What is your most unique baseball item (non-card)?

[hive17]

What is your coolest or favorite piece of baseball "flair" that you own. Is it rare or hard to get? I'm not really talking about a card with a low number or anything. It is probably something that you had to be in the right place at the right time, or know someone who knows someone, that type of thing.

For me, it's the items below. I worked with the MPD during the All Star game a few years ago, and they had special patches and coins made up commemorating the event. They are pretty specific to police, the whole coin/patch thing. But there is no way to get one if you didn't work the event.



Whats yours?

 

[Musial Collector]

I was at a Twins game on June 9th, 2011. In that game, Cuddyer hit a dead center field home run into the Twins bullpen, 8th of the year.
In August of 2011, I was at another Twins game. During the game I went into the proshop to look at Cuddyer game used bats, seemed he cracked one per game, so they always had lots of his bats on hand. In this trip, they had 5 or 6 of them, I found one I liked due to the amount of pinetar and infield grass stuck to the bat, so I bought it.
Back at my seat I looked up the MLB hologram and low and behold it was from June 9th, 2011, broke in the 7th inning. I was like, we were at that game, Cuddy hit a HR in the 5th inning that game, this is probably the bat, but what proof did I have? Luckily for me, I had my camera with us at the June 9th game and took a bunch of pictures of Cuddyer's at bats. That night I pulled them up on the PC, zoomed in on his bat and was able to determine that the bat I bought was the one used to hit the HR.
You might say.......thats pretty cool, a home run bat, but thats not even the coolest part.........yet..........

So in September of 2011 a local charity (Cheerful Givers which Michael and his wife were huge supports of) were having their annual auction. There were always lots of Cuddyer items in there. Guess what was in there this year?? Remember the HR ball I said ended up dead center in the Twins bullpen, they had it!!! Right then and there I knew no matter what, I was going to win that ball. To have a HR bat and ball combo would be amazing. Took a little bit of extra cheddar to get it, but I got it.

Unfortunately, it looks like my Cuddyer webs.com page isnt there anymore so I can show off a pick of both, but I will take new ones tonight or tomorrow.

 

[metallicalex777]

Since this is in the hands with [MENTION=1866]muskiesfan[/MENTION] I guess it would be this since I don't own it haha! It was a custom FCB user project he was working on and the pick that I used in a guitar cover I toyed around with was put into it. Sloppy card and cover, but was fun all the same. I know it isn't baseball related, but at least it is FCB related Too bad I got the song title wrong on the card

Disturbed - Inside the Fire (Cover) - YouTube

 

[gracecollector]

Here's a ball marker medallion from Mark Grace's charity golf outing.

When researching it, I was surprised to find the design studio that made it used the same medallion to illustrate its design process on its website.

http://www.sandyparr.com/design-process/

 

[zlpeterson]

I have Aroldis Chapman's game used locker chair from the 2014 All-Star game in Minnesota. He's also signed the back. I don't have a photo readily available because it's in a box in the basement but it's a pretty sweet item.

 

[shanks25]

Musial collector wins. Never heard of a bat / ball combo

 

[69MetsFan]

I have this 1969 Mets team issued Christmas card that the players, coaches and staff were given in commemoration of winning the World Series that year.

 

[George_Calfas]

1929 ticket from a game when Babe hit a HR


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a184/rangercalfas/*****%20Leaguers/scan0008_zps60692248.jpg

 

[A_Pharis]

One of mine is a Dizzy auto, too! (I bought it out of envy of the Coke tag)

 

[Topnotchsy]

For me it's probably this 1934 Tour of Japan signed baseball. Was signed in the Hawaii stop on the tour and is signed by Ruth, Gehrig and the rest of the team.

 

[Gjb70]

An autographed program from a local celebrity golf tournament I got signed when I was 11 years old:



Flipping through it a couple years ago in an effort to decipher some of the autographs and found this:



My only IP baseball autograph and its Roger Maris. Wow that makes me feel old...

 

[Musial Collector]

 

[Topnotchsy]

It occurred to me that this is probably more unique than my earlier post. It's a line-up card from 7/28/1934 and the manager who signed his last name is a guy named Walter Johnson. I've had the idea of trying to build a collection of these from HOF and legendary managers, but they just don't turn up often.



I have a second one from manager Bucky Harris from 8/25/35.

 

[Greg Cleveland]

One of my favorites of my Gary Gaetti collection is a polaroid photo, autographed by Gary. Years ago, a seller had dozens of Polaroid photos (youngsters, Google it) of ballplayers in plainclothes--taken in hotel lobbies, restaurants, wherever. Nothing in uniform. The photo then had the autograph of the player in the white space below. There were a few dual autos, but when I saw the Gaetti, it was a must have item. Judging by the style of the signature, and Gary's hair and **** 'stache, I guess it to be around 1984-85. Really wish I had bought some other autos, because it was a really unique idea for a collection.

 

[16christensen16]

I was at a Twins game on June 9th, 2011. In that game, Cuddyer hit a dead center field home run into the Twins bullpen, 8th of the year.
In August of 2011, I was at another Twins game. During the game I went into the proshop to look at Cuddyer game used bats, seemed he cracked one per game, so they always had lots of his bats on hand. In this trip, they had 5 or 6 of them, I found one I liked due to the amount of pinetar and infield grass stuck to the bat, so I bought it.
Back at my seat I looked up the MLB hologram and low and behold it was from June 9th, 2011, broke in the 7th inning. I was like, we were at that game, Cuddy hit a HR in the 5th inning that game, this is probably the bat, but what proof did I have? Luckily for me, I had my camera with us at the June 9th game and took a bunch of pictures of Cuddyer's at bats. That night I pulled them up on the PC, zoomed in on his bat and was able to determine that the bat I bought was the one used to hit the HR.
You might say.......thats pretty cool, a home run bat, but thats not even the coolest part.........yet..........

So in September of 2011 a local charity (Cheerful Givers which Michael and his wife were huge supports of) were having their annual auction. There were always lots of Cuddyer items in there. Guess what was in there this year?? Remember the HR ball I said ended up dead center in the Twins bullpen, they had it!!! Right then and there I knew no matter what, I was going to win that ball. To have a HR bat and ball combo would be amazing. Took a little bit of extra cheddar to get it, but I got it.

Unfortunately, it looks like my Cuddyer webs.com page isnt there anymore so I can show off a pick of both, but I will take new ones tonight or tomorrow.

Wow very cool! Thanks for sharing I did not know that

 

[IUjapander]

Here is something I bought recently, but haven't gotten yet. It is an invitation to Dick Enberg (IU alum) from Bill and Hillary to attend the White House.

 

[u2me57]

It would have to be my 2005 UD Origins 5x7 tin of Jim Thome.

 

[16christensen16]

My item isn't as unique as it is special to me. The ball is a Brian dozier game used autograph baseball. Cool, but it's not going to set the world on fire haha. What makes it unique and special is how I acquired it. I took my two year old daughter to the Minnesota Twins traveling winter caravan a couple months ago. Everyone there had to write there name on a slip for prizes later on. Well my daughters name was drawn and I will never forget the smile on her face when she received the ball from the twins mascot TC bear. It was a priceless moment. The ball means more to me then most all of my cards.

 

[michaelstepper]

Not nearly as cool as most of these items but mine would be the "griffey returns" auto ball I have from his trip back to Safeco with the reds.
*edit*
1000 were signed and sold out an hour before the series started

 

[MatthewN]

Several non-card items stand out for me. Sorry, I failed to keep it to one item.

Already a diehard Twins fan at the age of 8, I was looking at Al Newman's baseball card and realized he had the same birthday as I do.
So I wrote him a letter informing him of that fact, didn't actually ask for anything, just wrote a note.
A few weeks later, out of the blue, this came in the mail, which, as an 8 year old, was pretty epic.

I have an interest in franchise relocation, and I love ballparks.
So maybe it's the Sick's Stadium photo or the drawing of the concept stadium, but I love the old school artwork and the irony in this "phantom" 1970 Seattle Pilots ticket brochure.
I have no strong interest in the Pilots/Brewers/Mariners, but this is absolutely one of my favorites.

Lastly, and continuing with a ballpark theme...the Metrodome was a really lousy baseball facility.
But, it was the MLB park I grew up going to as it was 20 minutes from where my grandparents live.
So, I tried to gather as many game/stadium-used Metrodome "artifacts" as possible after its closure, and have assembled the "Metrodome Man Cave."

"There's nothing better for that corner space than a shiny giant Metrodome trash can that will fit perfectly," I told my wife.

Some of the stuff was more expensive than I really would've liked, but the actual menu board magnets themselves went for $6 at a food service equipment auction.
I have yet to actually sell any hot dogs with my Hormel hot dog vendor caddy.

Purchased some Metrodome roof, cut it up and created Metrodome Roof Coasters with some baseball card screw-down cases.