CONNECTING BASEBALL FANS TO GAME-USED MEMORABILIA
Justin Verlander goes into the windup and hurls a 98 mph fastball past a swinging Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels three-time MVP outfielder is in an intense battle with the Houston Astros' two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher.
As the count pulls even at 2-2, Verlander throws his patented slider and Trout, with his textbook swing, takes a Babe Ruth-style hack, fouling the ball straight back to the netting at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
As the ball rolls on the dirt near the backstop, a ball boy with the Angels snatches up the soon-to-be souvenir and delivers it to a Major League Baseball authenticator, stationed next to the dugout. The authenticator never lets the ball out of his sight after Trout fouled it off.
The ball is logged, marked with a traceable tamper-proof hologram sticker, scanned into a database and placed into a bag for safekeeping. In just a few innings, that ball – which is tied to two future Hall of Famers – is available for purchase at a team store or kiosk within the stadium. However, now, due to not having fans in the stands this season, the game-used souvenirs are generally available for purchase on each team’s website.
Having that historic ball tracked and authenticated is all part of the popular MLB Authentication Program that has been around since 2001. The program and what it offers continues to improve. About three years ago, MLB implemented more advanced technology to provide fans a much clearer view of what that ball
