In the confusion as people storm the auction, someone will make away with it. It will be known as REA's boner.

That was a nice, understated description.

REA is the gold standard of auction houses, with not a hint of sleaze or backroom deals, unlike many of their competitors. I'm glad they were the ones to get the Merkle ball.

The ball was personally saved by Johnny Evers and sold at auction by his family way back in 1993, where it was purchased by Charlie Sheen, who <STRIKE>sold it in 1999 in a private transaction to a fellow collector who has had it ever since</STRIKE> used it to perform an unspeakable sex act on a prostitute, then traded it to her pimp for a quarter kilo of cocaine.

The ball was personally saved by Johnny Evers and sold at auction by his family way back in 1993, where it was purchased by Charlie Sheen, who sold it in 1999 in a private transaction to a fellow collector who has had it ever since used it to perform an unspeakable sex act on a prostitute, then traded it to her pimp for a quarter kilo of cocaine.

More like a 8 ball.

There is no more important baseball from the dead ball era or a more controversial ball from the entire twentieth century.

Really? Maybe by those specific definitions, but what simply the most important baseballs?

Let's make a list of the contenders.

Bobby Thompson
Roger Maris
Hank Aaron
Pete Rose
Barry Bonds (x2)
Mark McGwire
Tony Conigliaro
Carlton Fisk
Ray Chapman
Bill Mazeroski
Bartman
Joe Carter
Ted Williams (last homer)
Ted Williams (ephus pitch homer)
Bill Wambsganss

Other nominations? Maybe we should set up a NCAA style bracket to pick a winner. We'd need 64. Well, maybe 96, if all the media reports are right.

It was the ball that "The Crab" used to record the final out, but it's generally accepted that it was not the ball Al Bridwell hit to drive in Moose McCormick with the apparent game-winning run. When Evers noticed that Merkel didn't touch 2B (Merkel turned and immediately headed out to the Giant clubhouse in CF when he saw McCormick score), he called for the ball. Legend has it Giant pitcher "Ironman" Joe McGinnity saw what was happening, grabbed the actual ball, and threw it into the stands. So one of the Cubs grabbed a ball in their dugout and tossed it to Evers for the force on Merkel.

Let's make a list of the contenders.

Gabby Hartnett
Kirk Gibson
Chris Chambliss
Nippy and Cleon Jones

Doesn't it take more than the ability to fleece Charlie Sheen to authenticate the ball? I suspect he bought whatever ball Evers' heirs could find from that era.

Let's make a list of the contenders.

Doug Mientkiewicz of course!

Seriously, in looking at the list that deputydrew laid out I'm surprised to realize that even as someone doesn't give a spit about steroids doesn't view the Bonds ball as being particularly exciting. I'd rather have Aaron's 715th than Bonds' 756th and frankly Bonds' 756th would be well down just on drew's list.

We're talking Mookie, Stanley and the Buck.

As for the Merkle ball, I'd actually love to own it. Not only did this game occur on my birthdate (some considerable number of years before I was born, mind you), but it is such an incredible piece of history. I'd put it pretty high on the list, to be honest, just because of its age. Not that I'd pay the five (maybe six?) figures it's gonna take to get it -- but I'd pay thousands, for sure.

Let's make a list of the contenders.

Ruth's called shot.

I'm spending a dollar on Powerball tonight, so you can be assured that soon this ball will be mine!

I'd say Lance Armstrong's ball is the most famous in sports.

Mazeroski's home run.
First pitch to Jackie Robinson,
Josh Gibson's out of Yankee Stadium (if it happened).
Cochrane's dropped third strike.
Gehrig's last put out in the last game of the streak.
Ruth's 60th.

Maybe its age, a NY bias and Dom Delillo, but I think the Shot Heard Round the World wins this.

Arod's "slappy" ball?

Mays' catch off Wertz.
The Bartman ball.
The Jeffrey Meier ball.
A Chadwick ball from Hoboken.
Pete Rose - Ray Fosse.
Reggie's blast off the light tower in Detroit.
Last pitch of Koufax's perfecto.
Hubbell's last strike out in the All Star Game.
Haddix's no hitter.

It is interesting to me that it is difficult to reduce many iconic players to a single ball.

Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Christy Matthewson, Cy Young, Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige,Roberto Clemente, no idea.

Others:

DiMaggio's 56th game hit.
Last pitch of Larsen's perfecto.
Gabby Hartnett's "Homer in the Gloamin"
Bucky Dent's HR
Joe Carter's WS walk-off

brad ausmus' homer offn kyle farnsworth in the 05 NLDS to tie up the game. riiiiight ovah the yellow line

Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Christy Matthewson, Cy Young, Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige,Roberto Clemente, no idea.

The ball from the last pitch of his perfect game?

Probably missing a few, but here's my final 32 off the top of my head, in chronological order. I can't decide between Merkle and Thomson for #1.

Ty Cobb's game tying homer off Waddell, 1907. Cobb called it the most important and dramatic hit of his career.
Merkle (#1 tie)
McNeely's pebble hit
Lazzeri's foul ball
Ruth's 60th
Earl Averill's liner off Dean's toe
Hartnett
Lou Gehrig's last hit
Dimaggio's 56th
Williams' All-Star walkoff
Mickey Owen's muff
1st pitch thrown to Jackie Robinson
Dick Sisler's pennant winner
Thomson (#1 tie)
Larsen's last pitch
Williams' final home run
Mazeroski (#3)
Maris #61
McCovey's liner to Richardson
Aaron's 715th
Fisk
Chambliss
Dent
Rick Monday (the most underrated home run ever)
Brett off Gossage (1980 ALCS, not the Pine Tar game)
Gibson off Gossage
Rose's 4192nd
Mookie / Buckner
Gibson off Eckersley
Carter
Dave Henderson
Leyritz (OK, slight bias here, but it WAS big)

EDIT: Add Ruth's called shot and McGwire's 62nd; drop Monday and Gibson off Gossage.

I would like to own the ball from the Endy Chavez catch.

Something like Dimaggio's 56th doesn't hold the same value because its significance wasn't immediately apparent. For all anybody knew at the time, there could have been a 57th. If someone ever breaks the record, #57 will probably be more significant than #58 or whatever the record ends up at.

the Chapman ball.. wouldn't that be macabre on the mantlepiece? If only they both signed it...


Ruth's 714th
Vander Meer: final out balls from each no-hitter
Mantle's 1st homer (big value there)

I'd pay a good amount for Scutaro's game-winner off Rivera in April '07, but (though hella dramatic) that's more sentimental value.

Something like Dimaggio's 56th doesn't hold the same value because its significance wasn't immediately apparent. For all anybody knew at the time, there could have been a 57th. If someone ever breaks the record, #57 will probably be more significant than #58 or whatever the record ends up at.

Good point. I probably should substitute the ball from the double play that ended the streak for good. It has the added feature of having looked like a double down the 3B line, only Ken Keltner made a diving stop and turned it into a 5-4-3.

Supposedly, there's a ball out there signed by Paul Erdos and Hank Aaron, to commemorate Erdos's proof that there are an infinite number of Ruth-Aaron pairs (consecutive integers where the sum of the prime divisors add up to the same thing).

I'd pay a lot of money for that ball.

If Thomson's ball appeared today it would probably be the most famous but part of its mythical status is the disappearance. Had it been in a known collection all this time We probably would not be putting it up with Merkle's.

This ball has the added cache of playing a pivotal role in the Cubs' last championship so I think it edges out Thomson's anyway.

Also, despite the ball's documented history I personally have doubts about the legitimacy. The fame wouldn't have been immediately apperant so its quite likely to have been discarded at the time.

If Thomson's ball appeared today it would probably be the most famous but part of its mythical status is the disappearance. Had it been in a known collection all this time We probably would not be putting it up with Merkle's.

Really!?!?

I didn't even know it disappeared and it was still my immediate choise for number 1.

Also, despite the ball's documented history I personally have doubts about the legitimacy. The fame wouldn't have been immediately apperant so its quite likely to have been discarded at the time.

IIRC Iron Man McGinnity took the "real" Merkle ball and threw it into the stands, and Evers got another ball (presumably the one he kept) from umpire Hank O'Day. O'Day should have been awarded the baseball equivalent of a Congressional Medal of Honor for calling that play correctly, given the atmosphere surrounding it.

O'Day should have been awarded the baseball equivalent of a Congressional Medal of Honor for calling that play correctly, given the atmosphere surrounding it.

Correctly???? The call was wrong, period. Once the fans interfered with play, the ball was dead and no putouts could have been made. The umps and the league blew it.

IIRC Iron Man McGinnity took the "real" Merkle ball and threw it into the stands, and Evers got another ball (presumably the one he kept) from umpire Hank O'Day. O'Day should have been awarded the baseball equivalent of a Congressional Medal of Honor for calling that play correctly, given the atmosphere surrounding it.

Correctly???? The call was wrong, period. Once the fans interfered with play, the ball was dead and no putouts could have been made. The umps and the league blew it.

Apparently you missed the part about Iron Man McGinnity, who intercepted the throw to Evers in the first place. If anything, O'Day should have called Merkle out right then and there. Or do you think that McGinnity and the Giants should have been rewarded for his trying to make the completion of the play impossible?

The Sandy Amaros, Al Gionfriddo & Ron Swoboda World Series catches probably belong on one of these lists.

The Sandy Amaros, Al Gionfriddo & Ron Swoboda World Series catches probably belong on one of these lists.

Probably, and of the three the Amoros one was the biggest Series changer, with the Swoboda catch comfortably behind it. The Gionfriddo catch was the defensive equivalent of the Fisk home run, in that in the long run all it did was to prolong the Series one extra game.

Another ball that should be up there would be the one that Eddie Cicotte plunked Morrie Rath with to open the 1919 World Series, which showed the gamblers that the fix was on.

Had it been in a known collection all this time We probably would not be putting it up with Merkle's.

It's probably the most famous moment in the history of American sport, at least on its own merits and not as a cheap substitute for Cold War dick-waving (as exemplified by America's tremendous embrace of hockey since then). I'd say it's pretty big even disregarding that Brian Biegel wrote a surprisingly dull book about it.

Probably, and of the three the Amoros one was the biggest Series changer, with the Swoboda catch comfortably behind it. The Gionfriddo catch was the defensive equivalent of the Fisk home run, in that in the long run all it did was to prolong the Series one extra game.

Yeah, but I have Gionfriddo's autograph, so ...

Burleigh Grimes was the last "legal" spitballer, if memory serves. Maybe the last spitter he threw ...

Yeah, but I have Gionfriddo's autograph, so ...

...so you really need to buy this small pile of Yankee Stadium dirt that Dimaggio kicked after Gionfriddo made the catch, that I'm willing to let go for a mere $1947.00. It comes with a COA signed by Bill Mastro.

Apparently you missed the part about Iron Man McGinnity, who intercepted the throw to Evers in the first place. If anything, O'Day should have called Merkle out right then and there. Or do you think that McGinnity and the Giants should have been rewarded for his trying to make the completion of the play impossible?

As I understand the sequence, that didn't happen until after the crowd poured onto the field, so it's irrelevant. It's also irrelevant that McGinnity threw it away, since that wasn't the basis given for the ruling.

As the New York Herald described the Merkle play, the centerfielder Hofman threw Bridwell's hit to Evers, but the throw was offline and McGinnity grabbed it and ran towards the clubhouse. Frank Chance and a few other Cubs then overpowered McGinnity, who broke away and fired the ball way up into the stands. Steinfeldt and Tinker followed the ball into the stands, Tinker retrieved it and threw to Evers at second base.

By that time the crowd was overwhelming, and for his own safety's sake O'Day eventually left the field without making a decision. But once he was safely in his quarters he told the Herald reporter that Merkle hadn't touched second and that the run was void.

I'd mistakenly remembered a second ball, but the essential point remains: Why on Earth should Merkle NOT have been called out? McGinnity had clearly interfered with the play. It was up to the Giants to control the home crowd. And Merkle didn't touch second.

The only semi-serious ground for allowing the run would have been for O'Day to cite a kind of common law of precedent, but since Evers had specifically reminded O'Day of the rule a week or two earlier, and had told him to watch out for it the next time the situation occurred, that wouldn't have been an easy out. O'Day would have had to have pretended that he wasn't watching Merkle approach the bag, which wouldn't have looked too good on his resume.

Finally, an argument about baseball. Suddenly feels a bit like rsbb around here. Good stuff.

As the New York Herald described the Merkle play, the centerfielder Hofman threw Bridwell's hit to Evers, but the throw was offline and McGinnity grabbed it and ran towards the clubhouse. Frank Chance and a few other Cubs then overpowered McGinnity, who broke away and fired the ball way up into the stands. Steinfeldt and Tinker followed the ball into the stands, Tinker retrieved it and threw to Evers at second base.

All this is true, but the key point is that the fans began pouring onto the field as soon as Bridwell's hit dropped safely. It's one of the reasons why Merkle headed for the clubhouse: personal safety.

I'd mistakenly remembered a second ball

Your memory isn't mistaken. Some reports do mention a second ball.

Why on Earth should Merkle NOT have been called out? McGinnity had clearly interfered with the play.

McGinnity certainly did his best to interfere with play, and this would be relevant if I were arguing that Evers had the wrong ball. But I'm not saying that. In fact, McGinnity could NOT interfere with play because the fans already had. The play was dead the moment that happened. Besides, the ruling on the play had nothing to do with McGinnity's interference.

It was up to the Giants to control the home crowd.

Again, that wasn't the basis for the ruling. Nor was it likely to be -- no team in baseball at that time could control its crowds. In any important game they were already on the field in roped off sections of the outfield. But the teams and cities didn't supply much security; they'd have had to forfeit dozens of games if this had been the rule. Taking this position would have put the league in an impossible conflict; that's why they didn't take it.

The only semi-serious ground for allowing the run would have been for O'Day to cite a kind of common law of precedent

Yeah, the Cubs certainly wanted the debate to focus on this point, because the "play is dead" rule would have killed them. On its own merits the "precedent" argument works pretty well for the Cubs, though it has its unfair qualities too.

Ultimately, though, the fact that Merkle failed to touch second doesn't matter. If play was dead -- and it was -- no putout could have been recorded. The league's only real option, other than letting the result stand, was to forfeit the game to the Cubs (rather than replay it) for the Giants' failure to control the crowd. As I said above, that was an untenable position for the league to take at that time.

I don't understand this "play was dead" claim. So if my team is ahead by two in the bottom of the 9th, the opposing team has the bases loaded, two outs, and the batter rips one into the gap, I just jump onto the field, the play is dead and the runners can only advance one base? Heck, if it were a big game I'd sure trade a day in the slammer for keeping my team alive.

I don't understand this "play was dead" claim. So if my team is ahead by two in the bottom of the 9th, the opposing team has the bases loaded, two outs, and the batter rips one into the gap, I just jump onto the field, the play is dead and the runners can only advance one base? Heck, if it were a big game I'd sure trade a day in the slammer for keeping my team alive.

Without looking it up, my recollection is that umpires have discretion on how many bases to award in cases of fan interference. It happens all the time on balls down the line and into the corner; some stupid fan reaches over the rail and picks up a fair ball. The one thing that canNOT happen is for a player to be put out on the bases (a putout can occur on a flyball when a fan prevents a catch).

I think someone should brand an asterisk on this ball, so people are aware of both sides of the Merkle controversy.

The one thing that canNOT happen is for a player to be put out on the bases (a putout can occur on a flyball when a fan prevents a catch).

But all this doesn't negate the mundane fact that Merkle didn't touch second before Evers, ball in hand, touched the base. Calling Merkle out was the only possible call, and ordering a replayed game, controversial as it was at the time, was the only way to avoid giving the Giants a de facto death penalty for the actions of their fans. And you certainly couldn't have allowed the run to stand, especially after O'Day had told Evers that he was going to enforce the rule.

There were only three possible outcomes:

1. Run counts, Giants win. Impossible for the reason cited above.

2. Giants forfeit. Possible, but that would have meant deciding the pennant on the grounds of the worst possible technicality, since at the point of the crowd getting out of control, the game was tied.

3. The ruling that O'Day and the NL made, which was the correct one from any decent moral viewpoint.

Interestingly, both the Thomson baseball and the Merkle baseball are important in good novels (Underworld and The Celebrant, respectively). In The Celebrant, Evers doesn't end up with the baseball; an invented character does, and he points out (fairly metaphysically) that the game never actually ended, so the ball is in some sense still in play.

Of all the games I'd love to see made into a Scorcese movie, that Merkle game would be the one. And in terms of wishing I'd been there, that would have topped the Thomson game, the Dent game, and the one with Ruth's called shot.

In The Celebrant, Evers doesn't end up with the baseball; an invented character does, and he points out (fairly metaphysically) that the game never actually ended, so the ball is in some sense still in play.

Oh, I know what we'll do. All the ghosts should gather at a certain corn field in Iowa, step out onto the field, and play it from the point at which the game ended. Let's settle this on the field ... of dreams.

And in terms of wishing I'd been there, that would have topped the Thomson game, the Dent game, and the one with Ruth's called shot.

April 15, 1947, Ebbets Field. Boston v. Brooklyn.

good novels ... Underworld

Ooooh ... I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

/Lumberg

EDIT: To expand: I tried twice to get through it and nearly succeeded the second time. To me, it's the Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (or substitute any other double album of your choice) of novels. If DeLillo (or his editor) could have narrowed the focus, kept the brilliant parts and lost about one-third of what's there, it would have been titanically great, a once-a-generation novel. As it was, it wanders far too much and loses the undeniable gems amid the cubic zirconia (although the opening chapter about Thompson's home run was alone worth the purchase price).

Burleigh Grimes was the last "legal" spitballer, if memory serves. Maybe the last spitter he threw ...

Especially if it's still wet.

I enjoyed the whole of Underworld, Mungo, but I'm not going to go berserk about your opinion :) It's a long book, and it's portentous – I think you're right, cut it by a third and it would have been much better. The Thomson chapter was initially published separately and also later issued as a novella on its own, for good reason; it's a terrific short piece.

And in terms of wishing I'd been there, that would have topped the Thomson game, the Dent game, and the one with Ruth's called shot.

April 15, 1947, Ebbets Field. Boston v. Brooklyn.

You got me there, Sam, and of course that would be right there at the top of the list. I do have the Daily Worker for that date, though, and resisted selling it to about half a dozen different people.

But all this doesn't negate the mundane fact that Merkle didn't touch second before Evers, ball in hand, touched the base.

Which is irrelevant, as I've pointed out. You keep repeating this as though it's a mantra, but you have to account for ALL the rules, not just one of them. Fan interference = play dead.

Let's suppose that Bridwell, instead of looping the ball over SS, had instead hit it down the 3B line. It was fair, but went into foul territory after it crossed the bag and a fan grabbed it. What's the ruling? Run scores, runner automatically awarded 2B or 3B at the umpire's discretion. This isn't even controversial.

Fan interference = play dead.

Maybe in the modern game, but I doubt there was an official rule of the like on the books in 1908.