Commemorative Balls
1999 All-Star Game - Fenway Park Edition
Big names from the 1999 All-Star squads: Kent Bottenfield, José Rosado, Dave Nilsson, Ed Sprague, Ron Coomer, John Jaha — is it just me or does it feel like this was two lifetimes ago?
1999 ALDS
Cleveland vs. Boston? Texas vs. New York? None of the above. I snagged it during batting practice at Yankee Stadium the following season. (I've caught many of my commemorative balls at random batting practices.)
1999 NLCS
October 17, 1999. Shea Stadium. Mets vs. Braves. Game 5. Top of the 13th. Foul ball hit by Jorge Fábregas. Vertical leap. Caught on the fly. Jubilation.
Enron Field inaugural season
This ball should be ashamed of itself.
2000 All-Star Game — Turner Field Edition
Check out that teeny MLB logo in the middle of the '2000.'
2000 All-Star Game
Turner Field hosted the 2000 All-Star Game, so the ball's stitches match the Braves' colors.
County Stadium final season
That place was fugly.
2000 World Series
Subway Series, baby! This version with the Mets and Yankees logos was not used in games. It was sold as a collectible, and the Mets used a bunch of these balls the following season at Shea Stadium.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Rangers and Blue Jays opened the 2001 season at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. If you look closely at the commemorative logo, you can see a faint "T" for Texas on the left and the Jays' maple leaf on the right.
Miller Park inaugural game
The Brewers' new home opened on April 6, 2001. (Too bad the logo on this ball is worn off. It's the only one I got, and it's super rare.)
July 4th, 2001
Patriotism at its best. Also, this is the only baseball I’ve ever gotten that has a dual-color logo, so it’s truly special. I wish MLB would do this more often.
2001 World Series
Gold stamping: nice.
2002 All-Star Game
Calling off the game with the score tied after 11 innings: not nice.
Yankees' 100th anniversary
The Yanks used these balls at home throughout the 2003 season.
Serie de los Expos de Montreal
Remember the Expos? Remember when they played some of their home games in Puerto Rico?
Washington Nationals inaugural season
On July 5, 2005, I drove four hours from New York City to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. for the sole purpose of catching this.
2005 All-Star Game
For whatever reason, the Mets used these during BP throughout 2006. I ended up with 26 of them. BOO-yah!
New Busch Stadium inaugural season
Another example of random ball acquisition: Mets third base coach Manny Acta tossed it to me on 6/14/06 at Citizens Bank Park.
Ashburn Alley
To my surprise, I received free goodies after catching this BP ball and showing it at Citizens Bank Park's Alley Store: an Ashburn Alley replica street sign, an Ashburn Alley t-shirt, a plastic Ball Qube, and a $25 gift certificate. Pretty cool, huh? I snagged this on the same day that I got the Busch Stadium ball above.
2006 All-Star Game
Another season of Mets batting practice, another crop of All-Star balls.
2007 Opening Day
Padres reliever Heath Bell gave me this ball (as well as his cap) on 8/31/08 at PETCO Park, and by the way, this was my 400th ball of the season.
Yankee Stadium final season
The Yankees used these balls during home games throughout the 2008 season. The logo featured the original facade of the stadium. This ball happens to be my 3,500th lifetime ball, which I snagged on July 2, 2008.
Shea Stadium final season
The Mets used these balls during their final year at Shea. I got one (and four others) on September 10, 2008.
Nationals Park inaugural season
On April 10, 2008, I set a personal record (which I have since broken) by snagging 28 balls at one game. This was my final ball of the day, and THIS is the 5,795-word blog entry I wrote about it.
2008 Futures Game
Normally I don't count balls from the Futures Game in my collection, but I happened to snag this one during batting practice before the Home Run Derby.
2008 Home Run Derby
I didn't catch anything during the Derby itself, but I managed to snag a few balls during batting practice.
2008 All-Star Game
Okay, ready for some fantastic weirdness? The 2008 All-Star Game took place on July 15th at Yankee Stadium, but somehow the Mets got a hold of these balls ONE MONTH EARLY and used them during batting practice. I caught this one (and two others) on 6/23/08 at Shea Stadium.
2008 World Series
I attended Game 4 of the 2008 World Series, but I didn't snag this ball until the following season. Mets pitcher John Maine tossed it to me at Dodger Stadium on the same day I snagged ball No. 4,000.
Citi Field inaugural season
Yikes. Not only is this logo puny, but it doesn't say the name of the stadium or city or team. Only the Mets could find a way to screw up a ball.
New Yankee Stadium inaugural season
THIS is what a commemorative logo should look like.
Metrodome final season
Here's another example of a beautiful commemorative logo. See the difference between this and the Citi Field ball? Did I travel to Minnesota this season? Nope! I got a bunch of these balls from the Twins on 5/6/09 at Camden Yards.
2009 World Baseball Classic
The week after the All-Star break, I drove down to Citizens Bank Park to see Heath Bell. He had told me earlier in the season that he'd saved a ball for me from the World Baseball Classic. This is it . . .
2009 All-Star Game
. . . and then he surprised me by giving me this ball too. (Wow.) Here’s my blog entry about it.
2009 World Series
Home plate umpire Dana DeMuth tossed this to me as he walked off the field after Game 5 in Philadelphia.
Target Field inaugural season
Beautiful logo. Beautiful stadium. Terrible place to snag baseballs.
San Juan Series
In June 2010, the Mets and Marlins played a three-game series at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the first game, Mike Stanton (now known as Giancarlo) hit his second career home run. This is the ball. I caught it on the fly.
2010 All-Star Game
This is a fantastic logo. There's a halo on the big star because the game took place at Angel Stadium, but I wasn’t there. I got this ball three years later (!!!) on 8/27/13 at Nationals Park.
2010 World Series
Is it just me or has the World Series logo gotten lamer? Anyway, I got this ball on the same day that I got the 2010 All-Star Game ball. Thank you, Washington Nationals!
Salt River Fields
In 2011, the Rockies and Diamondbacks opened a joint Spring Training facility called Salt River Fields. Some of these commemorative balls found their way to major league stadiums, and I snagged this one during BP on 4/11/11 at Citi Field. Note how the outline of the Rocky Mountains is formed by a snake's body and head.
Angels' 50th anniversary
The Angels used these balls at home throughout the 2011 season. The Yankees happened to bring some back from their trip to Anaheim, and I got this one during BP on June 7th in New York.
2011 All-Star Game
I was there. I snagged lots of balls. Click here to read my long/awesome blog entry about it.
Mets' 50th anniversary
Much better than the commemorative Citi Field logo, but the Mets still goofed by not including the years. This ball struck out Scott Hairston to end the bottom of the 8th inning (and was tossed to me by Nationals catcher Jesús Flores) on April 9, 2012.
Astros' 50th anniversary, Part 1
Oh hey, look. There are years. Bravo, Astros, and thanks for giving me a bunch of these on 5/14/12 at Citizens Bank Park.
Camden Yards' 20th anniversary
Whaddaya know? There are years here too! Nice work, Orioles. Also, I’d like to point out that I got this baseball on the one-year anniversary of Mike Trout’s 1st career home run.
Dodger Stadium's 50th anniversary
Whoops, no years, but it's still a damn nice logo. (Rockies pitcher Jeremy Guthrie tossed this ball to me on 5/22/12 at Marlins Park and then posed with it for my blog. What a guy!)
Marlins Park inaugural season
This is Troy Tulowitzki's 127th career home run. It landed in the Marlins' bullpen. Heath Bell retrieved it and tossed it to me. Click here to read my blog entry about this game. You won't regret it.
Civil Rights Game
From 2007 to 2015, Major League Baseball played an annual "Civil Rights Game." On August 18, 2012, it took place at Turner Field. I snagged 15 balls that day, including five like this with the commemorative logo.
Chipper Jones
When I heard that the Braves were going to use these balls throughout the final regular-season series at Turner Field, I booked a last-minute flight from New York and ended up snagging four in two days. These balls were selling for $300 apiece in the team store, so if I wanted to sell mine (which I didn't), I could've easily made my money back.
2012 Postseason
From 1996 through 1999, each round of the postseason had its own commemorative ball with a unique logo. From 2000 through 2011, regular balls were used during the first two rounds, but in 2012, commemorative balls were back in the playoffs. I got this one at Game 2 of the ALDS at Camden Yards.
Astros' 1st season in the American League
When MLB moved the Astros from the National League Central to the American League West in 2013, this baseball marked the occasion. I got it on 5/4/13 at Minute Maid Park.
Rockies' 20th anniversary
I don't like it. The mountains are too dark and don't look mountainous enough. Nevertheless I was glad to get this one (and a couple others) on 9/18/13 at Coors Field.
Mother's Day
Think pink. Here’s how it all went down.
2013 Home Run Derby
I snagged six of these during BP before the Derby and gave three away, not to random fans but to the guy who paid for my ticket. That was our deal, and we agreed to do the same thing at the All-Star Game.
2013 All-Star Game
This ball is perfect. So is my blog entry.
Mike Piazza, Part 1
Mike Piazza was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame on September 29, 2013. This ball was used that day at Citi Field.
2013 Postseason
This was the ball that ended the 8th inning in Game 6 of the ALCS at Fenway Park. Jonny Gomes went down swinging, and Alex Avila tossed it to me on his way back to the dugout.
2014 Opening Series in Australia
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks opened the 2014 season with a two-game series at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This was a BP homer on the first day.
2014 Opening Day
Back in North America, every team used these balls at their home openers. This one came from Citizens Bank Park on April 8th — a Jayson Nix lineout to Aramis Ramírez to end the 7th inning.
Wrigley Field's 100th anniversary
Cementing his legacy as a great provider of commemorative balls, Aramis Ramírez hit this one to me — a towering foul pop-up — on September 3, 2014.
Orioles' 60th anniversary
Can't argue with a home plate-shaped logo. As you can see, this ball is mud-rubbed, but it probably wasn’t used during a game. Home plate umpire Adam Hamari gave it to me after the final out on 4/14/14 at Camden Yards.
Petco Park's 10th anniversary
The Padres didn't start using these gorgeous baseballs until halfway through the season, by which point they were done playing on the east coast. Therefore, in order to snag one (or ten, as it turned out), I had to book a trip to San Diego.
Derek Jeter
Sorry, Yankee fans, but this logo is weak. Remember how the Chipper Jones ball featured an image of Jones? Well, this one should've shown Jeter. Also, the wording at the bottom ("New York Captain Yankees") is clunky, and the years of his career are glaringly absent. Whatever. I'm still ecstatic to have snagged SEVEN of these on 9/11/14 at Yankee Stadium.
2014 Postseason
I didn't get any baseballs during Game 1 of the ALDS at Camden Yards, but thankfully the Tigers used these during BP.
2015 Opening Day
I got this ball from the Mets bullpen at Citi Field two days after the home opener.
Nationals' 10th anniversary
Nice. Simple. And I didn't need to go to Washington, D.C. to snag it because the Nationals brought some on the road when they came to New York.
Astros' 50th anniversary, Part 2
How can one team celebrate a 50th anniversary twice — three years apart?? The first one (in 2012) commemorated 50 years as a major league franchise. This one (in 2015) marked 50 years as the Astros. (In 1965 they changed their name from the Colt .45s and moved into the Astrodome.)
Bernie Williams
Since the Yankees didn't bother to include the years of Williams' career in the logo, I'll provide that info here: 1991-2006. FYI these balls were used on May 24, 2015.
2015 Futures Game
Same deal as the 2008 Futures Game ball — I snagged this the following day during BP before the Home Run Derby. And it's mud-rubbed!
2015 Home Run Derby
The main logo is lame, but HOW COOL IS THE SWEET SPOT?! Click the photo and you'll see what I'm talking about. I've never seen anything like that.
Jorge Posada
Once again, the years (1995-2011) are missing, but I love the detail on this logo, specifically Posada's shin guard. These balls were used on August 22, 2015 — no blog entry, unfortunately.
Andy Pettitte
In this case, I'll forgive the Yankees for not including the years since it would've had to say "1995-2003, 2007-2013." These balls were used on August 23, 2015.
2015 Postseason
I got this from a batboy after Game 3 of the NLDS between the Mets and Dodgers — the first postseason game ever at Citi Field.
2015 World Series
This was the ball that ended the 10th inning of Game 5 at Citi Field — a Kelly Johnson pop-up off Luke Hochevar, caught by Eric Hosmer and tossed to me by Alcides Escobar. Two innings later, the Royals were champions.
2016 Spring Training — Florida
I don't count Spring Training balls, but this was tossed to me during pre-game warm-ups on 4/6/16 at Yankee Stadium.
2016 Spring Training — Arizona
The Rangers used these during BP on 4/12/16 at Safeco Field, and I got a bunch more from other teams at other MLB stadiums.
Mexico City Series
In March 2016, the Padres and Astros played two Spring Training games at Fray Nano Stadium in Mexico City. Astros bullpen catcher Carlos Muñoz saved this ball for me and tossed it to me 14 months later at Yankee Stadium.
Blue Jays' 40th season
Okay, this is just weird. The Jays (who became a team in 1977) used these balls in 2016, not for their 40th anniversary, but rather their 40th season. I got this one (and two others) on 4/25/16 at Comerica Park.
A century of Cubs at Wrigley Field
Another "100-year" Cubs/Wrigley ball? Umm, okay. Cool. I got this ball on August 31, 2016 —check out my YouTube video from this game.
Turner Field final season
I'll always miss this place. I averaged more than 13 balls per game there. Here’s the video from my final game.
Fort Bragg
Marlins 3rd baseman Martin Prado tossed this to me on 7/3/16 at Fort Bragg Field — the first MLB game ever played on an active military base. My presence caused a huge uproar and I deeply regret going; check out my blog entry to get the full story.
2016 Futures Game
Same deal as the 2008 and 2015 Futures Game balls — I snagged this during BP before the Home Run Derby.
2016 Home Run Derby
These were used during BP before the All-Star Game. (WTF?)
2016 All-Star Game
These were used during BP before the Home Run Derby. (Double WTF?)
Mike Piazza, Part 2
The Mets retired Mike Piazza's uniform number on July 30, 2016. These balls were used that day at Citi Field, and I documented it with a blog entry and a YouTube video.
2016 Postseason
I got this (and eight other regular MLB balls) at the Wild Card game at Citi Field. The Giants beat the Mets, 3-0. Madison Bumgarner went the distance to lower his career postseason ERA to 1.94.
2016 World Series
Indians bullpen catcher Ricky Pacione gave this to me the following season at Progressive Field. (Whatta guy!) Here’s the video.
SunTrust Park inaugural season
Why why why why WHY is the name of the stadium missing from the logo? Because it’s an ugly corporate name? Hmph. Well, here's my YouTube video from the game when I got this.
Camden Yards' 25th anniversary
This was the ball that ended the 8th inning on May 24, 2017 — a Chris Davis strikeout, tossed to me by Twins catcher Chris Gimenez. I attended two games that day at two different stadiums. Here's the video.
Mariners' 40th anniversary
Unlike the Braves, who never seemed to bring commemorative balls on the road, the Mariners used a ton of these 40th-anniversary balls during BP. That said, I caught this one during a game at Safeco Field — a foul ball by Danny Valencia on June 6, 2017.
Pete Rose
In 2016 the Reds used these balls for three games when they retired Pete Rose's uniform number and inducted him to their Hall of Fame. I missed out on that but got another chance when the Reds unveiled a new Pete Rose statue in 2017 and brought these balls back for the day. Here's the video.
Father's Day
Four years after the Mother's Day ball was first used, MLB finally decided to introduce this one — and it was never used again, which, on one hand is a bummer, but on the other hand makes it quite rare. I think this ball looks ghostly and amazing. Want to see how exactly I got it? Check out the video.
July 4th . . . again
This ball was used throughout Major League Baseball on July 4, 2017. As you can see, the only thing different/commemorative about it is the multi-colored stitches — weird but cool.
2017 All-Star Game
Is that orange stamping? Orange-red? Peach? Whatever it is, it looks great, and while I have your attention, here's my video from the All-Star Game.
2017 Postseason
This was a toss-up from the Indians before Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium.
2017 World Series
Here's the ball that ended the 2nd inning of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. Logan Forsythe flied out on a 1-2 pitch from Dallas Keuchel; Astros center fielder George Springer caught it and tossed to me on his way in.
2018 Spring Training — Florida
Reminder: I don't count balls that I snag at Spring Training. This one (like the Spring Training balls I got in 2016) found its way into my possession during the regular season (May 7, 2018 at Petco Park, to be exact).
2018 Spring Training — Arizona
See above. This, too, was a regular-season acquisition.
2018 Opening Day
Giancarlo Stanton's first game in the Bronx as a member of the Yankees couldn't have been much worse. He struck out FIVE times. This was the ball that ended his first at-bat. Rays catcher Jesús Sucre threw it to me.
Royals' 50th season
Nice logo. It seems a bit small, though, and I'll always think it's dumb when a team celebrates a milestone number of seasons rather than a milestone anniversary. 1969 to 2018? C'mon, Royals, get with it! Here's the video from this game.
Rays' 20th anniversary
You know what's dumber than the years on a commemorative ball NOT being multiples of five or ten? Not having years at all. Congrats, Rays. I snagged this ball on the day I did my first "meet-n-greet" at an MLB stadium.
Mexico Series — Monterrey
The Dodgers and Padres played a three-game series at the Monterrey Baseball Stadium in May 2018. I was hoping for a more creative, non-text-based logo, but of course it's still cool to have gotten this ball, and it was exciting just to be there. This was my 54th MLB stadium.
Dodgers' 60th anniversary in L.A.
I like this logo. The building is City Hall, which was the tallest building in Los Angeles when the Dodgers moved there from Brooklyn, and by the way, this ball was thrown to me by home plate umpire David Rackley after the game on May 9, 2018. Dodger Stadium is officially a fun place.
Rockies' 25th anniversary
The mountains are better here than on the 20th anniversary ball, but the Rockies logo is missing, and there are still NO FRICKIN' YEARS. 1993-2018. Is that so difficult? Jeeeeezus. The coolest thing about this logo is the microscopic font that says "Colorado." I got this ball on May 29, 2018.
Marlins' 25th anniversary
For some stupid reason, the Marlins only used these baseballs for one weekend in June 2018. But then again, that makes this ball much more rare, so perhaps I shouldn't complain. That said, I do think the logo is too light/faint. Advantage: pitchers.
Giants' 60th anniversary in S.F.
I snagged three of these baseballs on June 26, 2018.
Athletics’ 50th anniversary
This is my 60th lifetime game home run ball, hit by Dustin Fowler in the bottom of the 8th inning on June 30, 2018.
Diamondbacks' 20th anniversary
Seven teams used season-long commemorative baseballs in 2018. Glad to say I snagged them all after getting this one — a René Rivera foul ball on August 22nd at Chase Field.
2018 Postseason
Postseason balls from 2012 through 2017 had gray/silver stamping. Those were cool. This is bland. I got it at the American League Wild Card game at Yankee Stadium.
2019 Spring Training — Florida
One week after I got back from Japan, I caught this ball during regular-season BP at Yankee Stadium. Very cool logo. Less is more.
2019 Spring Training — Arizona
I got this one in late April at Progressive Field. Here’s the video.
Globe Life Park final season
This was one of the best/funnest/chillest stadiums I’ve ever been to, and I’m still sad it’s no longer in use for MLB games. (I’m also sad to see commemorative logos getting smaller and smaller. What a cruddy trend.) Many thanks to home plate umpire Greg Gibson for handing this ball to me after the game on April 15, 2019.
Reds’ 150th anniversary
Pretty cool to have a commemorative logo that features a year in the 1800s. I got this one after the game on April 23, 2019 in Cincinnati.
Omaha, Nebraska
On June 13, 2019, the Tigers and Royals played a regular-season game at TD Ameritrade Park — home of the College World Series.
London
First MLB games ever played in Europe — Yankees vs. Red Sox. I got this one from Yankees bullpen catcher Radley Haddad. Click here for the video.
2019 All-Star Game
This logo is painfully dull. I hate it. Here’s the video. (Meanwhile I caught two homers during the Derby, and I’m not even including those balls here because the logo hasn’t changed for years. Bleh.)
Phillies Wall of Fame
On August 3, 2019, the Phillies had a pre-game induction ceremony for Bobby Abreu, the newest member of their Wall of Fame. These baseballs were then used during the game to mark the occasion.
Edgar Martínez
In August 2019, the Mariners celebrated Edgar Martínez and his recent Hall of Fame induction. These baseballs were used for one weekend only, and the detail on this logo is exquisite. See the little stripes at bottom/middle for the HOF? Outstanding.
Padres’ 50th anniversary
This was a foul ball hit by Rays pitcher Oliver Drake on August 12, 2019, and since the Padres are too poor to afford the ink required to include the years on the logo, I’ll share that here: 1969-2019.
2019 Postseason
I still miss the gray/silver stamping. Maybe I’ll get over it someday. This ball was a Brett Gardner single in the 3rd inning of Game 2 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium; Twins 3rd baseman Miguel Sanó ended up with it and chucked it out of play to me.
2020 All-Star Game
This baseball is extra special because the game itself never happened. (Thanks, covid!) The Giants ended up using these balls during BP the following season, and I snagged four of them on April 19, 2021 in Philadelphia.
Twins' 60th season
The Twins used this ball in 2020, so of course I got it from the Giants. In Cincinnati. In 2021. Ha! Here’s the video that shows me catching it.
2020 World Series
It took me two years to get this one! A friendly coach on the Rays saved this for me and tossed it to me on August 19, 2022 at Tropicana Field.
Braves’ 150th anniversary
This team began its storied franchise in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings. After many name changes, they became the Braves for good in 1941, moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and settled in Atlanta in 1966. This ball found its way into my hands on April 13, 2021.
Angels’ 60th anniversary
I snagged this one on July 28, 2021 in Anaheim.
2021 All-Star Game
Why isn’t there multi-colored stitching? Because of the late-ish venue change due to politics? MLB redesigned a slick logo (with the Rocky Mountains forming the bottom portion of the star) but Rawlings, I assume, didn’t have time to switch up the seams. Whatever. Purple is my favorite color, and I loooooove this unique ball. Here’s my video.
Astros’ 60th anniversary
Cool in theory but a jumbled mess in actuality. What you can’t see below the word “YEARS” (because it’s too damn small) is “Colts 1962” on the left and “2022 Astros” on the right. Also, the small silhouette of Texas makes the “0” look like “8” and I think the border is dull, but hey, other than that they nailed it! Here’s the video.
Astros City Connect
This logo is simple and fantastic, and the ball itself is somewhat rare. Used only on Mondays in Houston during the 2022 season in conjunction with the “Space City”/City Connect uniforms, it’s the first commemorative ball ever that doesn’t actually commemorate anything. Here’s my video from the game when I got this.
Angels world champions 20th anniversary
GORGEOUS! But also weird. This is the type of ball that would normally be used for one night, ya know? Or maybe an entire weekend. Bring back the old-timers, do a little pre-game ceremony, and be done with it. The Angels, however, decided to make this a season-long ball, and through a connection, I got this on 5/31/22 at Yankee Stadium.
Rangers’ 50th anniversary
Spectacular design. The number is big and easy to read and incorporates a baseball. And that baseball is wearing a cowboy hat! And the hat has an easy-to-read team logo. And the years (1972-2022) are included. This is an A+ logo, and I’m thrilled to have snagged a bunch of these balls during my two-day trip to Globe Life Field.
Jim Kaat
This logo is AMAZING, and the ball itself is extremely rare. It was used for just one day at one stadium — July 16, 2022 at Target Field — to celebrate the 83-year-old southpaw’s long-overdue induction to the Hall of Fame.
Lou Whitaker
Dear Lou, sorry about your hand but congrats on having your uniform number retired. Like the Jim Kaat ball above, this was also used in just one game at one stadium: August 6, 2022 at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Ichiro Suzuki
I flew 2,421 miles for this baseball (JFK to Seattle) and it was totally worth it. Ichiro is one of my favorite players of all time, and there was only one day and one place to snag this: August 27, 2022 at T-Mobile Park.
Lou Gehrig
Now THIS is incredible. Lou Gehrig balls weren’t even used during games, so this is ULTRA super-duper rare. These balls were only used for ceremonial first pitches and other promotional purposes, so how did I get one? Watch this video that I filmed (with my mom!) on September 7, 2022 at Camden Yards.
Diamondbacks’ 25th anniversary
I’d like to thank (a) Andrew Chafin for pitching this baseball, (b) Christian Yelich for fouling it to the backstop, and (c) on-deck hitter Willy Adames for handing it to me through a space in the netting. Here’s the video of my epic day at Chase Field.
Another Mexico City Series, but like, for real
Unlike the Spring Training series in 2016, this one in 2023 actually counted for the regular season — and I was there. Padres bullpen coach Ruben Niebla chucked a bunch of these into the crowd after the 2nd and final game, and I was lucky to grab one.
Rays’ 25th anniversary
Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher tossed this to me after the game on June 20, 2023 at Tropicana Field. Easy.
Marlins’ 30th anniversary
This ball is special for two reasons. Not only was this Bryan De La Cruz’s 32nd career home run, but the Marlins only used these commemoratives on Fridays, so they were kinda hard to get. Also, WOW this logo has a ton of ink. Here’s the video.
Félix Hernández
Rather than flying 2,421 miles for this one, I got it from Orioles bullpen catcher Ben Carhart on September 26, 2023 at Camden Yards. The O’s were in Seattle for the Félix ceremony, and because I couldn’t make it, Ben tracked down this ball for me.
Miguel Cabrera
The Tigers used these balls during their final homestand of the 2023 season. This one was a Josh Naylor groundout that ended the top of the 1st inning on September 29th, and Javier Báez chucked it to me deep in the seats.
2023 World Series
I got this ball at Game 3 in Phoenix — my first trip to the World Series in six years. The logo is boring, but I still love it.
Seoul
It took me exactly one inning to get a baseball from the first MLB game ever played in South Korea on March 20, 2024. Jake Cronenworth struck out to end the bottom of the 1st, and Mookie Betts chucked the ball to me in the upper deck. The video is epic. Check it out.
Mets City Connect
Boring but still cool. The Mets wore their new City Connect jerseys for the first time on April 27, 2024, and this ball was used during the game.
Phillies City Connect
I have no idea what “LTUE” is supposed to mean, but I was glad to snag this after the 1st inning on May 3, 2024 at Citizens Bank Park. :p
Blue Jays City Connect
Big “T” for Toronto plus a maple leaf? Sure, why not. It’s low-effort, but I like it, and I got it on June 5, 2024 at Rogers Centre.
Rays City Connect
Can you think of the last commemorative logo without ANY numbers or letters? Yeah, it’s been a while. Scroll up and you’ll find it. This is a unique and winning design, and talk about attention to detail — the pelican’s eye is the Rays’ star! I was overjoyed when I snagged this ball on June 8, 2024 at Tropicana Field.
Petco Park's 20th anniversary
I’m in awe of this glorious/detailed logo featuring the iconic Western Metal Supply Co. building. Shoutout to the Padres (and specifically reliever Adrian Morejon) for using this ball during pre-game warmups on July 10, 2024 at Petco Park.
Jim Leyland
For the third year in a row, the Tigers used a commemorative ball to honor a beloved member of their organization — Lou Whitaker on August 6, 2022, Miguel Cabrera for the final homestand in 2023, and Hall-of-Fame manager Jim Leyland on August 3, 2024.
2024 All-Star Game
Rangers coach Bobby Wilson saved this ball for me, brought it to Chicago more than a month after the All-Star Game (which I did not attend), and tossed it to me on August 28, 2024 at Guaranteed Rate Field. What a guy!
2024 World Series
This ball ended the 8th inning of Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. Giancarlo Stanton popped up to Gavin Lux who tossed it to Tommy Edman who threw it to me on the 3rd base side.