508th Career Hit Commemorative Baseball (8/24/85 vs. Ron Darling of the New York Mets)
Gwynn's 508th hit came on a single off Ron Darling, who posted a 2.90 ERA and made his lone All-Star appearance that year.
Description
On August 24, 1985, Tony Gwynn recorded the 508th hit of his Major League career during a road matchup against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. Facing right-hander Ron Darling, Gwynn singled to left field in the first inning, notching one of his two hits in the game. He finished the day 2-for-4, though the Padres ultimately fell 5-1. Darling, who allowed the early hit, went on to finish the 1985 season with a solid 2.90 ERA and made the only All-Star appearance of his career that year. This estate-collected baseball stands as a tribute to Gwynn’s ability to consistently make contact against elite pitchers, including All-Stars and Cy Young contenders alike.
This baseball was produced after the fact to commemorate that milestone and was personally signed by Gwynn. It is not game-used and was not present on the field during the game. Rather, it is a post-career tribute piece, issued under the direction of the Tony Gwynn Estate to honor a specific achievement with verified provenance.
Commemorative baseballs like this are designed to mark key moments from Gwynn’s career through authenticated, intentional retrospection—not as artifacts of gameplay, but as accurate records of statistical and historical importance.
Dimensions: 3.5" x 3.5" x 3.5" (cube)
All dimensions are approximate.
Disclaimer: Condition may vary slightly from photos, with unique marks that highlight the award’s authenticity as a career artifact. This item features a silver OVD, verifying its authenticity through the Tony Gwynn Estate. A TRuEST™ authenticator was not on-site to witness its awarding, which is why this item does not carry our gold-level witness-based authentication OVD.
TRuEST™ Authentication
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Each item is uniquely fingerprinted using our patent-pending covert markings and holographic technologies, including a tamper-resistant OVD hologram. These security measures ensure The Realest™ can verify authenticity with absolute certainty—now and in the future—while detecting any attempts to alter or counterfeit items using undisclosed, cutting-edge security methods.
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