Game Used MLB Baseballs

[dwolfe12345]

Does anyone know why all the game used baseballs teams sell always are either foul tips or ground outs? Does MLB only authenticate balls that are taken out of play permanently? Just kind of curious. The Braves are selling probably 50 balls and not one is recorded as a hit by a player.

[cliffjmp33]

The Phillies have sold balls that were hits, including this season. It may just depend on the team? Sorry can't shed anymore light.

[gnishiyama]

I have several game used balls that were actually recorded as hit balls
but they are very rare. For some teams its rarer than others since
they don't track the use of the ball through multiple batters.

For example, as far as I know the Mariners only authenticate to the last
batter. So in order to get an Ichiro game used hit baseball, Ichiro would
have to get a hit and then that ball be immediately taken out of play for
whatever reason. (ball was scuffed, player requested new ball)

Some teams like the Twins are a bit easier to get hit balls because
they will authenticated back through multiple batters. For example,
Mauer can hit the ball but even if the ball is used afterwards for several
batters, it will still get recorded and you can confirm it thereafter.
(i.e. Mauer hit, Thome ground out, Cuddyer foul ball, taken out of play)

Hit balls in general are hard to get because I would think MLB would frown
upon taking a ball out of play just for resale purposes. The only instances I
see them taking out a perfectly reusable ball is for records and milestones.

Hope this helps.

[eGameUsed]

I know of a few teams that collect hits including the Astros, Giants, Twins, and Cardinals. he Astros specifically will collect single, doubles, triples, and home runs. They will also collect Strike Out balls from pitchers. Most of the balls they collect are pitches in the dirt and foul back to screen.

Thanks,

[lakeerie92]

The list I got from the Braves yesterday had a Jose Reyes triple and some other hits in there.

Most baseballs aren't taken out of play until they are a pitch in the dirt or fouled. That is when they get authenticated and what they get authenticated to. Baseballs hit for singles, doubles, fly outs, etc. often continue use. If the camera stays on them sometimes you can track a pitch in the dirt ball to the instances where they were hit into play.

Baseballs from regular season games with no feature tend to not sell well so they only authenticate a few and the foul tips and pitch in dirt balls are the ones that get the hologram. Games with meaning like Opening Day, Civil Rights Game,Teams Unite for Joplin, or playoffs tend to get more focus and you can find more hits because the ball is taken out of play frequently.

[rmichne]

Hello,
Wondering if the there were any game used baseballs from the Mets / Atlanta game on April 17, 2011. Please let me know and if so how much.

Thanks

Ron Michne Jr
rmichne@yahoo.com

Always buying New York Mets items

[lakeerie92]

Hello,
Wondering if the there were any game used baseballs from the Mets / Atlanta game on April 17, 2011. Please let me know and if so how much.

Thanks

Ron Michne Jr
rmichne@yahoo.com

Always buying New York Mets items

No, there were 4 from 4/16, but none from 4/17.

[coxfan]

There is a lot of variability from club to club and year to year. When I went to five Rangers' games on a Texas visit in late August, they were focused on selling g-u balls from the game in progress, receiving them by the 8th inning in their stadium store. This a new practice they didn't do last year. Maybe as part of that new emphasis, they authenticated at least a couple as base hits ( Including one I bought, a single.) I seemed to notice that the bat boy would pause to talk to someone by the home dugout when a ball was taken out of play; I guesed that he was helping the authenticator make sure he got it right, but I was too far away to be sure.

They authenticated some hits from the playoff games last year, when as many as 55 balls from a game were authenticated ( ie everything that wasn't hit in the stands). But I noticed that even those didn't always sell well at the prices ( typically $150 for a hit,) so that some were still unsold this August. I still find that surprising, given the millions of fans following those games. I think a lot of people don't go into collecting g-u items because they mistakenly assume (as I long did) that the demand would too far exceed the supply. Does that mean we collectors are a rare breed?

As I noted before the term "foul tip" is typically misused by authenticators for any foul behind the batter, though few are true foul tips by the rules.

[dplettn]

Most baseballs aren't taken out of play until they are a pitch in the dirt or fouled. That is when they get authenticated and what they get authenticated to. Baseballs hit for singles, doubles, fly outs, etc. often continue use. If the camera stays on them sometimes you can track a pitch in the dirt ball to the instances where they were hit into play.

A good example might be FJ 591281. The authentication would make the ball appear insignificant:


Session Name: CIN AT BAL
Session Date: June 25, 2011


PITCHER BRIAN MATUSZ , BATTER SCOTT ROLEN, T 1ST INNING, PITCH IN THE DIRT


Watching the video makes a world of difference. Joey Votto hit the preceding pitch for his 600th career single, but the authenticator only noted the pitch that took it out of play. One of my favorite balls obviously; Joey Votto would later hit his 100th and 101st career home runs in the same game. It took attention to detail to realize what it was. It would be an honor if someday the Reds Hall of Fame wants the ball for one of its displays.



As a ball collector, I’ve noticed that the balls from Camden Yards are particularly heavily mudded, which really adds to the appeal IMHO. So, whether somebody is after a ball that helps to memorialize something personal (a trip to Camden Yards, birth, wedding anniversary, child’s first game, etc) or to commemorate a big game by their favorite player.


Even at Camden where all the balls are very cool, the majority of balls authenticated at are not hits. In my favorite team’s series @Camden the only Reds hit authenticated accordingly was the Brandon Phillips’ single putting him on base for Votto’s 100th career homer. Still, I can avidly recommend the Orioles merchandising.

Kelly provides an abundance of professionalism and effort! The shop is at the York Galleria in York, PA an hour north of Baltimore and the phone number is (717) 840-8822.

[dplettn]

A good example might be FJ 591281. The authentication would make the ball appear insignificant:


Session Name: CIN AT BAL
Session Date: June 25, 2011


PITCHER BRIAN MATUSZ , BATTER SCOTT ROLEN, T 1ST INNING, PITCH IN THE DIRT


Watching the video makes a world of difference. Joey Votto hit the preceding pitch for his 600th career single, but the authenticator only noted the pitch that took it out of play. One of my favorite balls obviously; Joey Votto would later hit his 100th and 101st career home runs in the same game. It took attention to detail to realize what it was. It would be an honor if someday the Reds Hall of Fame wants the ball for one of its displays.



As a ball collector, I’ve noticed that the balls from Camden Yards are particularly heavily mudded, which really adds to the appeal IMHO. So, whether somebody is after a ball that helps to memorialize something personal (a trip to Camden Yards, birth, wedding anniversary, child’s first game, etc) or to commemorate a big game by their favorite player.


Even at Camden where all the balls are very cool, the majority of balls authenticated at are not hits. In my favorite team’s series @Camden the only Reds hit authenticated accordingly was the Brandon Phillips’ single putting him on base for Votto’s 100th career homer. Still, I can avidly recommend the Orioles merchandising.

Kelly provides an abundance of professionalism and effort! The shop is at the York Galleria in York, PA an hour north of Baltimore and the phone number is (717) 840-8822.

Pictures of Votto 600th hit ball, displaying the heavy mudding typical of Camden balls are attached: