Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby has taken place at every Mid-Summer Classic since 1985. Beginning in 1998, a special event game ball was produced for use in the Derby. These baseballs, and the HR Derby itself, have evolved to include a variety of colors of leather. Currently, two types of baseball are used each year, a common all-white leather ball with red laces, and a special “Money Ball” or bonus ball which originally featured one “gold” (or yellow) leather panel.
The first HR Derby ball, the official Rawlings 1998 All-Star Home Run Derby Baseball. At its core, it’s a 1998 MLB All-Star Game ball, which features Colorado’s purple and teal laces. And for the first time in MLB history, purple ink stamping! This version combines a 1998 Home Run Derby logo with a Service Merchandise sponsor logo on the top panel. Neat! And extremely rare—one of the rarest MLB official game balls ever used.
This is the 1999 Home Run Derby logo baseball. Used at Fenway Park, all HRD balls were initialed with each participant’s initials. This one has “MM” for Mark McGwire. Neat! And also extremely rare—one of the rarest MLB official game balls ever used.
2016 Game-Used Rawlings MLB All-Star Home Run Derby White San Diego Padres Baseball
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