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1970-1973 Joseph Cronin Reach OAL Baseball
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NOTES: |
This is a 1970-1973 Joe Cronin Reach Official
American League Baseball. Starting in 1970 the words "The
Signature of Quality" and "Reg U.S. Pat. Off"
are removed from the Reach logo that appeared on the
baseballs made the year before. The baseballs made from
1970-1973 also have a number of different variations below
the logo that includes:
- "Made in USA by Spalding"
(1970-1972)
- "Made in USA Sewn in Haiti by Spalding"
(this was the last Joe Cronin
baseball (1973) as
the first Lee MacPhai baseballs made in 1974 had
the
same logo before changing to the Spalding logo)
- (just
reads) "Haiti"
There has been a newspaper article
that surfaced on the web that dates to Sept. 23, 1971 from
the Sarasota Herald Tribune, “The Press Box” column by
Frank True, titled Baseballs, Baseballs. The news item
reports that baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn was asked to
investigate the inconsistency of baseballs being made at
the time. One with green printing and the other with blue.
The article goes on to read: "...It seems the
blue-labeled balls are larger by about one-quarter inch in
diameter, have wider stitching, looser covers and don’t go
as far when hit. The green-labeled balls are said to go
farther when hit, especially in cool weather. The balls
are made in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The green ball has glue
all over it right under the cover, which is responsible
for its greater resiliency.
Numerous pitchers have
remarked about the larger size of the blue-labeled balls
and Dick Walsh, general manager of the Angels, has asked
Kuhn to investigate. What an ideal setup for the home
club, which furnishes the baseballs, to run in a batch of
blue-labeled balls to the local pitchers, then feed the
green-labeled balls to opposing hurlers...."
This article states that the two baseballs are
different in size by "about one-quarter inch in diameter"
But does not list the actual measurement of the baseballs
in question. The regulation size of an official Major
League baseball is a diameter no smaller than 9", and no
greater than 9 1/4" a difference of a quarter of an inch.
(no help there in identifying the baseballs in question)
There is no follow up on this
article on the conclusion of the investigation or the
outcome, if one or the other, green or blue labeled
baseballs, were discontinued or corrected. Baseballs with
green & blue labels were made before and after this
investigation and as I see there is no way of
distinguishing the difference other than the baseballs
that read "Made in USA by Spalding" were made at
the time of the investigation, but I cannot confirm
this either way.
Collectors are claiming that the green label
baseball is a rare variation but I see no difference in
the number on the market or any variation in the value of
baseballs sold in auction. The difference in the color ink
used is just the difference of where they were made. Back to the Official
American League Baseball Dating & price Guide
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