Show off YOUR game used baseballs...

[freddiefreeman5]

Billy Butler HR #16 08/30/08 .

[freddiefreeman5]

I sold this one and just bought it back. Glad to have it back!

Carlos Gonzalez triple.

[lakeerie92]

Update of my commemorative ball collection. All of these are event/game used and authenticated by MLB.


These are some of my best pick ups of the past year. The PNC ball is one of only 2 authenticated during the inaugural game.

[asr1084]

I never thought id do GU baseballs. However i am a huge lonnie chisenhall fan and i had to bid on (which btw i won) on MLB auctions a week ago on a gu ball. It was a ball from his first mlb hit game. Of course id like to have the actual ball he hit but these guys keep them so no way would mlb get a say. These balls get thrown off the field for the player immediately from what ive seen. Furthermore this makes a general ball from that game just as neat since thats as close as we can possibly get.

[dplettn]

Ball hit for single by Albert Pujols in game 3 of 2009 NLDS. MLB holo number LH642411. Would be curious to know if anyone else knows of a authenticated Pujols post season hit. I have not seen another.

Rick
rickjlucas@gmail.com

Pujols' only postseason I've researched for balls is 2011. And I have not looked into what was authenticated after game 4 of the World Series. Up to that point, I know of 2 (two) separate Pujols hit balls that were authenticated. I stop short of saying "certain" but I'm confident that quantity 2 is correct for the 2011 postseason from NLDS, NLCS, and through game 4 of the World Series.

[dplettn]

I usually shy away from posting pictures. Not that there is anything wrong with it, its just not something I always like doing.

But, I really like the idea of this particular thread. And with collecting of game used balls not being as widespread as bats or jerseys yet, I wanted to share some of the joys I've had collecting balls in the hopes of putting others onto an idea with which they may find similar enjoyment.

Below is one of Yonder Alonso's early hits. Yonder was an exceptionally nice person to meet, particularly courteous and taking his time to talk while signing this ball.

I hope Yonder playing his natural position in San Diego ultimately serves him. Thanks to the opportunity to meet him (because of the ball) and appreciating the human interaction, I'll have an interest every time I see a Padres game.

Thanks, Yonder!

[dplettn]

I primarily got interested in collecting game used memorabilia after kids. Many of the items are specifically theirs and not mine. Generally, I have an easier time justifying the expense for items that will be on their mantle to memorialize their experiences one day than to justify the expense of items for me.

One of the really fun things I encourage others to do is to get something used on a special occasion, such as your child's first game.

This particular ball is not the primary item my youngest son will have to commemorate his first game, but it is the only one I'm allowing (and helping) him to get autographed. The ball was used at Opening Day 2011, a pitch which was thrown to the eventual NL MVP.

At Redsfest, while many other game used collectors got to rush to the Game Used Merchandising area I was more focused on helping my kids get to the appropriate lines to get the autograph's on their items.... fortunately... already Travis Wood and Yonder Alonso from the 2011 team have moved on. When Brandon Phillips signed this ball (in the kids-only line) he looked annoyed. I can't blame Brandon, what athlete would expect this ball really does belong to my 1 year old who attended his first game at roughly 4 months of age.

In addition to my youngest son getting autographs for his collection, my eldest son (3) got the first batting practice ball he secured all by himself in the stands autographed by the man who hit it.... Joey Votto.

I'll admit, collecting with my boys has made me a bit youthful myself. I had Jay Bruce autograph the first BP homerun ball I ever got.

For those who need team contacts to help get game used stuff that your families will enjoy forever, please feel free to ask me: plettner@fuse.net

My pet-peeve though is people who buy stuff only for the purpose to opportunistically resell it.

[dplettn]

You are thinking of Zack Hample


He has over 3,500 balls now

I met Zach while taking my son to batting practice. Interesting guy. I'll never forget the look on player Jose Arredeondo's face when Zach did his glove, pencil, rope, rubber band trick to fetch a ball that was still on the fan.

After Zach fetched it, Jose rolled another ball to the exact location from which Zach had taken the 1st. Again, Jose watched in disbelief with his jaw on his chest.

About Zach, he does try and help all the kids at BP get a ball. And obviously, that is the way it should be.

[dplettn]

When I think of a game used baseball I think of the actual ball that was hit for a particular achievement. Homerun #100 of a platers career, Hit number 1000 of a players career, etc. I don't like when MLB saves all the balls from a game and then puts them in their auctions as game used ball from the game when so and so reached XXX accomplishment. I think this is kind of misleading and someone could believe that that ball was the actual hit or thrown ball when that milestone was accomplished.

Getting back to the core notion of this thread, I very much share in this preference for hits themselves in my collecting. Below is a picture of my Drew Stubbs 3 RBI double ball.

I do enjoy seeing what hits and/or home run balls others have collected.

[dplettn]

Attached is one of my favorite hit balls, which brings up a point that is worthy of discussion... hit balls by discovery.

This ball is Joey Votto's 600th hit (and his first hit on the day he slammed his 100th and 101st home run). However, it is not authenticated that way. At this location, the authenticator only took notes on the last action the ball had before it left play. This particular ball was authenticated exactly one pitch after the hit which makes the ball special to me. To say I was pleased to discover this ball, and that I had fun in the research process is an understatement.

Different clubs have different ways of working with their authenticators to have balls and other items authenticated for each item's true relevance.

One thing I've noticed is that there is momentum where authentications are getting more and more relevant, and more broadly relevant venue by venue over time.