SOLD 1961 Yankees Game Used Baseball

[Shoeless Moe]

1961 New York Yankees Game Used Baseball from Mantle's 48th Home Run Game

Written on the ball by the lucky fan:

"August 31, 1961 - Yankees 4 Twins 5 - Howard Foul Ball – 6th Inning"

Referring to a foul ball hit by Yankee slugger & the 1st African American to ever play for the Yankees Elston Howard.

HOWEVER, what is more neat is right before this at bat by Howard, Mickey Mantle hit a single:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/b...96108310.shtml



Now balls weren't tossed aside back then like they are nowadays. Watch this 1961 game, batter hits a single, they get the ball into the infield back to the pitcher. Pitchers uses that same ball that was hit for a single. Next batter, an infield pop out, again same ball back to the pitcher, and used for the next batter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDxkdkUFFu8

So while we'll never know for sure, but due to the extensive game use on the ball, not a one and done pitch for sure, this has a very high probability of being the very same ball Mantle hit for a single in that 6th inning as noted on the ball.

Mantle home run balls go in the $10,000 neighborhood.
https://robertedwardauctions.com/auc...ific-notation/


But regardless this is a game used baseball from one of the Greatest & Storied Teams of All Time. From the magical 1961 Season and quite possibly this ball was hit and thrown at some point by the M & M Boys, Mantle & Maris. This was a late season game where Maris was sitting on #51, and making this ball more historic is Mantle hit his #48 in this very game, making this a game used ball from a Mantle Home Run Game in 1961. On the holder for it that I had made I also put "hit and thrown by Mantle and Maris as I truly believe it was due to the extensive use on the ball and how balls were used for longer periods of game play back then as they are to modern times.

Only a few game balls (home runs) from the Yankees from the '61 season come to auction. But when they do, again they go in the 5K-12K range
I believe the #61 ball is in the Hall of Fame.

Very cool item, at a very reasonable price, that you don't see every day, perfect for any Yankee, Maris, Mantle, Game Used Ball Collector, actually any Baseball memorabilia collector's collection!!!!

I have found, collected and sold many game used balls, this is definitely one of the more unique ones:
https://www.net54baseball.com/showth...hlight=murnane

Elston Howard had an amazing baseball career, journey & story as well. He was a negro leaguer who played for the Kansas City Monarchs, the first black Yankee, batted .348 in 1961, was an All Star, first black AL MVP in 1963, first black coach.......died at the young age of 51....and had his number retired by the Yankees. I'm leaving out plenty, read more:

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/elston-howard/

Ball itself:
The faint, but visible stamplings on the ball match a 1961 Reach Joe Cronin President Official American League Baseball as found in History of the Baseball Guide by Brandon Grunbaum and the ink is vintage to the period. And if you are going to fake a foul ball from this game would you put Elston Howard or Roger Maris or Mickey Mantle??? Right. I also beat out another highly knowledgeable game used baseball collector for this, luckily outbid him to obtain this, so he too knew what this was. Have no doubts this is the REAL DEAL!!

$425 or Best Offer Shipped

[GrayGhost]

This is a STEAL. If I ever got the 2nd stimulus, itd be mine. I agree with you also that there is a great probability this is the same ball Mickey hit!

[Shoeless Moe]

Price Drop!

$325 or Best Offer Shipped

[GrayGhost]

Being poor sucks! Love that piece. I just got a job, but doesn’t help me now

[Shoeless Moe]

and SOLD!