Collecting Game-used: Can cool plays make better items? (Yes)

This ongoing Collecting Game-used series is one that typically is all about a notable name or an item exactly photo-matched as it was caught in action. This time? It's a little bit of that second one but really with a little more dumb luck involved.

Buzz is on a mailing list for Philadelphia Phillies gamers that include spreadsheets and info on everything the team has up for grabs -- the better the name, the higher the price at most times (especially on the home team) -- and I use their listings to scout opposing players that they can often under-price. Meanwhile, elsewhere out there there are also mystery-bag scenarios for the Phillies where you can pick the date and get a ball (drop-shipped direct from the team) from that game ... but without the choice of which exact ball you get.

This time? I went the mystery route -- a cheaper route -- but after scouting a list where nearly every name out of nearly a dozen was a strong one (a young player with higher-value potential). What happened? Well, I got perhaps one of the worst pairings about who used the ball from that day ... but it was for a super-unique play with super-slow-mo details visible on the Interwebs. So, Phillies picker, while I didn't get a name I wanted ... I salute your selection.

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

THE BASICS ...
Game-used ball (MLB Authenticated): Braves vs. Phillies, Sept. 10, 2019
Watch it in action: Click above ... and an see an even better extended replay right here from MLB.com

The matchup: Phillies P Jason Vargas vs. Braves C Francisco Cervelli (top of third inning)
The result: Vargas squibber in front of plate, scooped by Vargas to catcher J.T. Realmuto who drops it, allowing Josh Donaldson to score (bases loaded), making it a 4-3 game.

What's Buzz-worthy: The intro and the video above (and the secondary MLB link, which is way, way better) pretty much say it all -- and the cool part is you can see the blotches on this ball as it rotates in slow-motion on the play that led to the 647th career run of Donaldson's career and was the ninth error of Vargas' 14-year MLB career. It's not an Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman or Max Fried ball, but in this case the play is pretty cool instead of a ball in the dirt, foul or pitch from those notable guys, who at one point had stuff available from the game. The price here? Less than a pair of blaster boxes at the store.

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

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