game used practice

[mbenga28]

why are used practice items usually valued less than what's actually used in games? is it because of the quality component of the item, like with jerseys?

[mbenga28]

sorry if the title seemed a little unclear, I meant to say game used vs. practice used.

[suicide_squeeze]

why are used practice items usually valued less than what's actually used in games? is it because of the quality component of the item, like with jerseys?

A short answer would be......."History" in the sport took place while the "gamer" was being worn or used, and often can be pinpointed to a specific event, sometimes something very significant, while the game used item was being worn/used. This is a direct tie to the history of the game, or the players career who utilized it while compiling his career numbers. That is typically viewed in the collecting hobby as "most desirable" becasue of the direct link to the player.

A practice item......in the infamous words of Allen Iverson......

"We're talking about........practice?

NOT A GAME.....................NOT A GAME!............................Practice."


Still one of the greatest audio spots I've ever heard in the history of sports.....

[markize]

A practice item......in the infamous words of Allen Iverson......

"We're talking about........practice?

NOT A GAME.....................NOT A GAME!............................Practice."


Still one of the greatest audio spots I've ever heard in the history of sports.....

Steve,

The Iverson clip was classic, but a close second to Jim Mora's, "playoffs" rant. The expressions on his face were priceless!

To answer the OP, I agree with Steve, practice has no real bearing on the actual games, which lowers desiribility (SP). Players are rarely going 100% in practice and it counts for nothing.

Mark

[coxfan]

However, one should always be alert to the possibility that a practice item was previously used in a game. I have a book by a former Yankee batboy who said that a number of game balls thrown out by the umpire after game use were recycled for batting practice, and I've read this elsewhere. Sometimes those BP balls, which may have seen game use, are then sent to the minors for further BP.

When my wife and I toured the Rangers' stadium in 2007, I saw a bucket of dirty-looking balls outside the indoor batting cages. They looked quite different from the clean white balls inside the cages. The guide didn't know the difference, but I theorized that the dirty-looking balls had been rubbed up with game mud, and were being sent down for BP after game use.

If a game ball is later used for BP, it will look a little dirty all over from the mud used on each ball before each game. A clean white ball never saw game use. Some BP-only balls are specially marked ( such as with lighter blue stamps), because they came from the factory having failed the strict tests required for official game use, but are sold more cheaply for BP. I saw a TV special once on the manufacture of baseballs, which showed balls being separated at the factory into game, practice, and souvenir. Apparently this was done as a result of the test given each ball after manufacture.

[mbenga28]

thanks for clarifying, I just find it interesting that a practice jersey which exhibits heavy use from multiple practices is valued less than a game worn jersey that was lightly used for just the first half of a special event.