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. This commemorative baseball, personally signed by Gwynn, was produced after the milestone and is not game-used or from the actual game.

Authenticated
Tony GwynnEstate-Collected

Authenticated with TRuEST™

Item was authenticated from the source; with an unbroken, attested chain of custody.

Conditions of Sale

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Tony GwynnView Full Collection

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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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.

Last Sale Price
$299