MLB Authentication

[Gary Dunaier]

Question about MLB authentication of game-used baseballs.

We all know MLB will only authenticate balls that stay on the field.

We also know about Cub fans' tradition of throwing home run balls hit by opposing players back onto the field. This weekend, the Mets have been playing the Cubs at Wrigley, and rookie sensation Pete Alonso has hit a few in the bleachers - all of which, as per tradition, were thrown back.

Today (6/23/19) Alonso hit his 27th home run of the year, which broke the Mets' record for home runs by a rookie (Darryl Strawberry, 1983). This ball, like the others, was thrown back - and as also seems to be a custom, the throwback was shown live on TV.


(Circle and arrow were added by me and are not part of the original video.)

If you remember the recent story of the Tigers' heavy-handed negotiations with the fan who caught Albert Pujols' 2000th RBI ball, the fan was told that "per MLB policy, because the ball was hit into the seats and because of chain-of-custody concerns, it could not be officially authenticated," implying that if he didn't turn over the ball then and there the ball would be worthless (Detroit News, 5/9/19).

In this case, since the ball was immediately thrown back onto the field, and there's video documentation, with supporting graphics (as seen in the screenshot), would it be eligible for official MLB authentication, or did that ship sail regardless?

What's your opinion?