Josh Hamilton's 2nd home run ball from 4 home run game on 5/8/2012

[schubert1970]

Schubert1970, I am still amazed and love your photos and due diligence however I would have been nervous at the time about the huge dirt mark and a switcheroo. Were you nervous you were being duped by this guy? Consider most game used MLB Hologramed balls are balls in the dirt. Glad you got a copy of his ID with photo to go with the game film.

I didn't really care about the dirt mark till I received the ball and watched the at bat again and saw what happened before the HR. Now it makes perfect sense.

As for him throwing a ball back at least from the video I can tell the ball he threw back had a bunch of writing on it. This was also verified by the usher as this guy seems to do this regularly. I guess he doesn't want the home crowd getting on his case if he keeps an opponent’s home run ball.

[schubert1970]

Thanks for the clarification. Makes more sense to me now.

I guess he's a kid depending on our own ages. The older I get 18 seems to look younger and younger.

[SaintsGeaux]

That would not be happening at the new Yankee stadium. I had seen security confiscated the HR baseball from people who were not belong in the section. They verified it with the ticket presented. And when the ticket doesnt match up, they would be consider as trespass and that's that.


I am with you when it comes to "rights for all in the same section" not those sneaking in!

Watching last nights video. This is unreal. Same kid in last nights game in the 2nd inning sprints down about 10 rows, knocks into a Yankees fan, and goes 2 seats into the row and jumps in front of 2 more fans to grab an Adam Jones HR. The camera pulls away so not sure how it all ended up.

[marino13]

I just watched the HR on my MLB.TV subscription. The guy grabs the ball and throws one on the field. Are you nervous you were duped? It looks like some other guy hands him a ball to throw back.

Never seen a HR ball with a dirt smudge unless it landed in the bullpen. I did rewind to confirm the throw to 1st by the catcher but if Im negotiating sight unseen I would have been nervous.

If Hamilton hits no more HRs in the game the ball in my mind isn't worth much more than a $100 it 2.

Marino, you paid $200 for a Jeter HR ball and $300 for a ARod HR ball which sounds about right given the uncertainty on Authenticity.

I would have given $100 tops for the Hamilton at the time. Too much doubt until you can research. Now given the historically significant events, and Schuberts research, it looks solid.
Congrats Schubert1970

Yup!

After the handshake agreement of the price and exchange of the baseball, I also draft up a quick "authenticity / affidavit" letter which included three signatures - the security for the area, the person who caught the HR ball and Me (the new owner of the ball).

If there were marking on the ball, we would have taken pictures of them but like most - it just look minor scruff up where the bat meet the baseball.

Now I am getting these letters draft in advance just in case a sale is happening.

[CollectGU]

In the video he looks under 25. I'm not much older and while Im a kid I am also technically an adult.

In Schubert1970s 3rd paragraph he says "A kid (over 18 years of age)". That's all we need to know. Legally an adult. I'm not questioning that.

At the time his friend was handed that ball, I would have been nervous that I was being duped with that dirt mark. People rip off other people in this hobby all the time.

I don't understand the whole idea of being duped by another ball. With regards to non MLB authenticated HR balls, the provenance is the key. Even if he changed it, his letter and provenance would basically make the "changed ball" the one that has value. The "real" ball would have no value because he gave the provenance away to the changed ball, effectibely making it worthless.

[SaintsGeaux]

I don't understand the whole idea of being duped by another ball. With regards to non MLB authenticated HR balls, the provenance is the key. Even if he changed it, his letter and provenance would basically make the "changed ball" the one that has value. The "real" ball would have no value because he gave the provenance away to the changed ball, effectibely making it worthless.

All great points. I think the photo and video evidence backs up the dirt mark to similar location on the ball.

[frikativ54]

I don't understand the whole idea of being duped by another ball. With regards to non MLB authenticated HR balls, the provenance is the key. Even if he changed it, his letter and provenance would basically make the "changed ball" the one that has value. The "real" ball would have no value because he gave the provenance away to the changed ball, effectibely making it worthless.

I would respectively disagree. If a fake jersey has provenance, it is still a fake jersey and can be proven as such at a later date. The same is the case with a fake home run baseball. Videos and photos might be able to prove it as a fake at a later date too. JMO, but fake balls are worthless, no matter what kind of a letter they come with.

[CollectGU]

I would respectively disagree. If a fake jersey has provenance, it is still a fake jersey and can be proven as such at a later date. The same is the case with a fake home run baseball. Videos and photos might be able to prove it as a fake at a later date too. JMO, but fake balls are worthless, no matter what kind of a letter they come with.

You are missing my point, by changing the ball and adding a letter to the changed ball, he would have been effectively making the real ball worthless.....

[schubert1970]

You are missing my point, by changing the ball and adding a letter to the changed ball, he would have been effectively making the real ball worthless.....

Perfectly said.

[BostonSportsFan]

It looks like Schubert got lucky here and got a really nice piece. I personally would not pay that much for a ball in this case unless the MLB authenticator was sitting right there and slapped a hologram on the ball and I was able to then obtain it from the fan. Almost too risky as there is just not enough time to do your due diligence.

At least in this case Schubert was able to get those high res images and match this up. Imagine if in any of these situations the person that caught the ball did a switcharoo to you and gave you a fake ball. Again, in this case with the high res Schubert grabbed a great piece and who would have ever guessed that two more homers would have come out of this.

Joe