CINCINNATI (WKRC) – At a typical Major League Baseball game, fans might be surprised to learn that between 100 to 120 baseballs are used, according to Jim Myers, Director of Authentics & Player Relations for the Cincinnati Reds. However, at a Reds game, many of these baseballs are saved, tracked, and sold for a charitable cause.
“Every item that’s used in the game can be taken off the field and authenticated,” said Myers. “What we do here at the Reds is we can sell that item for charity, for the Reds Community Fund, so it all goes to a good cause.”
Myers oversees the Reds’ authentication program, ensuring that every baseball, bat, glove, or other item is properly authenticated. A team of retired police officers assists in maintaining the chain of custody for each item.
“We want to make sure that when a fan buys something from us, it’s the exact item we say that it is,” said Myers. “They’re going to watch that ball come off the field, they’re going to stick a hologram on it, and they’re going to tell you exactly how it was used, when it was used, who used it, and all that information will be on the hologram.”
The program has authenticated items from historic games, including no-hitters and Scooter Gennett’s four-home run game. “When we went to Iowa for the Field of Dreams game, I picked about 500, 600 ears of corn that night, and we were able to sell ears of corn to fans who either were in attendance, or couldn’t make the ball game, to feel like they were part of it,” said Myers.
Recently, Reds’ top prospect Chase Burns made his MLB debut, striking out the first five batters he faced. After the game, Burns received his hologrammed baseballs to commemorate his first start at Great American Ball Park.
The Reds’ program stands out in baseball, as not all teams donate all proceeds to charity. “We’re really fortunate because the Reds front office and leadership decided when this program rolled out more than 10 years ago that they were going to direct those proceeds towards our Reds Youth Academy,” said Charley Frank, Executive Director of the Reds Community Fund.
This commitment has raised over a million dollars for the community fund, helping to build baseball fields across the area for kids. Most of the sales occur right inside the ballpark, making it a unique initiative that benefits both fans and the community.