One of baseball’s treasures that have not been absolutely proved to be found is that of the ball that Bobby Thomson of the New York Giants hit on October 3, 1951 to win the National League pennant.

     There has been speculation that the ball was indeed kept all these years by a friend of the man who claimed to have caught the ball in the stands that historic day. And that story may well be true. However, if you indeed feel that you have the ball, or you know someone who thinks that they have that famous ball, then please come forward. And you will need to have a good story to go along with the ball.

     Of course, the game between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers on that day in early October 1951 has been termed one of the greatest games ever played. For those people not familiar with the game, those two hated rivals were playing the third and final game of the playoffs to decide who would win the National League pennant. The Dodgers had a 13 ½ game lead over the Giants in mid-August, but the Giants had caught them on the last day of the season, to force a playoff.

     In the third and deciding game the Dodgers had the lead going to the bottom of the ninth. The Dodger pitcher Don Newcombe was taken out of the game and replaced by Ralph Branca. Bobby Thomson, a local New Yorker, had been a solid, not spectacular, player throughout his career. His homerun in the ninth inning to beat the Dodgers at the Polo Grounds that day would forever make him a marked man in baseball history. For that matter, Branca’s place in baseball history would now be remembered as well.

     Thomson’s homerun, called the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” is one of the most famous moments in sports history, not just baseball history. Why? Probably because the game was between two teams from New York who disliked each other. The Giants victory also capped off a dramatic comeback in late summer, and was achieved at the last possible instance. It showed to the American public that underdogs with long odds against them can prevail.

     So, where is the ball? Possibly it is still out there, still to be turned in. Possibly it went the way of old baseballs and was thown away. Possibly it was recently sold at auction. Of course, back in 1951 fans did not have the same craze for memorabilia as they have now. Who would know that baseballs hit into the stands, even if it meant winning the 1951 National League pennant, would have such historical significance and be worth a fortune? How much is that ball worth today? Oh, only about a million dollars.

     Maybe you remember the words of the late Giants’ announcer Russ Hodges when Bobby Thomson’s blast landed in the stands:  

“The Giants win the pennant,

  The Giants win the pennant,

  The Giants win the pennant.”

     But where is the ball that was hit into the stands?

    Throughout the history of baseball many great players have graced the baseball diamonds across America.

     Players such as Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Henry Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Roger Clemens, Honus Wagner, and scores of others will long be remembered. But the one player who has always stood out has been Babe Ruth.

     It was George Herman “Babe” Ruth who almost single-handedly saved baseball from fading into obscurity. No matter how many of Ruth’s hitting and pitching (yes, he was a pitcher early in his career) records have been broken, he is still Mr. Baseball.

     Even though Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds may have passed Ruth’s hallowed career homerun record, and his season homerun record have been surpassed by a few players, Ruth’s name will always be remembered. And he was a prolific signer of baseballs and other baseball items until his death in 1948.

     You may see many Ruth signed baseballs in auctions or in sales, but the one ball that has not yet surfaced is Ruth’s home run in Game 3 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.

     The Cubs indeed were in the 1932 World Series, but, as you can imagine, did not win. In fact, they haven’t won in a long, long time. But that’s another story.

     The homerun that Ruth hit in Game 3 of that World Series is often termed the “called” shot.

     As legend has it, Ruth pointed to the centerfield stands, and on the very next pitch hit a ball to that same location to which he had just pointed.

     Fact or fiction that this incident really occurred? No one knows for sure, but it makes for a great story.

     There have been many Ruth stories that have surfaced through the years, and this is certainly one of them.

     Did he really point to centerfield? If so, why did he? Will we ever know?

     How much could this ball be worth? Real tough to say, but it might fetch a cool $1.5 million in an auction. Naturally, it will depend how many bidders there are, and if a bidding war develops, as it did with the McGwire 70^th homerun ball.

     And of course, there are many people who do not believe the whole scenario of Ruth “calling” his Game 3 shot, so that if the ball does show up in an auction it will be considered “suspect” by many.

     If you feel that you may own this ball make sure you have the proper documentation. And believe me, the baseball Hall of Fame would gladly take the ball off of your hands.

     Even though you may not have the “called” shot Ruth ball, any Ruth-signed ball is valuable, very valuable.

     I have seen several balls signed by both Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Some collectors prefer a single-signed ball, while other collectors prefer balls signed by more than one star, such as Ruth and Gehrig on a ball.

     Babe Ruth is baseball, and baseball is Babe Ruth. And Babe Ruth and baseball are memories.

Baseball Press Pins

            

              One of the rarest, and collectible, of all baseball items is the press pin. There are many sports collectors who are not even familiar with what a press pin is.

                Actually, as the words imply, it is a pin given to a member of the press, presumably covering a sporting event. Although most sporting press pins have been associated with World Series and All-Star Games in baseball, there are now press pins associated with Super Bowls, NBA Championships, Stanley Cup Finals, Indianapolis 500 races, and the list is growing.

                Baseball press pins have existed for a little over 100 years, and have served as badges for members of the media at a major sporting event. Nowadays, the media are given more credentials than a metal pin, even though a press pin is now a commemorative, rather than a required item.  

                But, the roots of the baseball press pins, now truly collectors items, dates back to the early 1910s. The New York Giants manager, John McGraw, had a wide circle of friends who wanted to go to the games for free. McGraw did not want to say no to any of them. McGraw had passes given to his friends to get into the stadium. They would go to the press box as the working media was on the field interviewing players before the game. When the media would come to the press box area, they would find their seats taken.

                The solution was that the newly-formed Baseball Writers of America issued specially-designed lapel pins which would be required of anyone trying to gain access to the press box area. Since that time, press pins have been produced for nearly every baseball World Series and All-Star Games, and some other major sporting events.

                Press pins fit the criteria for a collectible. They are very scarce, they are very desirable, and most of them are in good condition. Besides, they are extremely lightweight and easy to move. As an example of how scarce they are, in the early years, no more than a few hundred were given to each World Series team. Even as late as the 1990s, only a few thousand were allotted to each team.

                Besides the actual press pins that were distributed to World Series teams, there are also vintage press pins known as “phantom” pins. These were press pins that were made for contending teams that never made it to the World Series. These pins were made just in case the teams did make it to the World Series. They are valuable as well, and sometimes are even worth more than the pins of a World Series team.

                The press pins of the Philadelphia Athletics from the 1911 World Series were manufactured by the Allen A. Kerr Company, and are worth the most in general, well into the thousands of dollars. That year was the first year press pins were made especially for the World Series. Nowadays, press pins from modern World Series are only worth a couple of hundred dollars even in Mint condition.

                However, in a 2012 Heritage auction, a 1922 World Series press pin which served the New York Giants and New York Yankees media, sold for $11,950. The pin was in Mint condition, and of course featured both New York teams. Both teams also played at the Polo Grounds, that year, the sight of all the World Series games.

                However, in 2013, there was a press pin that sold for nearly $57,000. A World Series press pin from the New York Giants 1912 World Series between the Giants and the Boston Red Sox sold for that incredible amount. It is one of only a few remaining pins from the year’s World Series. For baseball trivia buffs, 1912 was the year that Fenway Park opened in Boston, and the team has been playing there ever since.

                So baseball collectors; if you haven’t thought of collecting press pins, you might want to think about it now.

             “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron was one of baseball’s greatest players from 1954 to 1976.  Aaron debuted on April 13, 1954 as a player for the Milwaukee Braves, and made his last plate appearance on October 3, 1976 while a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.  Along the way, he homered 755 times, a record that was eventually broken by Barry Bonds.  In fact, Aaron is the only player to hit 30 or more homers in a season at least 15 times.

                Aaron’s professional career started in 1951 when he was signed to a contract to play for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League.  However, Major League Baseball had already begun to sign black players, starting with Jackie Robinson’s debuting with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.  Aaron made short work with the Clowns, and only played in 26 official Negro League games.  In 1952 Henry Aaron’s contract was purchased by the Milwaukee Braves.  In the Braves’ minor league system Aaron played primarily shortstop or second base.  However, that was soon to end.  When Braves left fielder Bobby Thomson, the Giants hero in the 1951 playoffs against the Dodgers, fractured his ankle, Aaron replaced him in the outfield.  The rest, so to speak, was history.

                Hank Aaron was selected as an All-Star 21 times, and played in 25 All-Star games.  In 1957 he was a member of the World Series champion Milwaukee Braves.

                Of course, Aaron was closely scrutinized once he became close to breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record.  Ruth’s record of 714 homers was for decades, but as with any record, sooner or later there was always a chance of it being broken.  And so it was with the home run record.  Aaron ended the 1973 season at 713 homers, one shy of Ruth.  The hate mail came in droves during the offseason, as how dare a black man surpass the iconic record of Babe Ruth.  But in the very first game of the 1974 season, Aaron tied the record, and broke it on April 8^th, 1974, during the first home game of the Atlanta Braves.

                Aarons’ final homer, on July 20, 1976, against the California Angels, was his 755^th career homer, and stood as the record until 2007, when San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds would surpass it.

                Aaron was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 with 97.8 percent of the votes.  At the time that selection percentage was the second highest in history, only to 98.2 percent of Ty Cobb in the inaugural 1936 Hall election.

                Since his retirement Aaron has served in several baseball executive positions.  In addition, in 2001 he was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton, and in 2002 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush.

                For the baseball collector, most Hank Aaron items can be acquired without breaking the bank.  For example, an Aaron-signed official Major League baseball can usually be purchased for no more than $200-250.  In comparison, a Ruth-signed ball can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

                A signed Aaron replica jersey will cost less than a thousand dollars on eBay, while an original Hartland statue in good condition from the late 1950s will cost a few hundred dollars.

                An Aaron 8x10 signed photo is priced at $100-125, while a signed bat runs around $750-900.

                A Hank Aaron piece of memorabilia will always be a treasure for any sports collector. 

                Michael Jordan, considered by most basketball pundits to be the greatest basketball player, was only the 3^rd player selected in the 1984 college draft. That sounds a little hard to believe, but it’s true. The Houston Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the first pick, and the Portland Trailblazers then selected Sam Bowie.

                Jordan then fell in the laps of the Chicago Bulls, who then became a perennial champion a few years later.

                There has been a lot of debate over whether Jordan should have been selected higher. In fact, Olajuwon was a great player with Houston. However, Bowie, an often-injured star at Kentucky was a victim to knee problems, and his professional career was short lived.

                And Jordan, you ask? Well, the guard from the University of North Carolina became the face of the National Basketball Association (NBA), that’s all.

                Actually, Portland filled a need when they selected Sam Bowie, so they cannot be blamed. After all, Tom Brady was the 199^th pick in the 2000 college football draft by the New England Patriots. And for all you Dallas Cowboy fans, Tony Romo was not even drafted.

                But as for Michael Jordan, it is well-documented that he flourished as a high school senior at Laney High in Wilmington, North Carolina. He then took his talents to his nearby university at Chapel Hill, much to the delight of legendary coach Dean Smith.

                Jordan dominated professional basketball from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six world championships, and was the Most Valuable Player of the NBA five times.

                Ever since he was a youngster Jordan had wanted to become a professional baseball player. After he retired from the Bulls the first time, he joined the Birmingham Barons as an outfielder. He couldn’t hit well enough to make a real try, and in 1995, he returned to the Chicago Bulls. He later joined the Washington Wizards, and finally retired for good in 2003.

                In 2006 Jordan purchased a part of the Charlotte Bobcats, and became its majority owner in 2010.

                To this day, Michael Jordan is extremely visible across the world. Besides being the owner of a professional basketball team, he is in several television commercials, and hosts a golf tournament.

                Jordan is also very popular among collectors. His items are highly coveted, and sell for astoundingly high prices at auction. A few examples will suffice. A Michael Jordan designed Chicago Bulls championship ring from 1992-1993 went for $9000 at auction, while his 1994 signed minor league baseball contract went for over $15,000.

                Jordan’s game worn 1987-1988 Chicago Bulls jersey sold at auction for nearly $18,000, while his 1984-1985 game worn original Air Jordan shoes went for slightly over $31,000.

                Items from Jordan’s playing days at North Carolina are in high demand. For example, the 1982 college basketball championship game net from Jordan’s game-winning shot went for over $31,000 as well. That shot was against Georgetown in a 63-62 victory.

                How about his 1991 NBA All-Star game-used uniform? In that game Jordan scored 26 points, as he led the East squad to a 116-114 victory. The jersey went for $55,000.

                Finally, Jordan’s 1983 game-used jersey from his University of North Carolina Tar Heels days. College jerseys are always a big hit among collectors as there are so few of them, and this one was no exception. As expected, this college jersey went for top dollar. It went for $95,000.

                Jordan items are still very popular, long after his playing days were over. He is still recognized as a great player, and his legacy still prevails.

                Michael Jordan basketball cards are still very collectible, especially his 1986 Fleer rookie cards. His signed shoes are greatly in demand.

                Among basketball players, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain are the most collectible.

                If you have an opportunity to acquire a Michael Jordan item, go for it. You probably have a real winner. A slam dunk.

Horse Racing

             If you are like most people who go to a horserace you wage on a particular horse because of its name, or maybe on how it looks. Sure, there are some people who study the racing program, and bet on a horse because of the jockey or even the trainer.

                But lets face it, most people who are novices at the track, and don’t mind too much losing a few dollars, will have fun just betting on the horses with unusual names.

                Pity the poor horse with a name of I WAS A MISTAKE, or I’M A LOSER, or DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON ME. The horses have to bear being called those names their entire life.

                And to think that horse racing has been called the sport of Kings. It makes you wonder what some of the kings called their horses. Prince? Duke? Earl?

                But how did horse racing become so popular and remain that way to this day? After all, its origins date back to about 4500 BC among the nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia, the ones who first domesticated the horse. The ancient Greek Olympics had events for both chariot and mounted horse racing.

                Modern horse racing had its origins in the 12^th century, when English Knights returned from the Crusades with Arab horses. For the next 400 or so years, Arab stallions were imported and bred to English mares to produce horses that had both speed and endurance. English nobles started to wager on their own on races between the fastest of the horses.

                And so began betting on the ponies!

                During Queen Anne’s reign in the 18^th century, horse racing became a professional sport. Racing evolved to the point where spectators bet as well. Tracks sprung up all over England, and large purses of money were offered to attract the best horses. Owning and breeding horses for racing became very profitable. The first central governing authority was formed in 1750 in England, and called the Jockey Club. It still regulates English racing to this day.

                As you might expect, British settlers brought horses, and horse racing as well to America. The first racetrack in America was laid out in 1665 on Long Island. However, organized racing in the United States did not exist until 1868. By 1890, there were over 300 tracks operating in the United States. As there was no governing authority by then, many track had criminal elements. Finally, in 1894, the country’s biggest track and stable owners met and formed the American Jockey Club.

                In the early 1900s, an anti-gambling feeling almost wiped out the sport. By 1908, only a couple dozen tracks remained. In that same year, pari-mutuel betting on the Kentucky Derby was introduced, and a turnabout occurred. State legislatures allowed horse racing in exchange for a portion of the money wagered. Horse racing started to flourish again. Horses like Man O’ War captured the imagination of people across the country.

                After a decline in the sport during the 1950s and 1960s, the sport bounced back in the 1970s, due in part because of such horses as Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed. All three of those horses won the American Triple Crown, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. The popularity of the sport has continued to this day.

                Wagering on the races has been the main appeal of the sport, and the reason that horse racing has survived. Betting at American tracks is done using a pari-mutuel wagering system. Under this system a fixed percentage of the total amount wagered is taken out for racing purses, state and local taxes, and track operating costs. The remaining amount is divided by the number of individual correct wagers, to determine the payoff, or odds, on each bet. The odds are continuously calculated and posted on the track toteboard during the open betting period before each race.

                Naturally, horse racing items are very popular among collectors.

                A lot of three Triple Crown horse racing jockeys signed photographs, signed by jockeys Edgar Prado, Ron Turcotte, and Steve Cauthen sold for slightly over $200.

                Four silver racing trophies owned by actor Jack Klugman were sold at auction for $2750.

                However, two gold horse racing trophies were individually auctioned for much more, one for $13,000, and the other for $31,000, which was awarded to Stagehand for winning the Santa Anita Handicap in 1938.

                And for those real horse racing enthusiasts, a signed race worn silk from 2002 was auctioned for $457. Try fitting into one of those. I know I could not.

Baseball Cards Manufacturers

            Through the years leading manufacturers of baseball cards, according to Scott Malack, Chief Operating Officer of Coach’s Corner, of Souderton, Pennsylvania, have included Topps, Fleer, Score, Upper Deck, and Donruss (formerly Leaf).

           Quickly summarizing these five companies, Topps first started issuing baseball cards in 1951. For a few years, Topps and Bowman were hard-fought competitors, with Topps finally buying out Bowman after the 1955 baseball card season. From 1956 through 1980 Topps was the only company issuing major league baseball card sets. Topps was quite successful in signing virtually every major league player to an exclusive contract, and only companies promoting products such as cereal, meat products, and soda were able to fall outside the exclusive Topps agreement, and promote baseball cards. For the next couple of decades, manufacturers such as Fleer tried to get around the Topps agreement with players, but to no avail. Finally, after court decisions in 1980 and 1981, Fleer and Donruss could issue cards, but not with gum (Fleer issued cards with team logo stickers, and Donruss issued cards with puzzle pieces). 

             Topps has successfully produced variations of baseball cards, such as with special inserts, baseball coins, and posters. It has also been successful in distributing other sports cards, as well as sets of non-baseball issues, such as of astronauts and presidents.

             The Fleer Corporation started in 1914, and ironically, in 1928 one of its employees  Walter Diemer invented bubble gum. The first bubble gum was called Dubble Bubble. When it was first made, the only food coloring at the plant was pink, and therefore, at first, bubble gum was pink.

             Through the years Fleer has issued various types of cards, such as of movie stars, the Three Stooges, Hogan’s Heroes, football and basketball. In 1959 it produced its first set of baseball cards (a Ted Williams set), and is a major manufacturer of baseball cards every year.

             The Donruss Company started in 1958, and was named after its two owners, Don and Russ Wiener. Donruss also produced various types of sets of cards, based on television shows and musical groups, and in 1981 issued its first set of baseball cards. Eventually Donruss was bought out by a company that also purchased the Leaf Company that had issued cards in 1948-1949. The Donruss name has been kept on the U.S. baseball card sets.

             Score cards were first issued in 1988, and have featured action photographs on the front and a small portrait photograph. The uniqueness of their cards has made Score a major player to this day.

             Upper Deck first started issuing cards in 1989. Its cards have been unique in that the Company included a hologram on the back of each card as a deterrent to counterfeiters. Even though the price of the Upper Deck cards has been higher than the price of its competitors’ cards Upper Deck cards are very popular.

             Of these major companies Topps continues to lead the way. Each company has unique features, and sometimes a player’s card will be more valuable on Donruss or Upper Deck, rather than on Topps or Fleer or Score, or vice versa. For example, Donruss may have issued a rookie card before any of the other manufacturers, and for that reason it may be more valuable.

            Make sure that when you organize your baseball card sets that you keep everything straight. It will make your life easier.