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Value of Derek Jeter HR ball?

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MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
Simple question, what is a legit Derek Jeter caught HR ball worth today if sold on eBay or elsewhere? Looking for rough guess or thoughts on value.

Obviously I know this will come with a zillion comments and stuff about no chance it is legit or it is fake or who knows if anything is real or there are so many fakes, etc. but I really want to keep the discussion to what people think it might fetch if one was sold.

Back story? Sure........

I caught Derek Jeter's 68th HR ball in Cleveland on September 19, 1999. I have always just kept it in a case in my office and it is a personal memento, never really thought about selling and am not really thinking of it now but someone asked me what I thought it was worth or what I could fetch for it. I said I had no idea LOL.

"How do we know it is Legit?"

Fair question, I do not have any sort of COA or anything. I was interviewed by a NY reporter after I caught it but I don't have a copy of that article and couldn't tell you much more than that but if I did that would probably be the best piece of "evidence" there is. I do have my ticket stub and Jacob's Field (at the time) sent me the video footage from the game and me catching the ball which I have on DVD. I could easily write a letter detailing the event and get those with me to do the same and get everything notarized but not sure that is helpful.

Anyways, anyone have a thought on what it would fetch in the perfect world?
 

Juan Gris

Well-known member
May 23, 2013
2,222
106
Columbus, OH
This is a tough question to answer and really comes down to how convincing your story pairs up with the baseball itself. The hardest obstacle to overcome is not getting your story down on paper but being able to reasonably prove the baseball you have today is the same baseball you caught 20 years ago. People that trust you will take your story on faith but prospective buyers have every reason to think you've switched baseballs out (intentionally or unintentionally) and are just cashing in on the story. If it were my baseball I would still write up the story to document the ball in case something should happen to myself and just pass it on in the family.

Did you mark the ball 20 years ago after catching it at the ballpark? If I ever catch a game HR ball that would be the first thing I do to help document the chain of custody. As far as price goes I'd reach out to an auction house that has sold several such items for an informed estimate, such as Goldin Auctions. Hope that helps.
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
This is a tough question to answer and really comes down to how convincing your story pairs up with the baseball itself. The hardest obstacle to overcome is not getting your story down on paper but being able to reasonably prove the baseball you have today is the same baseball you caught 20 years ago. People that trust you will take your story on faith but prospective buyers have every reason to think you've switched baseballs out (intentionally or unintentionally) and are just cashing in on the story. If it were my baseball I would still write up the story to document the ball in case something should happen to myself and just pass it on in the family.

Did you mark the ball 20 years ago after catching it at the ballpark? If I ever catch a game HR ball that would be the first thing I do to help document the chain of custody. As far as price goes I'd reach out to an auction house that has sold several such items for an informed estimate, such as Goldin Auctions. Hope that helps.

I haven't marked on the ball, didn't think that would look good or that a future owner/buyer would want it to say "HR ball" or something on it like a little league ball but you are right, that probably would have helped. Also interesting your comment about someone just swapping it out lol... it is a really interesting world we live in frankly. Nothing is sacred anymore... just like in cards and how people put fake patches in cards... just crazy world we live in.

Again, another reason I am not looking to sell because it is worth more to me than what someone would pay I'm sure. I don't need the $ and to own a piece of history by one of the greatest Yankees is pretty cool.
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
It’s going to be a tough sell. A real one would have to be at least a grand.

Agree on it going to be a tough sell if it ever comes to that. Right now I am not looking to sell. Honestly, I wouldn't let it go for a few grand, so therefore it will stay in the case and in my possession. I might look at documenting everything just for keeps sake and for my son to have for years after I'm long gone and he owns a HR ball from one of the all time Yankee greats.
 

MrMet

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2010
13,556
612
The Poconos
Don’t feel bad, supposedly the guy who caught Pujols 2000th rbi left the park without getting it authenticated....and yes I know they didn’t have that back then when you caught it...but even if I planned on keeping it forever, I’d still get it authenticated


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
Don’t feel bad, supposedly the guy who caught Pujols 2000th rbi left the park without getting it authenticated....and yes I know they didn’t have that back then when you caught it...but even if I planned on keeping it forever, I’d still get it authenticated


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

Agree. I am going to document everything and look to get it authenticated. I did research already on documenting the event in writing and asking the two people with me to do the same and get those documents notarized.

What I really hope is that the reporter included my name in the article and that I can locate it. That would help but people could still say I swapped out the ball LOL... oh well, thanks dudes!
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
No clue on the value but thanks for sharing the story. Thats awesome!!!

I tried watching the video of the home run but couldnt tell who ended up with the ball. Looks like a kid in a red hat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cul-Icl6eqE

Yup, I haven't looked at the footage the Jake sent me but might do that this weekend for fun to see if it is any different or raw or more from after it was caught vs. the YouTube. I just texted my buddy who was with me to see if he has any photos from that day to help with the story or outfits we were wearing, etc. Obviously a cool pic of me holding the ball would be great. Never know. Honestly, this is staying in the personal collection... unless it was like worth $50k or something crazy, not sure it is worth the hassle of "proving" it to anyone for $1k... don't need the money
 

moxacaine

Active member
Administrator
Aug 7, 2008
17,349
2
Fredericksburg, VA
Yup, I haven't looked at the footage the Jake sent me but might do that this weekend for fun to see if it is any different or raw or more from after it was caught vs. the YouTube. I just texted my buddy who was with me to see if he has any photos from that day to help with the story or outfits we were wearing, etc. Obviously a cool pic of me holding the ball would be great. Never know. Honestly, this is staying in the personal collection... unless it was like worth $50k or something crazy, not sure it is worth the hassle of "proving" it to anyone for $1k... don't need the money

Agreed, enjoy the ball and the memory.

I remember a guy next to me at a Rockies vs. Nats game a few years catching a Cuddyer (not Jeter but still) home run. I yelled at him, I'll give you $100 for it? But he already had it on his mind he was throwing it back on the field. I was ticked.
 

MansGame

Active member
Sep 25, 2009
15,324
20
Dallas, TX
Agreed, enjoy the ball and the memory.

I remember a guy next to me at a Rockies vs. Nats game a few years catching a Cuddyer (not Jeter but still) home run. I yelled at him, I'll give you $100 for it? But he already had it on his mind he was throwing it back on the field. I was ticked.

Ha!!! That's awesome.

Believe it or not, I caught one other foul ball and gave it to a little kid. I don't remember who hit it but it wasn't anyone notable.

Also, probably even cooler to me than the Jeter ball, I was on the same HR porch at the Jake and was scouting to catch a ball but didn't have a mitt and of all players... Albert Belle hit a cooler line drive and I ran and it hit me right in the palm of my hand, fell to the ground and I never came up with it... hurt the **** out of my hand for days it felt like... not sure who caught it and I was young and probably didn't have two nickles to rub together to offer the guy but I'd trade that ball for the Jeter any day.

Crazy times. Now a days everyone has a camera phone and TV is HD and stuff like that... if you caught a ball it would be pretty clear you did it
 

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