Collecting Game-used: One pitch, one swing ... and?

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.

THE BASICS ...
Game-used ball (MLB Authenticated): Mets vs. Phillies, June 26, 2019
Watch it in action: Right here to view on MLB Film Room

The matchup: Mets SS Amed Rosario vs. Phillies SP Nick Pivetta
The result: Line-out to CF Scott Kingery during the second inning of a 5-4 Phillies victory

What's Buzz-worthy: I landed this one among a dozen balls for $10 apiece quite a while ago and this is one of last few of them. It's not the flashiest bunch of names here, but one is playing in the postseason now -- Rosario is now the Cleveland Guardians' starting shortstop -- and the other two are still on rosters a few years later. The clip of this one is pretty nice -- one pitch, one swing and he tattooed the ball hitting it directly to the center fielder for the out. That's the documented life of this baseball and it's got some evidence of moisture and contact on it from perhaps other plays but all that's known is here. Is it the flashiest ball? No. Is it the biggest ball? No. Did I mind landing it for $10 to add to my volume of game-used baseballs (and an item here)? Of course not. Rosario went 0-for-4 in the game with a run, Pivetta struck out three in five-plus innings of a no-decision and even Kingery had a bit of a forgettable day at the plate ... 0-for-5. I like this one since it was close to a hit -- the clip is a lot more interesting than some of the baseballs out there -- but ultimately this was a cheap pick-up with players having potential.

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

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