Jackie Robinson's Last Home Run Ball

[Lab-Kid]

Hi All:

I'm new here and I'm looking for any information/advise that anyone can provide. I hope it is alright to post this here. Anything would be helpful.....

I have, what looks to be, the last home run ball hit by Jackie Robinson and I'd like to know what more information there may be out there, or if it is worth anything. I'm sure there is no way that I could ever prove this, and I can't imagine that in 1956 anyone would even think there would be a need to. I have no interest in sports memorabilia at all and, other than it was my father's, this means nothing to me except it is now a curiosity. Any ideas on where else I could find additional information would be appreciated.

My father had this baseball in his sock drawer for as long as I can remember. He passed away four years ago and I brought it home with me and it has been sitting on my desk ever since (except on a few instances when I had to take it away from my dog). I remember when I was young I asked my father about it and he told me he caught it at a game when he was in the Army and was stationed in Japan. He said he went to the baseball game and he caught this home run ball by reaching over "a little Japanese man sitting in front of him that thought he was going to get it (my father was 6'-2"). He wrote on the ball, "Hit by Jackie Robinson in Tokyo, Japan, 12 Nov '56, Dodgers beat Japan All-Stars 10-2". Being that childhood memories can be foggy, I asked my mother (who is now 77) what she remembered about it and she recalled that "he caught it when he was in Japan and it was hit by some guy and I think it was the next to the last home run he hit, or something like that. Didn't he write what it was on the ball?".

Well, Sunday I was bored and sitting at my desk and wondered if I could find any information on the game. I just love the internet! I never imagined that I might actually find anything. I found this site that described the game:

http://www.walteromalley.com/hist_in...7.php?lang=eng

According to that same website, the next (and last) game they played, nobody hit a home run.

I then Googled Jackie Robinson and noticed on his Wiki page that it said that his last MLB appearance was in October, 1956. I also read that he announced his retirement from baseball via a magazine article that was published in either December, 1956 or January 1957, and I haven't found that he ever played another game after the end of the Japan Goodwill Tour.

My mother said, "I think your father said that whoever hit it came back to the states and hit one more home run". But she didn't even remember who hit it, and I can't find any information that he would have played any other games after this one. Clearly not any MLB games.

Attached are photos of the ball.

Any advise on where else to look, or what to do with it, would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Steve Miller

[MGHPro]

Great story.. I"m not sure what balls they would of used on the tour, but I guess a Japanese ball makes sense. While I'm sure the sentimental value is high, the actual value could be pretty high as well.
Thanks for sharing
Matt

[cottnat]

Really cool mystery and a cool ball regardless. Keep us posted as you learn more.

Found this link for a Tamazawa baseball signed by members of the 1934 Japan Tour, so the brand seems to make sense.

http://www.antiqueathlete.com/vintag...orabilia.shtml

[cottnat]

Also, the link in your OP didn't work (maybe its just me), but this link does specifically mention that Jackie Robinson hit his last HR in a Dodger uniform.

http://www.walteromalley.com/hist_in...7.php?lang=eng

[Lab-Kid]

Originally Posted by cottnat

Also, the link in your OP didn't work (maybe its just me), but this link does specifically mention that Jackie Robinson hit his last HR in a Dodger uniform.

http://www.walteromalley.com/hist_in...7.php?lang=eng

Thanks for fixing the link, that is the one that I found. I was amazed that I was able to find information on an exhibition game played 56 years ago half way around the world!

[BigJJ]

Let's think about what kind of corrobative evidence may be out there.
First i think it would be a plus to confirm that the ball you have is a Japanese professional baseball of the type used in 1956. This should be a first step. Establishing that this is a -1956- professional Japanese ball. This should be doable.
Second, are there any early photos of your Dad and the ball, either from Japan, which would be a plus, or from home many years ago.
Third, did your dad save the ticket stub and/or program.
Fourth, helpful to history, the Japanese film a tremendous amount. Perhaps there is a video of the home run, including your dads catch. This is a very real possibility. Perhaps Major League Baseball has a liaison to the Japanese professional league who might be of assistance.

[daves_resale_shop]

for what its worth, stories can change throughout the years... do you think that this perhaps could have been a fould ball hit by jackie while barnstorming in Japan? I would think that if the owner (your dad) caught a home run ball from Jackie Robinson (nevermind any other player) he would have inscribed the ball as a "home run ball" hit by jackie robinson... insteadhe just inscribes it as a ball "hit" by jackie...

the story of his 6'2" frame overpowering the gent in front of him to catch it denotes that the ball was out of play but not necessarilly a homer... this could potentially correspond with the box score noting no homers...

either way an awesome ball and wonderful piece of history...

congrats & please keep it away from your dog!
-Dave