# Record Homerun Baseball Identification **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 30, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663 "2010-09-30T21:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![calmondo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@calmondo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calmondo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/1 "2010-09-30T21:55:02Z")
Recently there was a flourish at the close of the baseball season regarding who would set a new record for home runs. As the record was tied, and then broken, somebody in the stands claimed to “have the ball”. They were probably looking for a huge payout by selling the ball at auction. BUT, how can it be determined they have THE BALL. When a batter is at the plate with the potential for a record home run, do they bring in a marked ball. Some way to confirm this was the genuine article when a fan raises his arm in glee, and displays the find and later produces it for capital gain. Some way to prevent two or more folks claiming later that they have the actual item. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/2 "2010-09-30T21:58:17Z")
I know they were using marked baseballs when McGwire did his thing. I would assume Barry\* Bonds\*\* got the same treatment for his record\*\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/3 "2010-09-30T23:02:22Z")
I recall there was a marking detectable with UV light on the Bonds homerun balls. > [@Oakminster](#): > > I know they were using marked baseballs when McGwire did his thing. I would assume Barry\* Bonds\*\* got the same treatment for his record\*\*\*. Unless you are going to add asterisks to the name of everyone who played in the steriod era, the amphetamine era, the segregation era, the dead ball era, the pre-modern era, the war years, CUT IT OUT! ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/4 "2010-09-30T23:04:13Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Unless you are going to add asterisks to the name of everyone who played in the steriod era, the amphetamine era, the segregation era, the dead ball era, the pre-modern era, the war years, CUT IT OUT! No. Barry\* Bonds\*\* is not a legitimate home run king in the Book of Oak, and he’s never gonna be. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/5 "2010-09-30T23:08:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > No. Barry\* Bonds\*\* is not a legitimate home run king in the Book of Oak, and he’s never gonna be. So is McGwire? How about Willy ‘Greenie’ Mays? Is Clemems a HOF pitcher? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/6 "2010-09-30T23:20:17Z")
yes, they use special balls any time a big record can be broken. If you watch the game you will see the umpire call for the special balls when the guy comes up to bat. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/7 "2010-09-30T23:21:45Z")
Since this a sports questions, let’s move from GQ to The Game Room. **samclem** , Moderator, General Questions ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/8 "2010-10-01T03:31:07Z")
> [@calmondo](#): > > Recently there was a flourish at the close of the baseball season regarding who would set a new record for home runs. Just for the record, that was 1998. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/9 "2010-10-01T04:09:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@Oakminster](#): > > > > No. Barry\* Bonds\*\* is not a legitimate home run king in the Book of Oak, and he’s never gonna be. > > So is McGwire? How about Willy ‘Greenie’ Mays? Is Clemems a HOF pitcher? agreed. I hate when people single Barry Bonds out like he was the only guy who ever took steroids (or other drugs). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/10 "2010-10-01T04:12:41Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > Just for the record, that was 1998. More recently in 2001. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/11 "2010-10-01T05:27:49Z")
Bonds holds arguably the most sacred records in baseball. Doesn’t matter if he wasn’t the only one on steroids. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/12 "2010-10-01T14:19:45Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > > [@Oakminster](#): > > > > No. Barry\* Bonds\*\* is not a legitimate home run king in the Book of Oak, and he’s never gonna be. > > So is McGwire? How about Willy ‘Greenie’ Mays? Is Clemems a HOF pitcher? In the Book of Oak, the single season HR record remains 61, held by Roger Marris. Hank Arron remains the career champ. Oak hath spoken. So mote it be. ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/13 "2010-10-01T14:58:55Z")
I never understand how people think statistical achievements are a matter of opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/14 "2010-10-01T15:00:54Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > > [@TriPolar](#): > > > > So is McGwire? How about Willy ‘Greenie’ Mays? Is Clemems a HOF pitcher? > > In the Book of Oak, the single season HR record remains 61, held by Roger Marris. > > Hank Arron remains the career champ. Oak hath spoken. So mote it be. I am a purist when it comes to baseball, and I wholeheartedly endorse this position. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/15 "2010-10-01T15:06:17Z")
I too would like to see something definitive on ball marking. When the McGuire-Sosa race was on I thought I’d heard that some kind of readable chip was placed in the ball. But last year at a Rangers-Mariners game I asked an umpire (our seat were next to their entrance tunnel) and he said definately not. Maybe he was referring to the specific device and not the practice itself. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/16 "2010-10-01T15:09:11Z")
I’m almost positive there are some kind of markings. Dunno what type, but seems like I remember some litigation about the ownership of one of the Bonds\*\*\* balls, and I think they were able to authenticate the ball as being genuine. ---
**Author:** ![caligulathegod](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caligulathegod/32/9685_2.png) [@caligulathegod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligulathegod)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/17 "2010-10-01T15:11:06Z")
Cincinnati still holds the 1919 World Series, without an \*. I still understand the resentment against Bonds, though. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/18 "2010-10-01T20:37:25Z")
I was watching the game where Bonds broke the career record (go Nats!) and I recall them talking about hologram-marked balls. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/19 "2010-10-01T21:34:10Z")
I would have thought that an Authioritative Book\* such as the Book\* of Oak would be more consistent with its use of asterisks with each name occurance. Is it Bonds\*\* or Bonds\*\*\*? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663/20 "2010-10-02T01:09:24Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > In the Book of Oak, the single season HR record remains 61, held by Roger Marris. > Hank Arron remains the career champ. Could we hope that a purist might spell at least one of these names correctly? (Hint: neither contains “rr”). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/record-homerun-baseball-identification/555663.md?page=2)