Insight into wear on gu baseball

[dplettn]

Curious if we have any experts that might help me to know what all is on this baseball from opening day.

It was authenticated to the 3rd pitch of Todd Frazier's 3rd inning opening day AB, which merely means that was the last moment it was in play.

Both of the two pictures show interesting elements on the baseball. In the top picture there is a white substance embedded into the seams with the scuffing. In the bottom picture, I believe there is a bit of mud on top of the seams over top over possible paint transfer from a bat.

Thoughts?

[dplettn]

Here is another picture that may be more clear of what I think is bat/paint transfer near the seams where there also appears to be a bit of "mud" in the seams. Is there any other possibility for what this is other than from a black bat?

[emann]

The white is most likely paint/chalk from the foul lines. It gets caked into the seams sometimes . . .

[coxfan]

I always check the hologram number just below it, and compare it to the play-play on MLB.com, with particular note of the pitch sequence. The number below it was HZ738017, which was in Cuetto's PA. There were no fouls in his remainiing time at the plate, nor in Hamilton's AB (a force-out) or in Votto's AB ( a single), so it's likely this ball was in play the whole time. It looks too worn to have been used only for three pitches.

But the only way to be more certain is to track down a video of the interval between Cuetto's PA and Frazier's AB. Sometimes balls are thrown out but bypass the authenticator ( eg if a player throws it to a fan)

[dplettn]

I always check the hologram number just below it, and compare it to the play-play on MLB.com, with particular note of the pitch sequence. The number below it was HZ738017, which was in Cuetto's PA. There were no fouls in his remainiing time at the plate, nor in Hamilton's AB (a force-out) or in Votto's AB ( a single), so it's likely this ball was in play the whole time. It looks too worn to have been used only for three pitches.

But the only way to be more certain is to track down a video of the interval between Cuetto's PA and Frazier's AB. Sometimes balls are thrown out but bypass the authenticator ( eg if a player throws it to a fan)

In my experience at Great American Ball Park, the tendency for important balls to be authenticated, but not with relevance to the significant plays is very common... especially at sold out games.

For me, what is maddening in this instance is that I wasn't myself keeping track of the ball from the time of the first relevant action (Votto had the 1st hit of the Reds season and subsequently Hamilton scored the 1st run of the Reds season). So, absent in person focused observation of when the relevant ball left play, I can only lend on the physical evidence present on the ball. I am the 1st owner, so I know it hasn't been tampered with.

While I certainly agree with you about the general appearance of extensive use, it is more rigorous in in my research interest to assess the possibility of other causes for the specific appearances. There was no bat to touch a baseball between the 1st hit of the Reds season (Votto) and the play to which the baseball is authenticated. Similarly, a ball never hit grass in that interim. The grass staining alone is pretty significant. But to be thorough though, I would very much like to know if there are any other explanations for the black coloring than paint transfer from a bat. For example, on a wet day, could the black coloring have come from the catchers glove?

Thoughts?