The Detroit Tigers retired long-time manager Jim Leyland’s #10 jersey in a pre-game ceremony August 3rd at Comerica Park. In addition to honoring Leyland with the number retirement and celebrating his Class of 2024 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction, they immortalized him with his own Rawlings MLB Official Commemorative Game Ball.
Not just any MLB ball, an ROMLB on-field official game baseball bearing the monochrome variation of the commemorative logo used for the jersey retirement ceremony and celebration. These balls were used in games. Here’s evidence:
A very limited amount of these unused baseballs were signed by Mr. Leyland and sold at the Tigers’ ballpark shop ($175 each). We also learned through a few social media posts that a limited number of these babies were sold unused and unsigned, also at the team shop. They’re exclusive to the team, which means Rawlings dealers cannot order and sell them. They’re going to be nearly impossible to get if they’ve already sold out, so please check ASAP if you haven’t ordered yet.
But that’s not the only bad news for baseball collectors and Jimmy Leyland fans on an otherwise glorious day. Even if they have a few left in stock, you may want to pass; the cost of those fresh new pearls was shocking. It was the highest retail price from a team or shop that I’ve ever seen in my decades of collecting official game balls, specifically referring to unused and unsigned baseballs.
It’s $100 even. Plus $15 for shipping.
-me
Fine for a game-used MLB authenticated baseball. But a new in cube ball? Ouch. Has anyone ever seen a baseball in this category sell that high, via a team shop like this?
That, my fellow game ball collector friends, is a good reason to skip on the skipper. Particularly if you’re not a Tigers/Pirates/Marlins or Leyland fan. And especially if you’re not on a similar mission as us—to own and/or document the entire MLB official game ball collection, and then some.
Okay enough complaining, how about some images of unused, mint white Leyland number retirement baseballs?
Which image design is best going forward? I’m still tweaking our logo in that middle pic. I haven’t been adding it to official Museum images because it’s a “WIP”, but debating doing this across the entire site. What do you think? We’ll contract a pro creative designer to upgrade our logo package and entire look, eventually. Perhaps we should use OfficialGameBalls.com instead, like we did with the old BigLeagueBaseballs.com logo on images? Or is it too intrusive?
I digress. Back to the man, Jim. There are tons of videos and pictures available from the event to be found on many other sites, but I had to include a few faves here. All of the following pictured are credited to the Detroit Tigers and their staff:
As a lowly Pittsburgh Pirates fan with very little to celebrate MLB-wise in my lifetime, I had to have this ball. I grew up rooting for Jim Leyland and his Pittsburgh teams.
Unfortunately, we’ve got to assume the Pirates won’t be making their own Leyland Hall of Fame Induction commemorative logo baseballs, or any special logo game ball for the upcoming Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2024 celebration event at the end of August.
They have not made a special gamer for any previous team HOF induction ceremony (though we did have some awesome World Series anniversary baseballs while I was away from the hobby, and a super clever commemorative logo for Steve Blass’ 60 seasons as a Pirate.
So for at least this day, I was also a Tigers fan, and I had an extra $115 burning a whole in my pocket. I reluctantly ordered one. Honestly though, I’m very happy they had this ball made despite the price tag. Baseballs have been getting too pricey for more than a few seasons now. Remember when you could buy these things for about $25 a piece? Shipped?! I bet our old school Big League Baseballs’ fans remember. Even Pepperidge Farm remembers.
Ending on a positive note: I’m also very happy to see Major League Baseball getting away from those awful teeny, tiny indiscernible logos from recent seasons. This Tigers Leyland logo, while fairly basic, is more evidence of a potential fantastic trend towards properly sized commemorative logo stamps and hopefully more beautiful designs making their way back onto cowhides.
And if you’re not yet impressed, just wait until you get look at the gorgeous new Rawlings Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer Hall of Fame Game Baseballs! Too bad they’re nearly impossible to find…
