Authenticity is Everything

What constitutes a "team-signed" baseball?

I'm looking to buy a 1985 team-signed Kansas City Royals baseball. So if anyone has one for sale, please let me know. I've seen some, and typically they will have anywhere from say 23-28 signatures on the ball. I've even seen some other baseballs with more than 30 signatures. I know that baseball rosters, at least from years past it seems like might have rosters with 35 or more.

So how many signatures does a baseball have to have on it for it to be termed "team-signed"? Does it have to have each and every player on the roster to have signed it? What about coaches? I know it can be nearly impossible to get every single player on the ball, but if you don't have every player, is it really "team-signed"?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on November 17, 2015 at 3:44am

I suspect there is no right or wrong answer but more a matter of interpretation.

In my opinion, a team ball would need to have at minimum most of the key players and position players. The manager is also a plus. It does not need to have coaches in my opinion.

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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Potter on November 17, 2015 at 9:44am

I have heard a lot of long time collectors say that 20 at a minimum is the number they look for, in order to consider it "team signed". Not counting any clubhouse ones on older balls.