Hobby Musings: Jeff Ballard Card & Autograph Anecdotes, Part 2 – In case you missed the first part of my conversation with Jeff Ballard, you can catch it here.
KS: What memorabilia, if any, did you keep from your career?
JB: I have a couple of game-used gloves that I still actually use coaching my son in little league and travel ball. I’m pretty active in playing catch, so it’s nice to have them. I still have some baseball spikes and things like that. I used those items when I would do show-and-tells at schools for kids. I still have my shower shoes and collectible things. I don’t have my first win ball sadly. The reason is I got that win when Cal Ripken Sr. was the manager for the Orioles in 1987. I didn’t pitch very well, but I got the win. He said something negative to me after the game, and I threw it in the trash can.
When I was with the Pirates, I got my first National League win, my first big league save and my first big league hit. I still have all those baseballs. After I was done playing, I did ask Cal Ripken Jr. to sign a bat for me. I’m not a big autograph or memorabilia guy, but I do value having a personalized bat from Cal, because I think so highly of him. He was a great teammate and a great role model. I cherish that memorabilia. The one ball I have that probably has some value is a Hank Aaron/Eddie Murray/Willie Mays signed baseball. I didn’t get it personally, and honestly, I can’t remember how I got it, but I’ve held onto that.
I have a couple signed baseballs of the four big leaguers originally from Billings, including Dave McNally. I’m friends with McNally’s son. There’s also Joe McIntosh and Les Rohr. Rohr was on the 1969 Mets team that faced McNally’s Orioles in the World Series. Rohr wasn’t active in the Series, but he pitched that summer some with the Mets. Billings isn’t a big place, and Montana isn’t known for producing MLB players, so to have two players from Billings on the same field in one of the most memorable World Series ever is pretty crazy.
I did regret not getting more autographs from players while I played. When you played though, it’s a job and baseball players are your co-workers. I signed balls for people on the other team, so guys are asking each other for autographs all the time. As a professional courtesy, you always sign for other players as long as the request isn’t too outlandish. I wish I would have taken the time to get more from other guys. Mark McGwire and I played on the USA team together, and we played each other in college. I should have gotten his autograph some time when our paths crossed. Same thing with someone like Roger Clemens, because I thought the world of him. Andy Van Slyke and Jay Bell as well. I’d love to have their autographs just for the memory.
In 1993, I started a game in Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. I hit a ground rule double that bounced over the wall. It wasn’t my first big league hit, so I didn’t get the ball back. Three years ago, I got contacted by a guy who’s into memorabilia, and he asked me if I’m Jeff Ballard the pitcher. After responding that I was, he asked if I remembered hitting that ground rule double. It turns out he had the ball from another person who had caught it. All of these years later, I got the ground rule double ball back. Now I have it in a case.
KS: Did you collect any of your own trading cards?
JB: I have a bunch here in case people in Billings and others want them. I haven’t collected them per se, but I like to keep them handy for other people.
KS: Do you have a favorite card of yourself?
JB: I have a couple of funny cards. In 1989, I felt I should have made the All-Star team based on my numbers. In my opinion, I got screwed by Tony LaRussa and the rule of having one player from every team make the All-Star Game. The funny thing is, Topps made an All-Star card of me assuming that I’d make the team. So I have an All-Star card even though I didn’t make the team.
I also have a Topps card for the Cardinals. I signed with them in 1992 after the Orioles had released me, and I played in Triple-A for them, but never in the bigs. Topps must have thought I’d be in the majors with St. Louis though, because I have a Stadium Club Cardinals card with a picture taken from a spring training game.
As for my favorite cards, I have two. There’s a 1991 Upper Deck card of me in a catching pose. I’m left-handed and have a left-handed catcher’s glove and am squatting down with my hat backwards. But I’m a pitcher, so I thought it was funny.
My favorite is my 1990 Donruss card with the red border. It shows me in action throwing a real pitch, and the stats on the back the stop at 1989. So looking at the back, you see my really good stats. Anything past that and you see the not-so-good numbers, or if it’s 88 or 89 cards, there’s nothing very remarkable there for stats. So it’s a little bit of an ego thing, but that 1990 Donruss card shows my stats at my peak.
KS: Did you ever imagine that the trading card and autograph industry would get as big as it is now?
JB: In my years when I was playing, baseball card royalties went into the strike fund. When a baseball card company is making these cards, they have to pay royalties to the union and Major League Baseball. As a player you would get an equal prorated portion of it based on your service time on a big league roster.
In 1991, they released the money that was allocated for 1987-1990, so I got these checks in spring training of 91 for my service time up to that point. The checks totaled about $140,000-$150,000. I was like, holy s!!t. That money allowed me to build a cabin in Montana that I still have. When the 1994 strike was settled, I ended up getting some more money, and I used that to build more around my cabin, including a garage. I was surprised then in the 1990s how big it was, because I received the benefit of my cards being out there. It’s just one of those extra things that I felt was a great benefit that the union was able to do for us.
Hobby Musings: Jeff Ballard Card & Autograph Anecdotes, Part 2 – More Resources
- Beckett Card Catalog – Jeff Ballard
- Secondary Market Pricing – Jeff Ballard
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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