Those fancy 24-Karat Gold leather souvenir baseballs we blogged about a few weeks ago have risen from the depths of rookie-league ball. They’re now stepping up to the plate, and taking the field in the Big Leagues.
Okay, they’re not using that gold ball in games. But they are going to try something new at Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby.
The menacing merchandising claws of the MLB are digging into our game’s last unsullied symbol of America’s past time – the baseball itself. Now, 24K gold-infused baseballs are shedding the inferior “souvenir baseball” label and becoming… Rawlings Official Major League Baseballs—those that are coveted by true game ball collecting aficionados like all of us here at Official Game Balls.
Sure, you could argue that the commercialization of the game ball happened years ago, when the World Series and All-Star Game began featuring special commemorative logo official baseballs, unique for each event. But this one definitely feels different in my book – now it’s no longer about “making it special” – this feels more like a marketing ploy.
Though they do look awfully special… Maybe they’re already growing on us? Regardless, these bright, shiny 24-K gold balls are now official gamers, and the priciest ones (MSRP wise) ever to take the field:
Impressive, no? I’ll wait to get one in my hands before I make a final judgement.
So this raises the question, what’s the purpose of the current “gold” home run derby baseball that’s already being sold for the 2011 Home Run Derby? Will these also be used during the contest?
It’s possible the plans for the real Gold Sports Collectibles gold version weren’t conceived until well after the regular gold ball was put into production. Maybe sales of the 24-K team balls were going so well, that someone with Major League Baseball or Rawlings had an epiphany to expand the lineup and reach casual collectors?
Or, maybe they were not doing well, and they needed a way to give the expensive keepsakes some legitimacy by using the gold-infused leather process on real live game balls. It couldn’t hurt if prospective buyers watched as the shiny gold balls are pitched to, and hopefully launched into the seats by the likes of Big Papi, Jose Bautista, Robinson Cano and Prince Fielder, among others.
So, is the new gold HRD ball an official gamer now in your opinion? That of course is the position if you consider the Home Run Derby that takes place annually at the Midsummer Classic to be an official Major League Game or Event. We here are Big League Baseballs do, which is why all Home Run Derby Gold, White and Futures Game balls are enshrined in our MLB galleries in the Museum of Baseballs.
Now, in order to keep our collection (almost) complete, we’ll need to add the new Official Home Run Derby (real) Gold Ball to our lineup. And at a hefty punch-to-the-gut price tag of $150, it’s not going to be easy. Should we complain? Should we boycott? Doubtful. We all hope for new and interesting commemorative gamers to make it onto the field and into our collections every season. Can’t complain when MLB listens and answers.
A look at the changes to MLB’s HR Derby official game balls over the years. 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005 Gold and 2011 White derby baseballs.
We wait patiently for the release of each commemorative ball and hope for a shiny new logo to adorn an MLB baseball as often as possible. But for some, this will likely be the point where you say “they’ve gone too far” and conclude that this one doesn’t belong in their displays. Not at this price. That’s fine too.
Regardless, this is happening. Gold-infused leather covers have been stitched to thousands of pills (we’re estimating) and are on their way to Chase Field in Arizona to be used as Final Out balls in the 2011 Home Run Derby. They will be hit into the stands, and lucky attendees of the 2011 Home Run Derby will take them home – game-used. And how cool that commemorative Major League baseballs are now being covered by Yahoo Sports!? That’s where we first saw this Rawlings/Gold Sport Collectibles press release.
We’ll reach out to dealers, and Rawlings to see what gives with the now “old gold ball,” but we’re not expecting much. It will probably be pawned off as a more economically priced “replica” for those who don’t shell out the big bucks for the real thing. (And that’s exactly what happened to the old gold versions from 2011-2015.)
One final question then: If the Old Gold ball isn’t used in this year’s derby, what do you do with it in regards to your collection? To Big League Baseballs members, does it then get denied entry into the true game ball collection, and the coveted Museum of Baseballs? No. We could just move them to the Promo & Miscellaneous official game ball gallery, but I feel they still belong in the Home Run Derby section.
