Adding to the unlikelihood is that 1976 is the last year that ANY major league balls were manufactured under the Spalding imprint. Official balls for both the American League and National League were manufactured with Rawlings stamping beginning in 1977.
So while I don't know the specific answer to your question of were the Rawlings 1977 World Series commemorative balls what was actually used in World Series game play, even if they were not, it seems unlikely that a Spalding ball that had been laying around for a year would have been used in a game. If anything, as you say, batting practice seems more likely.
Sorry I don't have a specific answer, but just thought I would throw that additional info in there.
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