This “MLB Official Promo & Miscellaneous” Museum of Baseballs gallery is a catch-all for a mix of mostly on-field-greade ROMLB-style baseballs. This section features official game-style balls made for retail and a number of promotional purposes, plus custom special orders from third parties. There are additional sections at the end of this gallery for a range miscellaneous baseballs. Those are also high-grade leather, often pro-level baseballs. Some were even used in exhibtions and tounaments affiliated with the Major Leagues.
MLB Official AL, NL & ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 1900s–2000
1920s Spalding NL Unknown (K-C). 1985 Rawlings AL (Pres. Brown) MLB-Rawlings Sporting Goods Official Game Ball Contract Renewal. 1993 Rawlings MLB Hall of Fame Shirley Povich Tribute, NL and AL balls (2). 1995 AL Budig, Class of ’99 (Added stamp). 2000 MLB Kenesaw Mountain Landis MVP Award (Side-stamp). 2000s AL & NL MLB Kenesaw Mountain Landis Balls. 2000 MLB World Series “Subway Series” 3 Retail Variations (5 Images).
Make no mistake: The bulk of these are real leather MLB official game-style baseballs. Most are indeed on-field-grade Rawlings official AL, NL and ROMLB balls, but were not intended for use in regulation MLB games. We’ll try to organize first by type (professional regulation ROMLB models vs. non-pro, non-ROMLB models) and we’ll separate by time periods just to keep photo captions from getting out of hand.
MLB Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2001–2005
2001 Fotoball (K2 Rawlings) Leather Logoball replica Reach AL Cronin, HBO “61” Movie Prop. 2001 MLB Standard League Ball, Father’s Day Stamp Added. 2001 MLB Roger Clemens 6-Time Cy Young, American Flag Variant. 2001 MLB Shot Heard Round The World 50th Anniversary NY Giants Bobby Thomson HR (Signed & Unsigned). 2001 MasterCard Memorable Moments (Luis Gonzalez Signed). 2003 SF Giants Barry Bonds 600th HR. 2003 NY Yankees Roger Clemens 300th Win. 2003 STL Cardinals Tony LaRussa 2000th Win (Selig). 2000-era White House Presidential Seal Official Baseball (X2). 2005 Chicago White Sox World Series Champions.
The baseballs in this first category are on-field-grade official Major League baseballs—the same as those used in regulation MLB games. This includes ROMLB, OAL/RO-A and ONL/RO-N models. Most of these were stamped and used for retail-only or special promotional purposes. They rode the bench, but never made it into the game. There may be a few exceptions.
ROMLB Official Concert Series & “MLB Road Show” Balls: 2002–2005
2002–2011 Projekt Revolution Linkin Park Tour. 2003 Lollapalooza Revival Final Tour (Staff Exclusive?). 2005 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (MLB Road Show). 2005 Vans Warped Tour Music Festival (MLB Road Show). (SEEKING! 2006 Vans Warped Tour Music Festival Baseball – MLB Road Show Promp)
The best way for us to categorize and separate these, is to limit this section to baseballs with official league stamps — official league stamping in the center panel, containing a league president’s or commissioner’s stamped signature. There are a TON of these out there, and we’re certainly going to miss some. It’s particularly difficult to track down vintage examples and limited run, dealer special orders and other obscure examples.
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2006–2007
2000s Rawlings Demonstration Unfinished ROMLB Baseball. 2006 (est.) Philadelphia Phillies Ashburn Alley BP Ball. 2000s Standard ROMLB, Red and Blue Laced (Cubs Promotional Signings featured these). 2006 Don Larsen NY Yankees World Series Perfect Game. 2006 Don Larsen & Yogi Berra NY Yankees World Series Perfect Game. 2006 Grammy Awards Promo. 2000s John Deere ROMLB Promo. 2007 Tampa Ray Launch Party (Renamed from TB Devil Rays). 2007 Ken Griffey Jr. Returns to Seattle Safeco Field (Charity Signings Only). 2007 NY Yankees Reggie Jackson Career State Ball (Dealer/Steiner Exclusive?). 2007 NY Yankees MLB Promo All-Star Game “Coming Summer 2008”. 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Champions 2004/2007.
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2008–2011
2008 LA Los Angeles Dodgers Memorial Coliseum Spring Training Game (Signings Only?). 2008 Griffey 600 Home Runs Promo (Stamp Added). 2008-12 (est.) MLB Stand Up to Cancer Game Ball (Use Unknown). 2009-12 (est.) MLB Stand Up to Cancer S↑2C Multicolor Stamped Promotional Ball. 2009 2KSports The BIGS2 (The Bigs 2). 2009 New York Yankees HOPE Week (BP/1st Pitch?). 2009 MLB Network Launch Promotional Ball. 2010 PMC Poker Championship Baseball Ride to Cure Cancer (Custom/Exclusive Order?). 2010 Target Field Inaugural Season Special Silver-Stamped Edition (Team Store Exclusive).
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2012
2012 Toronto Blue Jays Team Shop Exclusives (All Promotional, Non-Game): 30th Anniversary 1992 WS Champs; 1992–1993 Back-to-Back Champs; Rogers Centre Promo; 5 Franchise Logo Retro/Throwback Baseballs.
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2013–2014
2013 MLB Mother’s Day / Breast Cancer Awareness Version 2. 2014 MLB 2015 All-Star Game Logo Unveiling Ceremony Selig (Official Game version is the Manfred-stamped ball). 2014 Angels Albert Pujols 500th Home Run (Retail Only). 2014 New York Yankees Derek Jeter Final Season Multicolor Stitched Commemorative (Steiner Special / Retail).
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2015
2015 Rawlings MLB Proud Sponsor Kellog’s Cheez-It Cal Ripken Promotion Autographed (Orange-Laced/Stamped). 2015 Bud Selig Farewell, Thank you Commissioner IX (Exclusive). 2015 Inaugural Robert D. Manfred Jr. Commissioner X Edition (Exclusive). 2015 Manfred ROMLB Black Ball. 2000-era LA Dodgers 1st Pitch Ball, Selig Version (Credit: Brandon Sprung). 2015-Current LA Dodgers 1st Pitch Ball, Manfred Version (Credit: Brandon Sprung). 2015 Tampa Bay Rays Ceremonial First Pitch. Rawlings 2015 24-Karat Gold HR Derby Commemorative (Retail Only). 2015 NY Yankees Rodriguez 3000th Hit (Retail Only). 2015 Red Sox Ortiz 500th Home Run (Retail Only).
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2016–2017
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2018
2018 saw a new concept in the MLB official game ball evolution: retail and game ball pairings. Meaning, when a Major League special event game required a commemorative game ball for actual gameplay, a counterpart retail version was also produced—purely for sales. The difference? Logo size. The league-mandated (pathetic) logo size limitations rendered specially marked balls nearly moot, but Rawlings was clever to introduce a larger-logo edition that was far more appealing to the eye, and to autograph and game ball collectors. (Continues…)
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2019–2020
For most of us overzealous collectors at OfficialGameBalls.com, these official game ball & official retail ball combos just meant we’d need to purchase multiple baseballs for every special occasion. The arrangement appears to have ended in 2021 or 2022. We’re only including the retail versions here in the MLB Promo Baseball galleries. The official on-field counterparts can be found in other galleries, particularly MLB Team Milestones and Anniversaries and MLB Player Milestones & Recognitions.
MLB Promotional Official ROMLB-Grade, Game-Style Balls: 2021–2025
Official MLB Miscellaneous Balls, Tournaments & Exhibitions
There are MLB-affiliated events and exhibitions that often feature current and former MLB players (MLB Pitch, Hit & Run; Big League Home Run Challenge; Cracker Jack Old Timers’ Classics; MLB team old timers’ day games; and the new Home Run Derby X). They often get their own specially stamped game balls too. The main difference here is, these were actually used in games or at least in some form of baseball related competition. Many are official stamped with commish signature that could fall into the ROMLB promo category above. And a few are nearly official just a step below ROMLB-grade, such as the Rawlings Official League models. Look closely and you’ll find that not all are manufactured by Rawlings.
1979–1980s Rawlings MLB Pitch Hit & Run Compeition (Burger King). 1980s MacGregor MLB Pitch Hit & Run Compeition (Burger King). 1982 (est.) Rawlings Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. 2001–2003 (est.) Rawlings MLB Big League Home Run Challenge (Pemmican Beef Jerky). 2001, 2002 & 2003 Rawlings MLB Big League Home Run Challenge. 2021 MLB Cup International Amateur Tournament (AIG). 2024 Rawlings Home Run Derby X Orange Bonus Ball. (Missing: 2023–2024 Rawlings Home Run Derby X Standard White Ball.) 2025 Rawlings MLB Home Run Derby X Standard & Orange Bonus Balls (Manfred) .
Section Three: Official MLB Promo & Miscellaneous Balls – Non-Game
Some of the examples pictured here were made for retail only, perhaps for player signings, and purely for collectors. And in some cases, they’re for amateur leagues, or commissioned for special occasions and celebrations, movie props, TV show props, manufacturers’ material tests (orange leather), salesmen samples, and who knows what else. The primary differentiator here: No MLB commissioner or league president’s stamped signature (okay, there are always exceptions to every rule!). To summarize: this is a catch-all for oddballs that just need a home and deserve to be featured in the esteemed Museum of Baseballs, despite having no chance of seeing game action!
Note, similar baseballs and a few repeats might be found in the Rawlings Corporate Gallery.
There are many random, not-quite-pro-level leather, but still leather and MLB-related official baseballs. And, at times, official style baseballs that are indirectly related to, or not-so-directly related to Major League Baseball. Feel free to suggest a more concise description for this lovely mess!