Wow, it sure has been a few busy weeks for commemorative baseballs! I have been busy as well, and since there is so much going on, I decided a round up was the best way to tackle it. I will try to keep things short and sweet!
I also have HUGE news to announce in the near future. Stay tuned, this is going to be exciting for you and me.
Without further ado, here we go:
2023 Felix Hernandez Mariners Hall of Fame – We always knew this ball was coming, but I struggled to get the final confirmation and pics in advance. Regardless, it happened, and here it is! I love this. The silhouette from his perfect game celebration makes it. There are a few of these on eBay, here. It was a stadium exclusive.
2023 Phillies Wall of Fame – This may be the first ever commemorative with the same logo, and 3 different sizes used over the years. A lot happened here. The Phillies ended up using the retail version on field by accident, (they were sent the wrong ones and it was never checked apparently) and it was 100% not MLB approved. This is the first time something like this has ever happened to my knowledge, and it could have had a real impact on the game. Believed to be the largest logo ever used on field, I am sure this will be fixed next year. Quite the shock. This baseball may not be available unsigned, but the Phillies do have them in stock.
2023 Home Run Derby X – For the second year, MLB has been hosting Home Run Derby X events, including the first ones in the United States! I love the orange ball so much. Blue stitching and so unique! I probably own the most of these out of anyone in the world right now, haha. I absolutely had a ton of fun at this event and was lucky to be able to snag a bunch. I am selling a few of the white ones starting at $150 each. Please email me [email protected] for more info!
2023 Miguel Cabrera Final Homestand – ¡Gracias Miggy! This simple but unique logo will be used for Miguel Cabrera’s Final MLB homestand, at Comerica Park. The Tigers logo, and a word mark. I like it but there is a lot left to be desired here, sadly. At least they did something, I had this as a question mark most of the year. This ball can be found on eBay, here, from a reputable Rawlings dealer. I expect more Miggy commems at retail in the future…
2023 World Series – A clean good looking minimalist logo. 2023 has been the year of the wordmark and modern fancy fonts for MLB. This is no different, two different modern fancy fonts for “World Series” and “2023” as well as a small MLB logo and a diamond. A diamond just feels right on a baseball! This ball can be found on eBay, here, from a reputable Rawlings dealer.
2024 All Star Game – This is a GORGEOUS baseball. I broke down the logo previously and here is that recap again: “My initial reaction is that of glory, this is an absolute gem of a logo. I won’t go so far to say it is extremely complex, but it is everything an ASG logo should be. It has the outline of the state of Texas (which is the exact same as a part of the rangers logo) and interestingly it has a bit of red, and a bit of powder blue. This means we will likely see red and blue stitches, being powder or navy, likely navy. It is surrounded by a circular outline as well, and I cannot exactly tell what the small logos are, but I believe the stars are stars of Texas, which happens to go along nicely with the theme of an All Star Game”
Hey look at my predictions, we do see a red and light blue stitching, it seems more powdery than navy. I will say, the surrounding circle does look a bit crowded, and boo on the trademark logo. Hope to see a closer look soon, these are not yet on sale.
As I said previously, I have a big piece of news coming up, and maybe even more exciting news after that. Stay tuned!!!! I am currently in Japan hunting for rare baseballs and attending some games, please reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions comments or concerns!