The story of this baseball is a whole lot of ... Bananas.

This extra item in my Collecting Game-used series this month is easily the most-unique baseball in my collection -- and part of this appealing story happened absolutely thanks to some dumb luck. (Again ... some of my best finds have happened that way.) What's the deal? One day when looking into baseball cards for the traveling road show and pop culture phenomenon that is the Savannah Bananas -- think baseball meets a circus with side helpings of Zubaz-era WWF and some Talladega Nights-style NASCAR bombast with game rules even quirkier than both -- I stumbled upon a new part of the official team store. The Bananas now sell game-used stuff with full databased authentication and some supreme stickered specificity just like MLB.

While I picked off my ball simply because it was among the cheapest options, it's actually one with a story and some unique documented game-use that's quite unique within this spectacle on the diamond. In fact, it's absolutely one to chew on ... and when you do that you won't even be the first.

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

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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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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The pack: 2024 Topps Stars of MLB Network baseball cards
Where to buy: Will take some looking ... Click here for MLB boxes

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.

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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and post the results here. Like this and want to see more? Or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The pack: 2024 Leaf Metal Signature Series Multi-sport 1/1 Pre-Production Proofs
Where to buy: Click here for other Leaf Metal boxes

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery for what was in this one.

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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? Rain won ... and then so did the Atlanta Braves thanks in part to a Hall of Famer's pinch-hit home run.

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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What's Buzzing: NBA Finals open with a classic, the Braves blow it, Frank Gore Jr.'s ink, The National and more.

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1 -- NBA Finals open with a classic 

2 -- Reactions to the Braves' ninth-inning meltdown

3 -- Talking non-sports ... 

4 -- One to see?

5 -- So, about Frank Gore Jr.'s Topps autos ...

6 -- The National section is open

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

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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What's Buzzing: New Topps Heritage, Bron Breakker, Nick Kurtz, Braves chaos and more in this Tuesday edition.

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1 -- Talking a new year of Topps Heritage 

2 -- Wrestlemania 41 fallout reactions continue

3 -- A redemption tale

4 -- Nick Kurtz gets the call

5 -- Braves chaos continues

6 -- Checking in on autographed books tips

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

What's Buzzing: Spencer Strider makes his spring debut today, more MLB chatter, graded 1980s rookies, 2025 Bowman and more in this Monday edition.

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1 -- Braves fans will be talking here today 

2 -- MLB is on their minds

3 -- Collecting graded 1980s MLB rookies

4 -- Still reacting to the 2025 Bowman design tease

5  -- The joy of a completed page

6 -- Reactions to MLB award-winner patches

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Have you spotted a hot thread? Tell us about it in a comment or on Twitter.

Follow BlowoutBuzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz.

Buzz buys and busts a lot of boxes right here for Buzz Breaks, but one of my goals is to rip a little less and talk more about cardboard that I -- and you -- might like. One way to do that? Simple show and tell -- present a few pick-ups and say why they captured my attention.

So, with all that said, here are a few Buzz Buys ... 

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A HISTORY LESSON
The Cards: Huck Betts, Joe Oeschger & Whitey Glazner 2019 Historic Autographs Triple Play Cut Signatures Triple Play Booklet ... plus 1961 Topps Leon Cadore & Joe Oeschger (Brooklyn-Boston Play 26-Inning Tie) from the Baseball Thrills subset
The Price: $21 total
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: I'm not exactly sure what sparked my going down the rabbit hole to end up finding this one -- whether it was some trivia about the game or just a search of cut autographs I'm not sure as I found this earlier this year -- but for something different without breaking the bank this cardboard duo was worth a lead-off spot this time. As the Topps card details, on May 1, 1920, the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves played 26 innings to a 1-1 tie that ended due to darkness and that's still an MLB record. Cadore and Oeschger both pitched all 26 innings -- think about that a minute -- and that's their only Topps card appearance. As for the cut, Oeschger gets the center spot with an inscription for that game, while Betts was a rookie in 1920 for the Phillies and Glazner was a rookie for the Pirates later that year. Why are all three on this cut auto book? I'm not totally sure ... but all three did pitch for the Phillies at some point so it could be that beyond 1920 highlights. The center auto here is the key to me ... that's some good trivia.

Grab a box right here: Nothing for this one ... BlowoutCards.com for MLB

Keep reading for more interesting items ...

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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. 

ALL ABOUT THAT BLING!
The Card: Wool E. Bull 2023 Choice Durham Bulls
The Buzz On This: It seems the mascot card is a staple of MiLB team sets -- it's one of few cards you can typically count on finding year after year unless there's a team name change -- and this one of the modern-day iteration of the mascot many might first remember from Bull Durham. This card caught my attention as it's one of few where the mascot shows off their version of the team's championship ring -- a ring card collection could be an interesting little twist even if not limited to just mascots. Beyond that bling, the achievements captured on the back of this card are also pretty strong for a veteran you can see on a lot of cardboard. Collect 'em all!

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

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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.

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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? A pair of players who swapped teams on some colorful spring training tickets from the past.

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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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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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: Matt Olson makes some MLB history, awaiting Bowman U Chrome, NFL Week 2, NBA cards, licensing 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: Two 1/1 cards in one box, NFL chatter, analyzing the Braves, thoughts from a card show and more.

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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 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 National, WWE pulls, Elly De La Cruz, Heritage heat 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: Braves & MLB chatter, Victor Wembanyama, new soccer pulls, The National and more.

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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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From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2023 Topps Now Road To Opening Day Atlanta Braves team set
Where to buy: Sold via Topps ... BlowoutCards.com for other MLB

Keep reading to see a full gallery and breakdown of what was in this one.

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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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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 Braves are off to a hot start, Adam Sandler at a card show, Jalen Hurts reactions, Jordan Walker, "the hobby needs a pitch clock" and more in today's edition.

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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. 

SAME SET, SECOND STAR ...
The Cards: Spencer Strider 2021 Choice Rome Braves (five copies)
The Buzz On This One: This month's item leads off just like last time with a key single from a team set that has a current big-leaguer who had a heck of a rookie year in Atlanta last season. Unlike Michael Harris, Strider had a number of Rookie Cards in big-league sets last year and he also had a lot of prospect cards (also unlike Harris) so cards like these have a lot of competition. But, I like this one as he looks like a big-leaguer other than that cap and the set was relatively cheap, too, vs. a lot of in-pack stuff by the pack or box right now. The print run on sets like this where there are multiple stars might not be on the low side for MiLB sets but in comparison to packed-out MLB cards there's no chance that the print run is in the same galaxy. I like that.

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

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