1921 Shotwell Babe Ruth on News

[kateighty]

Just saw the recent Babe thread and thought I'd bump. Anyone have any updates on this goof? I haven't read anything about it in a few weeks, thought I'd check up, and found this:
https://abc30.com/society/visalia-co...ction/5300382/

Don't even get me started.

[kateighty]

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

My letter to Mr. Wilcox,

David,


Well at least you acknowledged the fact that many of us in the hobby know the Ruth is a photographic reprint (counterfeit) of the known existing copy. You can see the crease in the lower left reproduced on the copy.

I hope the image used on the top of the article isn't his collection as it is chock full of counterfeits, like the T206 Wagner, and cheap examples of big names, like the Bulgaria Sport Ruth. Not exactly the epic cards one would expect from the collection he claims he has. That's without even addressing the autographs.

Oh, and did you ever wonder about 200 million cards? Do you know the kind of space that would occupy? If they were all ungraded and not in holders, packed the most efficient way possible they would weigh approximately 600 tons, and occupy 18,000 cubic feet, or a 2,250 square foot warehouse 8 feet high, with literally every inch fully packed, no aisles, not even shelves, just 5000 count boxes floor to ceiling every square inch.

There is a huge scandal in card collecting right now that has very little to do with this clown, but it's "journalism" like the articles and TV coverage that he's garnered with a counterfeit card that in part help create the atmosphere where the abuses we are seeing can occur.


Scott Russell

[benjulmag]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

It is precisely this kind of journalistic garbage that gives sustenance to the "Fake News" movement. Shame on any publication that publishes it.

[barrysloate]

Absolute garbage. This hobby is starting to wear me down.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

So what did he say? Drinks on him?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Said he wanted to do a follow up piece and would I be willing to talk on the record and did I know anyone else that he could talk to that I would recommend. I asked him where the line forms...

[kateighty]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Amazingly Mr. Wilcox has reached out to me.

Are you serious!?

And yeah I'm with all of you. I thought for sure the article had to be fake news or a prank and had to share. 200 million cards! Stands to leave the auction house with anywhere from $1 million to $40 million! Terrible yet hilarious at the same time. If anything hopefully it provided a good Monday morning chuckle for everyone.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Are you serious!?

And yeah I'm with all of you. I thought for sure the article had to be fake news or a prank and had to share. 200 million cards! Stands to leave the auction house with anywhere from $1 million to $40 million! Terrible yet hilarious at the same time. If anything hopefully it provided a good Monday morning chuckle for everyone.

This guy (the card's owner) has made it his life's work the last few months of getting this story into print anywhere he can. If you google Shotwell Ruth you will find a dozen, maybe more articles about him from the last several months.

[ruth_rookie]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Also found this article https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/it-...a4e293c64.html and took note of the graded cards in the picture:

The two PSA graded cards in his picture:
#23266801 Ruth Bulgaria Sport Photo - Three out of four PSA Auction Prices realized are PWCC. Sold TWICE in 2019 (3/12/19 and 5/8/19). Four sales overall since 2017.
#42799168 - W551 Walter Johnson - eBay sale 3/14/19

Interesting to say the least.

Thanks for the updates on this story, Scott and Kat. I’m very interested to see the outcome of this guy’s shenanigans. Laughable how he throws in a fake T206 Wagner with the ever-so-rare ‘71 Killebrew. And I can’t even put into words how gorgeous that autographed Cobb ball is. Doesn’t look anything like the PSA/DNA Cobb check I have on the wall of my man cave. Please keep us posted on any new developments.

Better yet, if anyone knows this guy please reach out to him and ask him to become a 54 member. I’d love to hear the story unfold straight from the horse’s mouth.

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by ruth_rookie

Better yet, if anyone knows this guy please reach out to him and ask him to become a 54 member. I’d love to hear the story unfold straight from the horse’s mouth.

Or from another orifice of the horse.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by trdcrdkid

Or from another orifice of the horse.

Ear?

[kateighty]

Thanks for the props Jason.

[Promethius88]

I need an update….any update on this HOT story. I love a good dumpster fire and this is great. He's on my love/hate level of Ken Bone but completely on the complete sh*tbag side of the line.

[Orioles1954]

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/pub...home-top-story

The reporter reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and did a great job in verifying and trying to “get it right.” I have no idea what Mr. Ball’s motives are but it’s nice to see his fake material exposed.

James F.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Nice to see behind the scenes work pay off for a change!

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

https://auburnpub.com/news/local/pub...home-top-story

The reporter reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and did a great job in verifying and trying to “get it right.” I have no idea what Mr. Ball’s motives are but it’s nice to see his fake material exposed.

James F.

I like to read these kinds of things carefully. Egomaniacs often end up unwittingly showing their true colors if you let them talk long enough:


Port Byron native Dale Ball spent the first half of 2019 making headlines after buying what he claims is a million-dollar Babe Ruth baseball card for $2.

Additionally, after interviewing a few collectors and following up with Ball, The Citizen found several inconsistencies in his story. Those inconsistencies suggest that not only is his Ruth indeed fake, but that Ball has consciously deceived the media into reporting otherwise. Ball, for his part, rejected the accusation in a July 25 phone interview. He doesn't need publicity or money, he said.

In his July 25 interview with The Citizen, Ball dismissed collectors like Feagin and Russell as jealous.

"People want to be negative because they can't be happy for someone," he said. "I love it, because all it does is stir up drama and I get more publicity."

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by kateighty

Just saw the recent Babe thread and thought I'd bump. Anyone have any updates on this goof? I haven't read anything about it in a few weeks, thought I'd check up, and found this:
https://abc30.com/society/visalia-co...ction/5300382/

Don't even get me started.

In this story they show (at 1:57) a raw T206 Wagner in a beat-up toploader that Ball said he was going to take to Heritage. It's only on screen for a couple of seconds, but it looks obviously fake. It's just mentioned in passing, like it's no big deal. The other allegedly high-end cards he shows the reporter, including a 33 Goudey Ruth, are also raw, except for a couple like an Exhibit Mantle. Is this clown serious? I assume Heritage laughed him out of the building if he really did go there, but of course there won't be a story about that.

[trdcrdkid]

This article mentions that Ball has a publicist (unsurprisingly) and reveals his apparent game plan for making money off the card without getting it graded:

http://www.thesungazette.com/article...ankee-stadium/

"Ball’s card authentication and subsequent auction house jockeying has only cemented his plans to what he is actually going to do with it. Between finding the card and verifying its value, Ball knows he wants to retain its rights, but he also wants the fans of baseball lore to enjoy it.

Coming from upstate New York, Ball grew up a Yankees fan. So finding one of the rarest cards in baseball history is only fitting for the Visalia resident. More fitting though, is mounting the card next to Yankee Stadium’s statue of Babe Ruth.

“At least that is where it’s supposed to be,” Ball said. “That’s one of my fondest desires. I look forward to taking it up there with my wife and kids, mounting it next to the statue, and giving that statue a big hug.”

For now, Ball is allowing his publicist and the Yankees to decide his compensation and when they’ll be able to get the card to its rightful place to be regarded."

[barrysloate]

Heritage Auctions will be very interested in having him leave the premises as quickly as possible.

[Promethius88]

Not saying it is, just asking a question. "The Dale Ball with the "alleged" Ruth is 49. The Dale Ball in this article was 42 in 2012. Same person??

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/lem...9bb2963f4.html

[trdcrdkid]

Originally Posted by Promethius88

Not saying it is, just asking a question. "The Dale Ball with the "alleged" Ruth is 49. The Dale Ball in this article was 42 in 2012. Same person??

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/lem...9bb2963f4.html

I assume so. The ages match, and Lindcove (where the 2012 Dale Ball was living) and Visalia (where the 2019 Dale Ball lives) are both in Tulare County, California, about 15 miles apart.

Text of the article:

18 arrested in Palace drug bust
Suspects from Tulare County found packaging hash oil in three hotel rooms
By Kevin Kennedy Dec 22, 2012 2

LEMOORE — Kings County Sheriff’s deputies and Narcotic Task Force investigators arrested 18 Tulare County residents in connection with a drug bust at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Friday.

Deputies investigating reports of suspicious activity in the hotel Friday morning identified three hotel rooms where large amounts of hash oil were being packaged for sale. They called in the task force, which seized several thousand prepared containers containing about two grams of hash oil each as well as several pounds of the concentrated marijuana with a combined street value of about $350,000.

A rented moving van found in the casino parking lot contained materials used to make hash oil.

The investigation led officials to serve a search warrant in Exeter, where they found more hash oil, several thousand dollars and packaging materials similar to those found at the hotel. They arrested Dale Ball, 42, of Lindcove and transported him to the Kings County Jail on suspicion of various felony charges related to the manufacture and sale of hash oil. Bail was set at $605,000.

Arrested at Tachi Palace and booked into the county jail in connection with the case were 12 Visalia residents: Josh Harris, 22; Rickey Burkhart, 21; James Lee, 19; Matthew Molina, 23; Ian McLean, 24; Steven Mount, 21; Spencer McCoy, 22; Tiffany Huckabay, 18; Donald Williams, 22; Joshua Kehoe, 23; Zachary Rasmussen 19; and James Williams, 21. Also arrested were Tommy Montalvo, 21, and Trinaty Fletcher, 19, both of Goshen; Andres Pena, 23, of Lindsay; Ethan Dunn, 20, of Porterville; and Teresa Carner, 29, of Exeter. Bail on most of the suspects was set at $595,000.

Sgt. Jeff Torres of the task force said the suspects had rented the rooms the night before and appeared to be about halfway through the packaging process. He described Ball as “one of the main players in getting this all together.”

“It was a pretty major operation they had going on there,” said Torres. “The Palace security was really attentive and a great help in us making these arrests.”

The reporter can be reached at 583-2423 or kkennedy@HanfordSentinel.com.

[Snapolit1]

Can't believe we are still talking about this wingnut.

[kateighty]

Originally Posted by Promethius88

Not saying it is, just asking a question. "The Dale Ball with the "alleged" Ruth is 49. The Dale Ball in this article was 42 in 2012. Same person??

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/lem...9bb2963f4.html

Oooh good find! Can't be certain though. Maybe Mr. Wilcox could investigate further and let us know. If it is it really makes you wonder. Look at the age difference between the hash oil Dale Ball and the twelve Visalia residents and others who were booked. A good 20 years apart at least. That Dale Ball knew exactly what he was doing. Here's to hoping Wilcox gets to the bottom of this!