Your most precious/cherished sports possession(s)

[dbadefense1990]

Hi everyone. So I just realized that today is the 5-year anniversary of me obtaining my 1st official MLB baseball at a game, and I'm honoring such occasion.

It was the finale of a Dodger home series against the Chicago White Sox, and I was a really cheery kid, who just graduated high school a week prior and wanted to relax at a ballgame. Back when Dodger Stadium allowed fans to stand at the warning track during batting practice, I used to stand there and would hound the protective gate for any BP balls coming at my way. Then, ChiSox Catcher Toby Hall hit a line drive to left (ended up being his last hit during BP) and went past the infield screens. The ball then took a funny bounce and nearly hit my chest, but I shielded myself with my glove. The ball was lying below me still on the warning track, within hands reach, and there was enough of a gap between the ground and the bottom of the protective gate to get the ball. While everyone around me was still looking back (ubermost that I knocked the ball down and it didn't fly back to the wall or landed in the pavilion seats), I grabbed that sucker and cradled it in my jeans. I didn't realized it was an actual ball until I went home and treasured what had happened. This is that ball today, five years later:

This is another one of my prized possessions. It's my sports ticket book, the motherboard of all of my archived sports events. I first got it for my 15th birthday, as I began to attend Dodger games on a full-time fan basis. It currently has about 80-85 hard tickets from sporting events, plus a couple from other events (concerts, school events, Disneyland). In true, I've been to about 350-400 events since I got this book, but over the last couple of years, I've been getting electronic/print-at-home tixs (printable tickets you can download and print on a normal sheet of paper), and I don't save those (those tixs aren't very special for me). Here is my book today:

I've been going to their games since 2002, but this is the oldest LA Kings ticket I have saved, from 2005 (didn't think about saving stubs before then):

Since today is an anniversary for me, I want to ask this topic now: what are the most valuable sports-related assets you have? What are the stories behind them?

[NJTank]

1962 Mets Yearbook

[charger77]

On my birthday in 1992 I got a card from Mike Modano.

[illwauk]

A plaque of the 1966 Packers signed by Fuzzy Thurston. I got it for my birthday when we first moved to Green Bay, and one of the doctors my mom worked for found out I wasn't having the easiest time adjusting to the move, but he happened to know Fuzzy and that I was big into the Lombardi-era Packers.

Fuzzy signed the plaque "The Packers will win again," so I keep it with my ticket stub from the 1993 Packers-Raiders game, which is famous for two reasons: it was the game where the Packers clinched their first non-strike playoff berth in 21 years, and it was the game where the Lambeau Leap was born.

[bosrs1]

Probably my the first on field MLB ball I acquired from PETCO Park and had signed by Trevor and Glen Hoffman and/or my long time Oakland A's cap that I've had for over two decades.

[pcgd]

I caught a BP Home Run ball from Ryan Ludwick when he was with the Cardinals a few years ago. No glove either, gutted it like a football. Had bruises on my arms and stomach for about a week.

I also have a Roberto Clemente card that I got at a garage sale for 5 cents. At the time it was worth $30. I still remember that find and although its not worth much I still cherish that.

I have a pair of Busch Stadium II seats I really enjoy and would be upset if something happened to them. And the Catchers glove I used throughout high school I plan on hanging onto and handing down to a future son.

Most of the other memorabilia I have is just stuff. I like it but its not as special as those items to me.

[HedleyLamarr]

A picture of myself and Hank Aaron.

In the mid-to-late 90's, a Super Target opened up in Stone Mountain. A couple months or so after they first opened, in a way to boost traffic to the store, they'd bring in famous folks that folks can come get a picture with (or get an autographed picture of theirs, depending on the person). One day, Hank Aaron was the guest, so my mom and I went since we had no other obligations at the time. We get our Braves shirts on, and we stand in line for an hour or so, and we each get to have a picture taken with Hank. He wasn't doing autographs, but I never really cared about getting a man's signature.

[Gary]

My.autographed Pete Rose baseball. Alan Trammell rookie card and Dan Majerle autograph jersey with the Suns

[troy_3223]

Mariners cap autographed by Dave Niehaus. It's the only autograph I have.

[TorinK92]

I have an autographed Sens T-shirt but I'm not going to count that because the player who signed it was some random schmuck who player two games and I promptly forgot about after. Other than that I don't have anything autographed.

Out of the 40+ soccer jerseys, 8 hockey jerseys and memorabilia I have; I'd say that my most favourite/cherished sport possession would be my Robyn Lehner red Senators jersey. I'm pretty sure I'm one of, if not the only person with one in Ottawa. What I take most care of is pretty much up to my favourite teams.

[andycumbee19]

Rich Peverley signed & game worn SC Stingrays jersey & his matching game socks -- Plus a whole season of memories.

[Jimmy!]

Have autographed baseballs for Yaz, Phil Niekro, Jim Palmer, Dale Murphy, and Ken Griffey Sr. Have a few others, but I was present for those five. Was fortunate enough to meet them, too.

[infrared41]

Cool topic. I have a quite a bit of memorabilia, but these are the ones I consider "cherished."

At the top of the list has to be the 2011 Cardinals World Series ring my GF bought me for Christmas last year. #2 is my Packers stock certificates.

The rest in no particular order...

Personally autographed copy of Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Personally autographed baseball from Jim Bouton. (Ball Four is probably my all-time favorite book)

An Archie Griffin autograph that says "Greg, Go Bucks, Archie Griffin." GF scored that one for me at a corporate event she attended that Archie was speaking at. It's framed with a picture.

Bill Buckner autographed baseball. Got it at a Syracuse Chiefs game in 1992.

Game 5 1984 World Series ticket (SD vs. Detroit) autographed by Sparky Anderson. I was at the game.

Baseball from the game when Ripken broke Gehrig's streak.

Phil Niekro autograph on a Silver Bullets line-up sheet. (The Silver Bullets were the women's baseball team Niekro managed back in the 90's.)

Jim Thome autographed baseball and 8x10. (Met him on the Indians press tour when I was working in radio in 1999. Helluva nice guy.)

(I'll post some pics later)

[worcat]

My Cardinals autographed baseball collection. ISO a decent priced Pujols ball, I refuse to pay over $100 for a former cardinal and a slumping player at that.

[GO2HELL]

Signed Gary Hooper Celtic kit

Signed Kenny Miller Whitecaps Kit

Game Worn Petr Bondra jersey

[FiddySicks]

I caught a Barry Bonds home run ball during batting practice at the 2004 All Star Game. Later that day I saw Jose Cruz and had him sign it. Still have it somewhere. I don't usually keep balls at games. If I catch one, I apar always give it to a kid around me, but that one I had to keep.

Not my picture, but this is the ball.

I also have a ball signed by the entire 1957 Hollywood Stars PCL team that my neighbor gave me.

I got this made for my dad for Christmas a few years ago after I found a good deal on a signed Stan Musial picture. It's mostly special because of how much money I put into having it framed up nice under UV glass. It looks fantastic and will hold up well over the years.

Mostly though, I'm more about the memories.

[Kramerica Industries]

There is one item that I received as a total gift from a Yankees rep. at a September 13, 2010 game at Tropicana Field.

What I remember of that game itself was that C.C. Sabathia and David Price were the starting pitchers, and it ended up being the second straight time the Yankees got shutout at the Trop. Reid effin' Brignac hit a walk-off HR in the 11th, and the Rays ultimately won the division by ONE game, so from a practical perspective, it is not a game I think back very fondly on.

But before the game, after I had taken a seat in the lower bowl along the LF line (3B/LF seats always seem better to me than 1B/RF do), a Yankees rep noticed my hat and offered me this little gem:

I'm not saying that this is the same kind of ring like what 'red has with the 2011 Cardinals, but, hell, it was a gift that I had no expectation of receiving. Good enough for me.

--

There was also a game on April 10, 2010, same teams, same place, where C.C. Sabathia nearly twirled a no-hitter on the Rays. If he had completed that (it was broken up at 23 outs), I certainly would've framed that ticket.

[Raysfan12]

The only cherished sports possession is my Rays cowbell signed by Stephen Voght, a catcher in the Rays minor league system.

[cmm]

The only piece of memorabilia I've ever paid for was a pair of Shea Stadium seats. I also took my diploma out of its frame and replaced it with my scorecard from Johan Santana's no-hitter.

[ADW77]

I would have to say my extensive collection of Darrent Williams cards, and my mini Broncos helmet signed by Darrent Williams.