A blogmole who works at Dolphin Stadium and is in the know filled me in on details regarding the mysterious "Joe" and the future of Ken Griffey Jr.'s 600th home run ball.
The news: "Joe" is dealing with Denver-area sports memorabilia collector Marshall Fogel, who is making arrangements with a major auction house. Estimates are the ball will go for $100,000 to $150,000, and Griffey Jr. will be on a list of "potential clients" invited to the auction. In other words, if he wants the ball, he'll need to send a representative to the auction to outbid others.
My mole confirms Joe is a longtime fan in his early 40s, and says he has been told witnesses have Joe catching it cleanly and calling a lawsuit by a second claimant baseless. Joe is said to attend games regularly with a charter boat captain who often takes Marlins players on day-off fishing trips.
Police escorted Joe and the prized ball to a holding room, and confirmed the ball's authenticity by a code-phrase (G36) near the MLB logo. Police then transported Joe and the ball to his home near Oakland Park Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. The cops then returned him to the stadium to pick up his car, and escorted him back home afterward.
We invite you to partake of The Daily Poll and add a comment. Interested in thoughts not just on this case, but in general on the "right thing to do" with historic, milestone baseballs.
WADE ON OLYMPIC TEAM?: Unconfirmed reports today have the Heat's Dwyane Wade as one of 12 guys who'll be officially announced Monday as having made the U.S. Olympic team. Safe guess. I don't doubt it. I don't think a player of Wade's stature and reputation is as open as he's been about wanting on the team unless he has some backroom assurance he won't be publicly embarrassed by a rejection. The better question: Is his making the team good for him and for the Heat? Sure seems like common sense to me that a summer spent rehabbing to be ready for the NBA season might be better for him than the rigors of the Olympics. I may be wrong. Meantime, new odds from bodog.com have Miami at 40-1 to win the 2009 NBA title. That's midpack (tied for 16th of 30 teams) but seventh in the East, which projects to a low playoff seed.
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