Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

[earlywynnfan]

Does anyone know when Rawlings Gold Glove baseballs were first sold? I'd love to see an ad or something, if anyone has one.

Thanks, Ken

[allstarsplus]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Check some old SCDs from the late 1990's. The company that had the exclusive on them no longer exists (I think it was B&J Collectibles). Rawlings then changed the design slightly and sells them direct.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/BaseballMLB-/27259/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=gold+glove+baseball

http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12811969

[trsent]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

I found the first ball was believed to be made in 1991 and it was believed to have been given out at the awards banquet but the history is sketchy:

[Wrigley2010]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Ken, The link below is to the Gold Glove baseballs section on bigleaguebaseballs.com you will also see the photo above this post in that section. If you are not a member I would suggest joining as I'm sure someone there can help you answer your question. I know Zach who started the site is always helpful and is a wealth of knowledge. From what little research I did I couldn't pinpoint an exact date other than somewhere in the mid-late 90's is the most likely time period these baseballs were made available to the public.

Cheers,
Joe

http://photos.bigleaguebaseballs.com/rawlings-company-promo-baseballs/

[allstarsplus]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Joel, nice picture. Joe, good link! Does anyone remember if B&J were the exclusive distributor of these?

[joelsabi]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Great info. The baseball commonly used for Gold Glove Award baseball autograph collection first appeared in 2007. Something to know so as not to get a deceased players autograph on such a baseball as many collectors get the sigs retroactively.

[allstarsplus]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Great info. The baseball commonly used for Gold Glove Award baseball autograph collection first appeared in 2007. Something to know so as not to get a deceased players autograph on such a baseball as many collectors get the sigs retroactively.

Joel, where are you getting that date from? I know I was purchasing Gold Glove balls from B&J around the late 1990's for autographs.

[joelsabi]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Joel, where are you getting that date from? I know I was purchasing Gold Glove balls from B&J around the late 1990's for autographs.

Andrew,
The 2007 year is based on my collection of GG Award autograph baseballs. I started collecting them in 2001 when Ichiro got his first Gold Glove Award. I added ARod the next year and so I just decided to continue collecting and trading for them by getting a few extra signed balls during signings that I could attend and by networking with a group of like minded collectors. The design of the baseballs changed in 2007 when at the National I got the autographs of Ryno, Gary Carter, and Graig Nettles. The GG logo was moved to the opposite side of the sweet spot. I cannot pinpoint when the baseballs originally were available as I was not collecting them at that time;however, I have bought some baseballs with another distinct design on the secondary market that came from signings prior to 2001. Would like to know myself the exact year they first came out and not just a general late 90's starting point. If you were to buy a dozen GG baseballs online right now, you get the 2007 version.
Regards,
Joel

[ironmanfan]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

A friend was at that 1991 Gold Glove Banquet and did pick up one of those gold colored stitched baseballs for my collection, which I had Cal sign/inscribe a year or so later:

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Thanks, guys. It all started with me wondering if these balls were available for Curt Flood to have signed one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURT-FLOOD-J...vip=true&rt=nc

Ken

[ironmanfan]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Thanks, guys. It all started with me wondering if these balls were available for Curt Flood to have signed one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURT-FLOOD-J...vip=true&rt=nc

Ken

If you look at the third picture in the description (the one with LaSorda & Pudge on the panel), you'll see the faint remnants of what appears to be printing on the ball tied to a specific event (in other wods, it isn't a "generic" Gold Glove baseball).

Looks good to me.

[ironmanfan]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

My bad, I meant the panel with LaRussa (not LaSorda)

[allstarsplus]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Andrew,
The 2007 year is based on my collection of GG Award autograph baseballs.If you were to buy a dozen GG baseballs online right now, you get the 2007 version.
Regards,
Joel

I got you. Thanks for the clarification.

[allstarsplus]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

Thanks, guys. It all started with me wondering if these balls were available for Curt Flood to have signed one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CURT-FLOOD-J...vip=true&rt=nc

Ken

Curt Flood died in January 1997. Good detective work.

[joelsabi]

Re: Rawlings Gold Glove BB's??

If you look at the third picture in the description (the one with LaSorda & Pudge on the panel), you'll see the faint remnants of what appears to be printing on the ball tied to a specific event (in other wods, it isn't a "generic" Gold Glove baseball).

Looks good to me.

Good eye.

Without asking the seller, I believe this is 1993 GGA Dinner baseball.

Here is a listing shows a Johnny Bench special award from that year.

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=105656

I believe these were the people in attendance at the dinner. It makes sense as Johnny Bench is on the sweet spot and Jay Bell won his first and only award in 1993.

So its not a baseball offered to the public but an event baseball.


Still would love to know when those public baseballs were first offered to the public.