It was the moment seen around the world.

The Saga Of Phillies Karen & The Home Run Ball was just one week ago tonight down in Miami and if you don't know the tale here's a quick recap. A Harrison Bader home run went into the stands and put a run on the board for the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a rout of the Marlins. It bounced around on the concrete and ended up in the hands of fan Drew Feltwell, who ran down the row of seats below her to retrieve it and then ran back to his seat, proudly popping the ball into the glove of his 10-year-old son, Lincoln ... until there was a showdown.

"She definitely scurried on over," Feltwell told NBC10 Philadelphia. "And as she reached for my arm, she just yelled in my ear, 'That's my ball.' Like super loud. I jumped out of my skin."

"A lot, a lot of eyes on us by that time. And the ball was already in his glove and she just wouldn't stop. And I mean, I'm literally leaning back as she's in my face, yelling and yelling and yelling. And I pretty much just wanted her to go away. And because I had a fork in the road, either do something I was probably going to regret or be a dad and show him how to de-escalate the situation. So that's where I went."

The family ended up with gifts from both teams after the in-game negative attention -- after all, it was all caught on live TV and filmed from in the stands -- and they met Bader after the game where the kid ended up with one of his signed Victus Sports game-model bats and a moment better than just a baseball leading up to his birthday, which is why they were at the game. They ended up on Good Morning America talking about it all while her identity remains a mystery despite all kinds of angsty and, well, uncouth Internet reactions that are as abrasive as that moment. (Feltwell has asked the public to stop all that. We concur.)

Since then, our "firm and official" offer of $5,000 for the ball  -- as long as it's signed and inscribed "I'm sorry" -- that we dropped a day later has been around the world, too.

It's been covered by -- take a breath -- The New York Times, The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, Yahoo Sports, The Sporting News, cllct, The Philadelphia Inquirer, MSN, National Post, Fox News, FOX 29 Philadelphia, Cleveland.com, Hindustan Times, NJ.com, Times of India, The Independent (UK), Daily Mail (UK), New York Post, 104.5 WOKV, The Economic Times, Patch, Toronto Sun, The Tab, The Mirror U.S., Daily Express U.S., FanBuzz, BroBible, Whiskey Riff, TotallyProSports, EssentiallySports, Bounding Into Sports, VT, Breitbart, Bored Panda, Sportsnaut, Hypefresh Magazine, Bounding Into Sports, BVM Sports, inkl, NewsBreak, Finurah, EssentiallySports, Dexerto and we're sure even more than that based on the social media push-around we've seen. Some of it's been good, some of it's been bad, some of it's been confusing, some of them have been proud to see it.

We know he should have the ball.

And, now ... why are we here once again?

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It's a day on the calendar that's always going to be remembered ... but this is not really tied to that. This one's simply from MLB action two years ago today.

This month's ball in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game -- and I actually chose this date due to the visiting team, the Atlanta Braves, which I kind of casually collect on the game-used front. This was from the first game of a doubleheader between the two National League powerhouses and it was handled by a pair of All-Stars for its one-pitch lifetime in The Show.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Dad grabbed a home run ball for his son, she wanted it back ... and now BlowoutCards.com needs it.

We'll offer $5,000 for that baseball right here, right now ... but there is a catch.

We want that ball signed and inscribed by her -- and only her, whoever she is -- "I'm sorry" so we can simply give it back to the kid. Our offer is official and the offer is firm -- here's our tweet noting it all and making the offer public.

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With these Ticket Stud or Ticket Dud stories I'm turning just a tiny bit of that energy just a few degrees away from cards (we'll still have plenty of them here) for a different kind of cardboard. What am I doing? Simple ... this is an occasional dip into some random ticket lots -- a show and tell showing something small with a story.

This time? Some action on the diamond 14 years ago today.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and tell me if you think it's a Ticket Stud or a Ticket Dud.

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I didn't need it, but once I saw this ... I knew I had to have it.

This month's entry in the Collecting Game-used series is an item that sat out there on the auction block for some time. One day I noticed the name and wondered, given its unique look, whether it was the kind of piece that could be could be narrowed down to an exact when and where of it all and be photo-matched. It turns out that the piece is a one-of-a-kind item and any and all photos of the player from that day are, without question, that item.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the item in action.

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It's a ball that had a short life in The Show, but the one bit of contact was worth it.

This month's entry in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a blind grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game -- that's pretty much my bargain-bin way of hunting these days -- and yet this was another win. The star player this time? Current New York Yankees ace Max Fried -- though this one from before he put on those pinstripes and is from a game from last season.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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If you're one of those baseball collectors who's been all about the anime, this one's for you.

Buzz was busy today adding a bunch of cardboard to the preview gallery for the forthcoming 2025 Bowman release (click here to see all of those and order your boxes), but this one -- all 30 cards in the 2025 Bowman Anime insert set -- gets its own standalone.

Why? These baseball cards are unique and they're a popular style of artistic card inclusions from a few companies in a few sports in recent years. This time there are 30 standard cards for stars of the past, present and future -- and then four Japanese icons will have Kanji Variations to find as well.

You can learn more and see the 30 standard cards after the jump.

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A good rookie, a good at-bat, a good ball ... that was one pitch away from history.

This month's entry in the Collecting Game-used series is another that came to me via a blind grab bag where all I knew was the date of the game ... and yet this was another win. The player? Jackson Merrill, the runner-up in the National League Rookie Of The Year behind winner Paul Skenes, and a name I didn't expect to land for a price lower than many a retail mega box of cards.

And, to top it all off, this wasn't some meaningless ball in the dirt or a ball just watched -- well, it kind of was -- it was something more for a low price and that's perfect. It's kind of how I roll most of the time with these items.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Four bounces and then a short roll ... and then it just sits there.

Spoiler alert: That's the "action" sequence for this latest ball in the Collecting Game-used series but for a random grab-bag ball -- one picked only by its game date -- this one stands out from the pack to a degree. Why? It's got a modest bit of scarring from what it hit off the bat of an All-Star caliber player and it's got a blooper-caliber whimsy to it all, too, with a sequence in a pandemic-era stadium that's quiet enough for you to also hear it all and notice that there are no background reactions at all, either, save for an ump giving it a brief glance.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Minor league baseball cards from the past can include some weird stuff ... stuff you wouldn't imagine to be found on a baseball card. Here are some some new oddities in this latest edition of MiLB Madness. 

IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW ... THE FINALE
The Cards: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. & Bo Bichette 2020 Choice Lansing Lugnuts 25th Anniversary set (nine)
The Buzz On This: My third card showing MLB All-Stars in this set showcases the same pair of players from the last two months -- now they're just together. This release is a cheap one I found on sale in the official MiLB Store ... so I did a bulk buy. Why? I want to slab some stuff in this one and the price was right for doing some cherry-picking. As I noted before, if you don't dabble in the MiLB realm, there are some affordable ways to find top names in old unis without breaking the bank and this set shows off past notables -- it's a solid alumni set, though these two guys are the biggest on cards this time. Another MiLB set type that can be loaded is the league "top prospects" set and similar all-star releases that can be sold by all teams in a league so more are (likely) made.

Keep reading for more examples of some weird or fun baseball cards you can find in MiLB.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: The Phillies rout 'em, NFL chatter, new pulls, TacoFractors and more in today's edition.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: First Stitch baseball cards, Bowman U Chrome breaks, NFL Week 6, TacoFractors, all about the Phillies bandwagon and more in today's edition.

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Buzz just went 2-for-2 with this home run from a bargain bin mystery box.

No, it's not a literal home run ball -- that won't happen for the price of a blaster box these days -- but I went 2-for-2 with there being a pair of quality names attached to this one ... a ball that could be a late-ballot/committee guy in Cooperstown someday and Cy Young-caliber arm for a franchise that right now might be in its early phase of running up some championships. (He's already got one World Series ring and might be a favorite for one more this season.)

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is once again one that I picked up just like others in this series lately -- a blind grab bag buy of sorts just picking by date -- with the same teams involved, too. I added two new names -- two quality names -- to my stash.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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There's a glove story attached to this one.

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is again one that I picked up just like others in this run lately -- a blind grab bag buy of sorts just picking by date -- with the same teams involved, too. But, this time it's not any of the three names attached to this ball that makes it a bit cooler when one goes to the tape.

This time, it's all about the defense -- and a near-miss that could have had this one end up on SportsCenter.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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The Rookie of the Year wanted a piece of this pitch ... but somebody else got that.

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is one that I picked up just like others in this series -- a blind grab bag buy of sorts just picking by date -- with the same teams involved as a past time ... but this time the eventual Rookie of the Year, Atlanta Braves outfielder Michael Harris II, is a great name attached.

That alone made it a simple highlight for me ... until I saw the highlight reel.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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This ball was almost a bit of déjà vu ... and I didn't even notice it at first.

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is one that I picked up just like others in this series -- a blind grab bag buy of sorts just picking by date -- with the same teams involved and with All-Star power attached.

While last month's piece was a little more in-depth in terms of how long the ball survived in the majors -- two batters -- this one is more traditional but from the guy who followed them in the Braves lineup. That was something I didn't even realize until I sat down to put this one together. Landing all of the baseballs used in an inning is probably an impossibility unless it's all one ball or if you're at a game and can pick them up in-person, but this was a fun discovery with good names attached.

And yet baseball trivia here all that is moot compared to the play that Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto probably remembered after the game.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Two big names, one cool surprise.

My latest ball in this Collecting Game-used series is one that has two solid names attached to it -- Atlanta Braves 1B Matt Olson and former Braves SS Dansby Swanson from a game last season -- and it's got something else as part of its usage that I have not yet seen while tracking down and documenting a few dozen or so game-used balls.

The surprise? This one was used for an entire at-bat for one of them -- a full-count walk even -- after contact from the other giving it a life that's beyond many baseballs where they are used for a pitch or two and often for merely just one batter. Atop that, it's got some impressive discoloration from bat contact and even more impressive scuffing from ground contact that's just not as common as you might think with a lot of big-league baseballs that are prepped for play (so they're dirty enough to grip) but taken out if damage gets to be too much. (Sometimes you might get one ... but not often both.)

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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It's the little things ...

I'm nearly at the end of my dozen game-used balls I picked up long ago from the Phillies -- hard to pass 'em up at $10 apiece with BallQubes -- and this one has been at the bottom of the box awaiting its Collecting Game-used turn with a pair of veterans attached here and more than one pitch in an at-bat, too, as part of one player's first full season in The Show.

Is it a win? For the price, sure, but only one of the two is probably a "collector" name now ... and certainly not to the degree that he might have once been, though he has a World Series ring.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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Sometimes, you can still get a surprise from the bargain bin.

Is that the case with this one this time? Perhaps ... but it's not something that will add much value per se. It is, however, something that could make a simple item like a game-used baseball seem a little more interesting than, say, the scuffs or dirt that pop up on them from time to time.

Keep reading to see the details this time ... and the ball in action.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: Bryce Harper had tips for his teammates, Black November scouting, 2022 Topps Update pulls and more.

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: World Series opens with an extra-inning affair won by Philly, 2022 Topps Update, Rookie Card chatter, learning some things and more in this all-MLB edition.

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It may not happen, but Aaron Judge in a new uniform is a possibility Yankees fans should be ready for.

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: The World Series is set, Tua is back, best 1980s MLB designs, new pulls, Christian McCaffrey and ... Aaron Judge on a new team?

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The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are a few threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What's Buzzing: MLB Postseason match-ups, MLB's top prospect for 2023, NFL talk, AEW chaos and new pulls from collectors.

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I've never read up on how many baseballs MLB uses in a year, but given the volume of game-used balls up for grabs from teams regularly -- to the point where they'll sell them in mystery boxes on the cheap -- they are readily available.

Yet, at the same time, they're not all the same.

The big dog is, of course, the home run ball and right up there are other hits and then strikeouts for pitchers. But for any one of any of those bigs there are plenty more -- maybe dozens more -- baseballs that were pitches in the dirt, called strikes, foul balls  and line-outs (though I think those are better than others here) and then other stuff like beanballs and wild pitches among others. Ultimately, the biggest piece of the puzzle for appeal -- and especially for value here -- is which players' names are attached.

This month? Not the biggest names and not the biggest moment -- but it's a one-pitch, one-swing kind of ball that's perhaps not the most common -- and, the best part, it only cost me $10 despite the fact that I can video match it using the MLB Film Room along with its MLB Authentication.

You can keep reading to see the details ... and the ball in action.

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Fast Five is a quick list that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection or new focus -- five things that could be fun for a beginner or a new way to add something to your stash if you're a grizzled veteran.

This time? Five MLB names I'm watching in the postseason ...

THE NEW KID ...
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners (prospect cards since 2019, RC in 2021)
I've been sold on him since early in the year, but the postseason and anything this newcomer does will get a lot more attention with the Mariners' successes already surprising some and with more prime time attention to come. His first season in The Show got him a new monster deal (12 years, $209M) before it was even over -- so he'll be a key in Seattle for some time -- after a year that had him hitting .284 with 28 homers and 75 RBI in 132 games. His RC logo cards this year have been trickling out in SP form for the most part but there will be more to come -- and then there's his Rookie Card and prospect cards to look for, too, from past years. He's hyped and he's pricey but if he and his team can get things done in the postseason -- something the Hall of Famer called Kid didn't -- he'll be a money guy even more than now and for some time. (I'm not sure that'll happen, though, but it could.) I'm not a big fan of how his autograph looks so I won't overpay there, but I think we'll see a lot of good cardboard coming for him to go with fun stuff from the past.

Keep reading for four more making up the list this time.

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