USA jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Jayson Nix singled and Andy LaRoche crushed a 3-2 pitch into the left field seats for his third homerun of the tournament.He finished up the day going 1 for 3 with a homerun, 2 RBI's and a walk. Delwyn Young went 0 for 3 with 2 strike outs and one walk.
"The interest appears to depend on a lot of things," Landis (Rowand's agent) said. "The Dodgers are apparently focusing on a veteran club and various ways to spend money. Aaron is a candidate, and so are other people via trade and free agency. It's still in the early process."A veteran club? Could this spell doom for the Dodger youth movement? Is Colletti's penchant for a veteran presence fostered within the chilly confines of the San Francisco bay finally rearing it's ugly head within Dodgerland? Have we given up on some of our more promising potential stars?
This is one of the rarest of all Baseball relics. Not even the Baseball Hall of Fame has an example in their collection. REA has unearthed a 1865 silver trophy ball for their upcoming auction. It's a"presentation silver trophy ball awarded by the Ulster County Agricultural Society to the Mutual B. B. C. in honor of their victory over the Active B. B. C. on September 21, 1865. In the 1860s, the ultimate prize that could be won by a team for being victorious in an organized baseball tournament was a “silver ball.” The coveted “silver ball” was the earliest formal baseball trophy, presented to honor the tournament champions. This is the first important silver trophy ball that has ever come to auction."Also, the Mutual Base Ball Club was owned by the Tammany Hall politician “Boss” Tweed, and the team was involved in Baseballs first gambling scandal. In fact, the gambling scandal happened one week after the tournament for this ball .
The Mutuals were one of the best clubs of the era, but they had a history of “suspicious” losses, and it was openly known within the gambling community that many of their players could be “bought.” Incredibly, just one week after its game with the Actives in Kingston, the Mutuals were involved in what is recognized as baseball’s first major gambling scandal. On September 28, 1865, the Mutuals lost a game to the Brooklyn Eckfords by a score of 23-11. Following that loss it was discovered that three Mutual players, Thomas Devyr (shortstop), William Wansley (catcher), and Edward Duffy (third baseman), each accepted $100 to throw the game. After admitting their involvement in the conspiracy, all three were expelled from baseball shortly after. Incredibly, the trio was eventually reinstated a few years later: Devyr in 1867‚ Duff in 1869‚ and Wansley in 1870.What an incredible item. I can't help but think that this ball belongs in a museum.
This is a simply phenomenal relic dating from the earliest days of our national pastime, just months after the Civil War had ended and the great popularity of the game was just beginning to spread throughout the land. The fact that it was awarded to the Mutuals, one of baseballs most historically significant and notorious clubs, just one week prior to their gambling scandal, and was also personally presented to the infamous Boss Tweed, only adds to its great historical significance.Story Link: REA Blog:
Where is #762? It's out there somewhere. Is it sitting in a mitt ready to be thrown from one glove to another, or has the owner kept it in a safe place as a memento? After all, it's not everyday you catch a homerun. The ball Bonds hit off Ubaldo Jimenez landed in the left field seats at Coors Field, but it's still unclear what happened to it.
Man-O-Live! Someone out there is holding a fortune.