Description
This game-used baseball marks a significant milestone in San Diego Padres history, representing the culmination of an extraordinary season. On October 2, 1987, Tony Gwynn led off and went 1-for-3 with his signature single to center field, recording his 218th hit of the season. This hit set a new franchise record for the most hits in a single season by a Padres player—a record he had previously broken just days earlier when he surpassed his own mark from 1984.
The 1987 season was among Gwynn’s most prolific at the plate, finishing with an astounding .370 batting average, the third-best of his career. By reaching 218 hits, he established a high watermark for the franchise that would stand for a decade. Remarkably, ten years later at age 37, Gwynn would surpass this record by collecting 220 hits in the 1997 season, setting a new standard that still stands today.
This baseball, inscribed to commemorate the 218th hit, is one of three balls that chronicle Gwynn’s relentless pursuit of excellence during the 1987 season—the others being his 213th hit (which tied the previous record) and his 214th hit (which broke it). These baseballs not only represent individual achievements but also the immense dedication and effort required to reach such a milestone.
Now, these cherished pieces from Gwynn’s personal collection find a new home, offering collectors a rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of baseball history from one of the game’s greatest hitters.
This ball was obtained from the Gwynn family and validated by TRuEST™ Authentication in San Diego, CA, ensuring its impeccable provenance.
Dimensions:
3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 (cube)
At the time of its use or awarding, this item was not witnessed by a TRuEST™ authenticator. The provenance has been provided by the Tony Gwynn Estate, which is why it has received our Silver authentication.
TRuEST™ Authentication
The Realest™ empowers partners in sports, music, and film with the industry's most advanced authentication and marketplace technology.
As forgeries grow more sophisticated with deepfakes and other emerging threats, protecting the integrity of physical memorabilia has never been more critical. Traditional authentication standards carry significant risk, but The Realest™ takes a proactive approach, partnering directly with teams, artists, and studios to source items at the origin.
Our multi-layered, witness-based authentication process (TRuEST™) sets a new industry standard and comes backed by a money-back guarantee. TRuEST™ replaces old-school certificates of authenticity with immutable provenance stored on the blockchain, clearly showing population data, creation dates, and key item details. This information cannot be altered, backdated, or hacked and remains accessible at all times. Each item is uniquely fingerprinted using our patent-pending covert markings and tamper-resistant OVD holograms.
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.
