PDA

View Full Version : Winfield Home Run Baseball



joelsabi
09-14-2009, 12:13 AM
http://cgi.ebay.com/DAVE-WINFIELD-Auto-AU-Game-Used-434-Home-Run-Baseball_W0QQitemZ360183486082QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item53dc9bd682&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

What do you think about this baseball? The inscrition says "Gamer" but doesnt mention HR.

sox83cubs84
09-14-2009, 03:07 PM
Not to comment on the ball's authenticity or lack thereof, but this ball has been up on eBay several times with this opening bid or higher and hasn't gone.

I can say, though, that the backstory about the fountains and grounds crew guy make sense. I've been to a few Royals games in KC over the years, and more than once asked a groundskeeper if I could have a home run ball hit into that off-limits area. Every time I've either been refused or ignored.

I hope it's good...it beats paying $2500 for an Alfonso Soriano dinger. :)

Dave M.
Chicago area-

ndevlin
09-14-2009, 04:28 PM
He did infact hit a homer that day.

But dang, I'd buy a couple of his bats for that price!

suicide_squeeze
09-15-2009, 02:34 PM
As a homerun ball collector, I wouldn't touch it for $ .10 cents.

Here's why....in the description at the end, it states:

"The two letters of provenance are copies of the original letters. I accept paypal. All sales are final, so please bid accordingly. Payment is due within 5 days after the close of the auction."

Red flags all around.

Why, if this guy is the owner of the baseball, is he only supplying "copies" of the original letters of provenance?

Simply put, there is NO explanation for that. If he has THE ball, he should have the original letters of authenticity.

NO thanks....

ndevlin
09-15-2009, 02:41 PM
Well a copied letter doesnt do it for me. That happens all the time actually. I know sometimes people sell an item and only give a copy out because they want the original letter for their records/collection. Or if its a letter that goes with several items, like a "lot" for bats, people will give copies to each buyer.

For all you know, this ball came from a "lot" of baseballs won in some sort of auction house, where this seller is only supplying a copy of the letter, rather than giving the original to one and none to the others.

Who knows what the circumstances are, but I wouldnt rule out the ball entirely based on a copied letter, but thats just me. Plus, I wouldnt mind giving .10 cents for it. At least the auto looks good.

suicide_squeeze
09-15-2009, 03:20 PM
This is a typical obvious fradulent auction, and I don't mind calling it out as such.

Nate, we could speculate 'til the cows come home, but the bottom line is, whatever the situation is with this ball, unless this guy can show a clear, connected path of provenance accompanying this ball, and prove that what he is claiming is in fact true.....and a large part of that would be to supply the original letter(s) of authenticity that accompanied the ball......it's worthless (with the obvious exception to being a "used water-stained ball"). There isn't even any "weight" placed on it, IMO, by the supposed inscription of Winfield's "gamer".

If this seller really knew all the details behind this ball, and was really interested in optimizing his "take" for the sale of it, he would include all the little "imparticulars" regarding the history of this ball, and the letters of authenticity that should be included.....not "copies". And he could explain how he "knows" of the grounds keeper obtaining the ball and such. If it's in the letter of authenticity, why not show a picture of it? Is it because he may show a letter that someone else has, and they might cry "wolf"?

There is just way too much deceipt or lack of facts in this little gem. Hey, if you have a nice item like this, spew out the glory! Don't leave a bunch of questions unanswered for anyone willing to shell out some serious dough for a nice piece of baseball history from a superstar.....unless of course you are lying about it, and trying to conceal the fact it's fake.

This auction is garbage, and so is the ball, no matter whether it's real or not. Supplying a "copy" of the authenticity letter(s) is the nail in this babies coffin. If I cared, which I don't, I'd ask this "seller" why a copy is being supplied when the original is what should accompany it.....I would be interested in hearing his response.....but I already know the essence of what it will be.....

If this item is real, it has been ruined in regards to it's provenance due to the bungling in the handling of it's history. I just don't believe that's the case, though. :rolleyes:

ndevlin
09-15-2009, 08:44 PM
Is the ball a HR ball? Hell, I dont know. But Im not going to say its crap just because the letter is a copy. That happens all the time.

ballhawknet
09-16-2009, 12:36 PM
I can say, though, that the backstory about the fountains and grounds crew guy make sense. I've been to a few Royals games in KC over the years, and more than once asked a groundskeeper if I could have a home run ball hit into that off-limits area. Every time I've either been refused or ignored.

I hope it's good...it beats paying $2500 for an Alfonso Soriano dinger. :)

Dave M.
Chicago area-[/quote]




LOL , THANKS FOR THE LAUGH DAVE M

I DONT KNOW WHAT MADE ME LAUGH HARDER , YOUR CHOOSING ONCE AGAIN TO BRING UP ONE OF MY AUCTIONS COMPLETLY OUT OF CONTEXT OF THE DISCUSSION OR YOUR COMPLETE IGNORANCE OF THE FOUNTAINS
IN KANSAS CITY OR HEARING ANOTHER STORY ABOUT HOW YOU FAILED ONCE AGAIN AT BEGGING FOR BASEBALL .....LOL

SURE , ONE CAN CHOOSE TO PAY A PRICE FOR A BALL FROM A COMPLETE
STRANGER , A BALL THAT HAS CHANGED HANDS GOD KNOW HOW MANY TIMES , AND HAS VERY WITH QUESTIONABLE AUTHENTICITY , AND AS YOU PUT IT..."HOPE ITS GOOD " ..lol .. OR ONE COULD BY A BALL FROM A WELL KNOW BALLHAWK , WITH NOT ONLY A LETTER , A SIGNED AFFIDAVIT , AND IS TAGGED WITH A TAMPER PROOF HOLOGRAM AND a video of the catch as it goes into the glove !!! ... showing a close up of the ball !!! .

BY THE WAY , THE BIGGEST QUESTION I HAVE ON THIS WINFIELD BALL IS JUST HOW THE BALL WAS REMOVED FROM THE FOUNTAIN . BASEBALLS DONT FLOAT :). UNLESS THE GUY CLIMBED UP THERE DURING THE GAME , AND GOT TO THE BALL WITHING A MINUTE ...IT SANK TO THE BOTTOM .
AND AS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY ......ITS DEEP !!. AT LEAST 5 FEET .
( I HAVE PICTURES OF MY FAILED ATTEMPT OF MY EFFORTS...LOL )


THANKS AGAIN DAVE !!!

David
09-16-2009, 02:19 PM
I'm not offering an opinion as to whether or not it is authentic, but in these situations a lot depends on the seller. if the seller is someone you know and trust, you might go with his judgment that it is genuine. As with collecting autographs, I always say one of the most important things is knowing the seller. With a top notch seller-- well known as expert and well known as honest-- his opinion that the item is genuine may be worth more than the LOA that comes with the item. At the least, you know he isn't playing any games to raise the bids.

sox83cubs84
09-16-2009, 03:26 PM
Ballhawk.net:

Gosh, you have a thin skin, don't you?

Enough of our needless bickering...let's let this thread go back to the ball, not your attempts to discredit me or your self-promotion for your authentication methodology.

Dave M.
Chicago area

ndevlin
09-16-2009, 03:43 PM
Actually, the entire outfield isnt filled with fountains. The bullpens are out there as well. As well as outfield seating on both the left and rightfield foul lines. Plenty of room to catch a ball, or for a player to catch it in the pen and throw it up to a fan.

suicide_squeeze
09-17-2009, 04:31 PM
Is the ball a HR ball? Hell, I dont know. But Im not going to say its crap just because the letter is a copy. That happens all the time.

Nate,

Fair enough.....your opinion, that is.

But I am very interested in knowing what your explanation is for receiving a "copy" of the authenticity letters for this so-called original home run ball, instead of the original letters that should acompany it?

suicide_squeeze
09-17-2009, 05:30 PM
And Dave (Davison),

Although I haven't performed a buoyancy test on MLB's, I know for a fact they do float. I just don't know for how long as every one of the splash-down home runs I have seen in person, and on T.V., the ball bobs around on the top of the water. My experience is the fountains in K.C., McCovey cove, Arizona's pool in center field, and the Home Run derby in Pittsburgh.

So if you are correct that they won't stay afloat much past a minute, so be it.....but they do float for awhile for sure.

ndevlin
09-18-2009, 10:17 AM
I asked the seller of the ball, "What two letters come with the ball, and why are they copies?"


His response earlier today, "There are no letters with this baseball. The baseball is inscribed by Dave Winfield."


There ya go. There arent even any letters that come with the ball. Guess we solved that one.

suicide_squeeze
09-19-2009, 10:59 PM
As a homerun ball collector, I wouldn't touch it for $ .10 cents.

Here's why....in the description at the end, it states:

"The two letters of provenance are copies of the original letters. I accept paypal. All sales are final, so please bid accordingly. Payment is due within 5 days after the close of the auction."

Red flags all around.

Why, if this guy is the owner of the baseball, is he only supplying "copies" of the original letters of provenance?

Simply put, there is NO explanation for that. If he has THE ball, he should have the original letters of authenticity.

NO thanks....

Sorry to comment on my own post, because I'm not the type of guy to say "I told you so"......but I wanted to point something out to the forum members in an effort to educate them about easy-to-see bad auctions like this one.

If you read my highlighted quote above, that was taken directly word for word off this guys auction, you'll now find he was forced to remove it because one of the forum members here questioned him on it.

The "copies" was a dead give-away to stay away from this fradulent auction. The ball is garbage, not a home run ball of Dave Winfield's.

Nate questioned this seller (with what I already knew from common sense & experience with the level of mentality of these ebay idiot criminals) and unbelieveably received confirmation from the seller that this auction was fraud. He didn't come right out and say "Slap the cuffs on me"....but in his own words he conveniently NOW states that NOT ONLY are there no copies of any letters of authenticity, ...... "There are no letters with this baseball. This baseball is inscribed by Dave Winfield".....and the seller has now miraculously removed the highlighted words above from his auction.....words that he included as part of his original description.

Backpeddling and damage control via misdirection if there ever was a good example of it. Add this "seller" to your "Run for the hills" list.

When you come up with all of the facts this chump came up with, but lack ANYTHING to back it up, guess what folks? If it looks like s#!t.......and it smells like s#!t.......you certainly don't have to consider tasting it (Cheech & Chong, anyone?).