Can you authenticate a game used or homerun baseball?!

[MansGame]

I caught Derek Jeter's 63rd HR ball (career HR) hit in Cleveland on September 19, 1999. I have the ticket stub and want to frame both together or do something cool. Just had this idea because I'm going through old boxes at my parents house this weekend while visiting back home.

I was curious, can you authenticate a game used baseball or a homerun ball?! I have to imagine it is really tough to do that.

Thanks for the help.

 

[DRav87]

It can be done. I have Adam Dunn's 100th home run ball. However, I would imagine that it would be a bit more difficult in your situation.

 

[MansGame]

It can be done. I have Adam Dunn's 100th home run ball. However, I would imagine that it would be a bit more difficult in your situation.

Yea, I'm sure back in 1999 if I would of been thinking about this, would of been easy to take pictures and all this stuff lol. With it being over 10 years ago, just thinking it would be hard to do.

Honestly, I'm not that worried about it because I'm not looking to sell it at this point. Just thought it'd be cool to authenticate to relieve me of all the people that are like NO WAY lol.

 

[matchpenalty]

No.

Today a lot of teams have MLB authenticators on hand and authenticate game used balls during games. Reason people pay money for MLB authenticated game used stuff.
Any body can drag out a MLB and say it was such and such ball. But no one can prove it unless it was MLB authenticated on the spot.

 

[MansGame]

No.

Today a lot of teams have MLB authenticators on hand and authenticate game used balls during games. Reason people pay money for MLB authenticated game used stuff.
Any body can drag out a MLB and say it was such and such ball. But no one can prove it unless it was MLB authenticated on the spot.

Makes sense, what I figured. Well, I'm out of luck but I'm keeping it anyways... I know it is authentic and that's all that matters. If I were to ever sell it, it'd have to be to a person who trusted me I guess.

Thanks guys for the info!

 

[Musial Collector]

Makes sense, what I figured. Well, I'm out of luck but I'm keeping it anyways... I know it is authentic and that's all that matters. If I were to ever sell it, it'd have to be to a person who trusted me I guess.

Thanks guys for the info!

Exactly. The price was right so I picked up from a local seller what he stated was Cuddyer's 28th HR ball from 2009. He stated he worked at the dome, it went over right center field. He said he went out there after the game and retrieved the ball, assuming it was the only ball out there. He had this ball signed by Cuddyer. I took his word it was this HR ball, but will never know 100%.

The only other Cuddyer HR ball that I have is MLB certified. Was hit against the Rangers on June 9th, 2011, into the bullpen at Target Field. I also have the bat that hit this HR ball, and I was at the game, here is the story behind getting both pieces:

The bat was purchased (by luck/chance) from the Target Field Majestic Clubhouse in August 2011. I was at a ballgame and decided to look at Cuddy game used bats that day, as at that time I only had the two Mother's Day bats and wanted to add a regular bat to my collection. I picked this bat out because it had some of the infield grass stuck to the generous amounts of pine tar on the barrel. While on the ride home, I looked up the MLB holo cert and found out it was from June 9th, 2011, a game I was at. At that moment, I had not made the connection of it being a Home Run bat. The bat is MLB Authenticated and was signed by Cuddyer at a private signing event held by FanHQ in Milwaukee on April 21st, 2012.

The ball was purchased via the Cheerful Givers Foundation, one of Cuddy's supported charities, in September 2011. I had seen on the Cheerful Givers Facebook page that they had an auction coming up and seen that there were going to be some Cuddyer items again. While perusing the items I see this ball, and it states Cuddyer Home Run ball June 9th, 2011, I was in shock. I knew at that moment I needed to win this auction. That night I went thru some pictures I had taken at the game to see if I could somehow match up my bat, sure enough I did, to Cuddy's plate appearance during the home run at bat. The ball is signed on the Sweet Spot and has Cuddy's following inscription: June 9th, 2011 3 run HR #8 vs Texas Rangers. The ball is MLB Authenticated as being retrieved by the bullpen and presented to Rick Stelmaszik as the HR ball.
​

 

[gracecollector]

Just document it as best you can. A little internet research shows your ticket stub should be in the section down the Left Field line. Jeter hit it leading off the top of the third on an 0-1 count, off Cleveland starter Jim Brower. It made the score 2-0 Yankees (Yanks eventually lost 11-7). The baseball should say "Official Ball American League" with a Gene Budlig Pres. printed signature, with the words Cushioned Cork Center" on it and "RO-A."

Knowing the specifics will add credibility when you tell the story.

Or get a letter from a trusted and well-known Umpire:

 

[Fandruw25]

It might be worth your wihile to track down game footage from that game. While you can't authenticate the ball from the video, you could likely prove it was you from the video, unless they didn't show where the ball landed.

 

[MansGame]

It might be worth your wihile to track down game footage from that game. While you can't authenticate the ball from the video, you could likely prove it was you from the video, unless they didn't show where the ball landed.

This would be epic. I literally was on the front of the home run porch and it hit my left hand on the fly and I snagged it on the ground. Footage would definitely catch it.

Anyone know the beginning of looking up historic footage of games that's ate not significant and dated?

 

[MansGame]

Just document it as best you can. A little internet research shows your ticket stub should be in the section down the Left Field line. Jeter hit it leading off the top of the third on an 0-1 count, off Cleveland starter Jim Brower. It made the score 2-0 Yankees (Yanks eventually lost 11-7). The baseball should say "Official Ball American League" with a Gene Budlig Pres. printed signature, with the words Cushioned Cork Center" on it and "RO-A."

Knowing the specifics will add credibility when you tell the story.

Or get a letter from a trusted and well-known Umpire:

Good idea!!

 

[Big Mac McGwire]

There are some things you can do to
build a package that can illustrate your claim.

Write a afidavit.
Explain your reason for being in cleveland and the events
leading up to the at bat. State your seating location
and such. Your ticket stub is very important and state where the HR landed
in regards to your seating location.Thats as much you can do
when it comes to stating how you obtained the ball. Be as clear, detailed and specific
as you can. I would print out a enlarged map/ seating chart and pinpoint
where the HR was hit and label your seats.

You have to have a big description like they have
in the auction catalogs. The hardest part is finding actual
footage of the HR. you need to find someone or somewhere that
has Jeter highlights. That will be most challenging.
And another thing you can do is have your description/afidavit
notorized. Thats what i would do as thats about everything you can
do to authenticate a HR hit 13 years ago.

Detailed description
Ticket Stub
Map showing your seat/where ball landed
Actual Footage
Notorized Letter

 

[rsmath]

Anyone know the beginning of looking up historic footage of games that's ate not significant and dated?

Contact one of the television rightsholders of the game and see if they can sell you a DVD of that game, or contact MLB Productions to inquire about footage. Probably will cost a pretty penny to buy a license of the footage in either case. I don't think MLB.TV's online archives go back that far but I will check.

(checking)...

nope. If it were from 2009 to present, you could access it.

You should have asked this question in 1999 or 2000 or so...

 

[MansGame]

There are some things you can do to
build a package that can illustrate your claim.

Write a afidavit.
Explain your reason for being in cleveland and the events
leading up to the at bat. State your seating location
and such. Your ticket stub is very important and state where the HR landed
in regards to your seating location.Thats as much you can do
when it comes to stating how you obtained the ball. Be as clear, detailed and specific
as you can. I would print out a enlarged map/ seating chart and pinpoint
where the HR was hit and label your seats.

You have to have a big description like they have
in the auction catalogs. The hardest part is finding actual
footage of the HR. you need to find someone or somewhere that
has Jeter highlights. That will be most challenging.
And another thing you can do is have your description/afidavit
notorized. Thats what i would do as thats about everything you can
do to authenticate a HR hit 13 years ago.

Detailed description
Ticket Stub
Map showing your seat/where ball landed
Actual Footage
Notorized Letter

Some great ideas here. Thanks you!

 

[MansGame]

Contact one of the television rightsholders of the game and see if they can sell you a DVD of that game, or contact MLB Productions to inquire about footage. Probably will cost a pretty penny to buy a license of the footage in either case. I don't think MLB.TV's online archives go back that far but I will check.

(checking)...

nope. If it were from 2009 to present, you could access it.

You should have asked this question in 1999 or 2000 or so...

I'm going to contact the Indians or MLB. See if I can get footage or something. If its stupid expensive, I'll probably pass lol.

As for not asking sooner, never thought about it. I was a teenager lol.

 

[Tzvih123]

No.

Today a lot of teams have MLB authenticators on hand and authenticate game used balls during games. Reason people pay money for MLB authenticated game used stuff.
Any body can drag out a MLB and say it was such and such ball. But no one can prove it unless it was MLB authenticated on the spot.

If you get a game-used ball, how do you get it authenticated. If someone catches a home run ball, do authenticators go to him and put a sticker on the ball, or does he have to go to the MLB Authentication stand at the stadium?
And what about for foul balls? To get a GU foul ball authentcated, can you go to the MLB Authentication stand and get them to authenticate it?

Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I was wondering.

 

[LWMM]

If you get a game-used ball, how do you get it authenticated. If someone catches a home run ball, do authenticators go to him and put a sticker on the ball, or does he have to go to the MLB Authentication stand at the stadium?
And what about for foul balls? To get a GU foul ball authentcated, can you go to the MLB Authentication stand and get them to authenticate it?

Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I was wondering.

For the most part you can't. Authenticators will tag home run balls that go into the bullpen or a dead area, as well as balls retrieved directly from play. However, any time a ball goes into the stands, there is a risk that a fan will swap the real ball with a decoy. I read on GUU that authenticators actually watch a video with this happening (guy catches home run, throws back decoy) when they go through training. This is the reason why record breaking home runs (Barry Bonds's 755th and 756th, e.g.) are marked beforehand so that they can be retrieved and identified after going into the stands.

 

[A_Pharis]

http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94185

Is the stub you have with it yours or did you go back and buy a stub once you figured out what date you were there?
Just asking since - in that thread - you don't mention the stub nor know the date right off hand. The point this would make is that it would give a bit less credibility in authenticating the ball since it wasn't your stub.

 

[MansGame]

http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=94185

Is the stub you have with it yours or did you go back and buy a stub once you figured out what date you were there?
Just asking since - in that thread - you don't mention the stub nor know the date right off hand. The point this would make is that it would give a bit less credibility in authenticating the ball since it wasn't your stub.

I've made a few threads regarding the ball. I've always has the ball but had to piece together the details and where other items might be like my ticket stub and I also contacted the MLB and they sent me the foot age from the game, which is nice. The only piece which I wish I could of located is any pictures of me from the game with my Dad and friend. My Mom said she doesn't have anything, so that sucks. That would of made this pretty locked and loaded.

All that said, and as I've said in other threads, I'm not looking to sell and think it has more sentimental value than what uncoils get for it... Plus, I can't get doubters to believe me, so not worth the fight. Which is OK, I love the item. A one of a time piece.

 

[MansGame]

Here is the thread that I created recently regarding this: http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139927

 

[A_Pharis]

With such an inconsequential home run number, I don't think anyone would think you'd have a reason to lie.