Collecting Game-used: A full at-bat and an impressive hit, too

This is quite possibly my best grab-bag buy ever.

This latest ball in the Collecting Game-used series is one where there's a franchise icon attached, an entire at-bat and even an impressive hit all in one. I can't say that I've ever landed that from what's essentially a blind grab-bag kind of buy, but that happened for me with a ball that was pulled from the field less than two months ago before making its way into my collection this week for just $29.95 -- substantially less than a Chrome blaster box out there in the retail wild and perhaps substantially less than it might cost as a known hit ball with the big name attached. The only thing I had a choice in here? I picked the date -- so I knew the two teams that would be attached and that's it.

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

THE BASICS ...
Game-used ball (MLB Authenticated): Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 24, 2024
Watch it in action: An entire six-pitch at-bat before a hit -- see all plays via the MLB Film Room and the hit below.

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The matchup: Braves SP Raymond Kerr vs. Pirates DH Andrew McCutchen
The result: A six-pitch at-bat that ended with a single -- the first of the day in a 11-5 Pirates victory.

What's Buzz-worthy: McCutchen's hit No. 2,082 in the record books may look like a simple single on the stat sheet and all the documentation here, but when you watch the video, well, this ball gets even cooler. He absolutely crushed this ball with it landing at the wall -- just a smidge off from going on the stat sheet as home run No. 308 in his 16-year career that will end up with him in the Pirates Hall of Fame and, while the stats aren't really there, perhaps some later-year Cooperstown consideration, too. According to the authentication statement, this was used for six pitches with three balls, one watched strike and one whiff. You can see them all above and also how it was fielded by Adam Duvall and relayed to Ozzie Albies at second base to make this long bomb just a single. This was part of a 2-for-4 day for the veteran on a day where Ronald Acuña Jr. homered for the Braves but it jut wasn't enough ... at all. Kerr allows five earned runs alone in the game, which was the 34th of his career with this being just his 38th hit allowed.

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>> See all past Collecting Game-used stories from Buzz here

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