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OFFICIAL BASEBALL DATING GUIDE INDEX |
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Official
Major League Baseballs in this guide are specifically dated within
the era of the league president. Variations with
baseball specifications, trademarks, and logo designs
can narrow down the year(s) and are approximately dated
in chronological order.
Click on a link for a detailed description and value. |
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NATIONAL
LEAGUE PRESIDENTS |
AMERICAN
LEAGUE PRESIDENTS |
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YEARS |
LEAGUE
PRESIDENT |
YEARS |
LEAGUE
PRESIDENT |
1877 - 1882 |
William A. Hulbert |
1901 - 1927 |
Ban Johnson |
1883 - 1884 |
Abraham G. Mills |
1927 - 1931 |
Ernest Barnard |
1885 - 1902 |
Nicholas Young |
1931 - 1959 |
William Harridge |
1903 - 1909 |
Harry Pulliam |
1959 - 1973 |
Joe Cronin |
1910 - 1913 |
Thomas Lynch |
1974 - 1984 |
Lee MacPhiil |
1913 - 1918 |
John Tener |
1984 - 1994 |
Bobby Brown |
1918 - 1934 |
John Heydler |
1994 - 1999 |
Gene Budig |
1934 - 1951 |
Ford Frick |
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1951 - 1969 |
Warren Giles |
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1970 - 1986 |
Charles Feeney |
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1986 - 1989 |
Bartlett Giamatti |
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1989 - 1994 |
William White |
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1994 - 1999 |
Leonard Coleman |
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OFFICIAL MAJOR
LEAGUE |
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OFFICIAL WORLD
SERIES BASEBALLS |
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OFFICIAL ALL
STAR GAME BASEBALLS |
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Brief History on Major League
Baseballs |
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After
retiring from professional baseball in 1876, Albert G.
Spalding and his brother, J. Walter Spalding, obtained
the
right to produce the official National League
baseball, which they would
continue to produce for the next 100 years.
The American League, formally the American League of
Professional Baseball Clubs combined with the National
league in 1901 to form Major League baseball. Alfred
James Reach, owner of The Reach sporting Goods company,
sold his company to Spalding in 1889. Spalding
continued to use the Reach label to produce American
League baseballs beginning in 1901.
NOTE: American League baseballs with the Reach
Trademark had Red & Blue stitching, and the National
League Spalding Trademark baseballs had Black & Red
stitching up until 1934 when in both league started
using only red stitching.
Spalding along with the Reach label was producing Major
league baseball for about 100 years until Rawlings took
over in 1977, and Rawlings have been making major
league baseballs ever since.
Baseballs made before 1974 were made with Horsehide
covers. In 1974 Major League baseball switched to
Cowhide covers.
Rawlings first started to make World Series baseballs
in 1978 that features The World Series logo.
One baseball for both leagues. Rawlings introduced the
newly designed official Major League baseballs for the
2000 season that also features the MLB Silhouetted
Batter logo. Changing from the Official American
League, and Official National League baseballs, the
Official Major League baseball replaced both balls that
were used. |
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BASEBALL CATALOG GUIDES AND REFERANCE ADS |
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1917 Spalding Ad |
1947 Spalding Reach ad |
1959 Spalding Reach Ad |
1977 Rawlings Ad |
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