On September 11, 2001, a reprehensible terrorist act shook the world as terrorists destroyed the World Trade Centers in New York. One of the ways America healed after this attack was through baseball, our national pastime. From New York to San Francisco, America used one of our oldest national institutions to help cope with the loss and fear we all felt after that fateful day.

     This Official Major League Allah H. Selig baseball was used in the Baltimore Orioles first game after 9/11/2001, on September 18th. The Orioles fell 8-5 to the Blue Jays, but the result was not what mattered, the return to normalcy was. This ball was signed by Orioles Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. who went 2-4 in this game, with a solo home run off Paul Quantrill in the 8th inning. This was one of Ripken’s final games, as he retired after the 2001 season ended. Ripken signed a side panel of this ball in blue pen, adding the inscription “Game Used 9-18-01” and “First Game Post – 911.” This item has been pre-certified by Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication.