a black leather glove which I'll mold to fit the style and angle of Matt Harvey's hand which in turn will be able to hold this GU Baseball creating a 3-D effect.
Once I'm done I'll post the finished product.

[Swoboda4]

Carbonrosa, As Gunnery Sergeant Hartman would say, "out-blanking-standing". Hope my Syndergaard presentation comes half as good. Gentlemen, the bar has been raised.

[TBM]

Over the last couple of years I started buying a game used ball for every game I go to. I only get to about 4 a year, so that isn't to many. Because of that I try to only get balls with meaning.

Here are just a few of them:

My first ball was bought 10 years or so ago, I got it signed by every Royals player I met for a couple years. It has Buck O'Neil on the sweet spot. One of my favorite balls.

I have a ball from 2014, the second one I bought and the one that started this. That is the first MLB game my wife, and both sons had ever gone to. It is an Alex Gordon single against former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum. It is a great memento from that game and hit by my boys favorite player. Yes the ball looks like a few others I have but every time i look at it I remember that day and it brings me joy. I open the cube and smell the game on the ball and it takes me back to that day. I really enjoyed sharing that with my family for the first time.

I have a ball from the first ever post season game I have ever been to. 2014 ALDS against the Angels. This ball is the First pitch, second pitch and first out on an ALDS game in Kansas City. It was game 3 and the Royals finished the sweep of the Angels. For decades I have watched teams win post season clinching game and celebrate with the fans. I got to do that, the players ran around the stadium giving high five to all the fans in the front rows. It was so awesome. Every time I look at it all those memories come back.

I took my oldest boy to the last Royals home game of the year in 2015. I have what may be the ball from Alex Gordon's last at bat which resulted in his last hit and last RBI as a KC Royals player at Kauffman stadium during the regular season. We sat in the front row of the upper deck nearly right behind home plate. It was a great time that we both enjoyed as father and son. We got on TV that day and when I look at that ball all those great feelings and memories come back.

I took my boys to the AAA All Start game in 2015 and we got a game used ball off the field. A player tossed it to us after it rolled foul. It is my youngest sons first and only game used ball. He loves to hold it, even if i wont let him take it out of the cube, and look at it. He is so proud to have that ball.

The balls may look nearly identical. Some have marks or scuffs, some with different commissioners names than others and some have different labeling (Post season, AAA All Star, Official MLB) some are even signed by one or more players. Each ball holds a special place for me. It does not matter what they look like. Each one is in a ball display cube or gold base stand and each one is tagged with the games information. They all sit on a display shelf right next to my recliner.

That is why I collect baseballs, but not just any baseball. They are my memories, they are my kids joy. They help me to share my love of baseball with my family.