MLB Authentication program has definite attention to detail

By Chris Olds | Editor

You’ve probably all seen the MLB-authenticated dirt, champagne bottles, stadium bunting, bats, balls and so on adorned with the MLB hologram and code so you know it’s real.

But this item is one that just might make New York Yankees haters cheer — and Nick Swisher fans wince.

The cool part about the MLB Authentication Program is that you can go to its website and enter the code seen on the item to get an exact description of where and when the item was used, who it was authenticated by and any other pertinent details.

What’s so special about this baseball?

You can enter the code for yourself — or find out after the jump.

The official description, as seen above, is a bit more formal than the seller’s eBay auction, which sells the anti-Yankees sentiment a bit more bluntly. (Look for the red type.)

However, as documented by Authenticators Inc., the ball was hit into home plate, bounced off and struck Swisher in his cup in the fifth inning of a 4-1 loss to the Mariners on July 10 at Safeco Field. How many other baseballs have that dubious distinction — or one that Yankees haters can cling to as a sign of their side of an eternal rivalry? Not many, and probably not any others.

The obvious question of many collectors might be “what’s it worth?” for a one-of-a-kind item like this. Right now, the owner has a $500 Buy It Now price tag on this dubious piece of Swisherbilia, though he or she is taking offers for the item.

Confession: As a Swisher collector, I already put in my offer …

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

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