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Ask Babe: More questions for the Babe

Submitted by SHNS on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 16:29

Dear Babe: The Dodgers and Red Sox played an exhibition game at the L.A. Coliseum this year to mark the Dodgers 50th year in Los Angeles. I have a home run ball from that game, which is marked with the commemorative 50th anniversary logo. I realize that it's probably not worth much now, but to enhance its value, would it be in my best interest to have it autographed by the Dodgers' current roster or leave it as is? -- David Martinez, Riverside, Calif.Da Babe doesn't like to give advice on buying, selling or future prospects. I agree that the ball itself doesn't have a lot of value, and I doubt it's going to be a big ticket item in the future, especially since it is from an exhibition game. I don't think there's any question that ball is probably worth more with a signature than without. You could have the team autograph it, but that will take a lot of work (and money?) and there's no guarantee how good they'll be this year.The homers in the game were hit by Kevin Cash, Kevin Youkilis, James Loney and Blake DeWitt. If you can prove it was hit by one of them, you might consider having one of them sign it. Generally single-signed baseballs are what collectors covet. Again, the big question is how good any of them are going to be down the road.Dear Babe: I have a handsomely framed gold satin, blue velvet banner from the 1941 Notre Dame football season. It measures 36-x-18 inches and contains the results of each game. There are the "autographs'' of 11 players sewn into it and framed by the silhouette of a football. One of the members of the 1941 Notre Dame team was Angelo Bertelli, who won the Heisman Trophy. I have a relative who played for Notre Dame and received it from him many years ago. -- Jim Doppelheuer, Snellville, Ga.Vintage Notre Dame items spark interest. This classy banner is no exception. It should be worth $500-$1,000, said Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for www.MastroAuctions.com auctions in Chicago. "These do well in auctions and might even bring a premium, but it's not a National Championship team,'' Marren said.The Fightin' Irish went 8-0-1 and finished third in the nation in 1941 in the days when the school did not participate in postseason bowl games, according to ESPN's College Football Encyclopedia. For the record, Bertelli was a sophomore tailback on that 1941 team before switching to quarterback the next year. He only played in six games in 1943 before he was drafted into the Marines. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 512 yards and 10 touchdowns in those six games. Nonetheless those stats were good enough to win the Heisman. Dear Babe: I'm curious about the significance of a 1972 Saturday Evening Post, which is essentially a baseball edition. The cover has a Norman Rockwell of an old-time pitcher winding up for the pitch with an umpire standing behind him. -- Vance Garnett, Washington, D.C.Like most other magazines, these have been hit hard by Internet sales. I saw a few offered in eBay store for $13-$17 with S&H. The only complete auction sale was for $5.33 with S&H. Dear Babe: I have pennants from the 1960 World Series. The Pittsburgh pennant states "Pittsburgh Pirates 1960 National League Champions'' and has a team photo (color) inset. The New York pennant says "New York Yankees 1960 American League Champions'' and lists all the names of all the players and coaches. -- J.K, Indiana, Pa."These are growing in popularity and value,'' said Robert Lifson, president of www.RobertEdwardsAuctions.com in New Jersey. "They used to be (worth) $50 years ago but now can be (worth) hundreds of dollars each. They are very substantial, and have great display value, especially for pennants. Because they are rare, there is no set price, but for these popular teams I think in the low hundreds is likely."BABE NOTE: Americans just got a taste of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in prime time on network TV. Now MMA fans will find some of their favorites on cards in Donruss Americana, which will release in July. There will be 30 "Ring Kings'' in the set. All should have autographed cards and relic cards as well as base cards. The fighters include Sean Sherk, Gina Carano, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, George St. Pierre and Forrest Griffin. Americana is scheduled to be released in July. For more information, visit www.donruss.com.(Send card questions to Babe Waxpak, PO Box 492397, Redding, CA 96049-2397 or e-mail babewaxpak(at)charter.net. If possible, include card number, year and brand or a photocopy. Please do not send cards. For Babe Waxpak's blog, see www.scrippsnews.com/waxpak. Babe Waxpak is a feature of The Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)