Yankees Help please

[Joeybats]

Picked up this ball today at the flea market for $1. I can clearly see Mike Lowell but the rest I have no idea. I am thinking this is a ‘98 or ‘97 Columbus Clippers ball but I still can’t figure out the other signatures. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[roarfrom34]

have you tried looking at their rosters off Baseball Reference?

[Joeybats]

I have, that’s why I think it’s 1997 or 1998 Clippers or something in between. Funny but most other autographs aside from Mike Lowell aren’t very easy to read.

[dgo71]

Below Lowell is Chris Cumberland and Brian Buchanan. The only team Lowell and Cumberland had in common was the 1997 Norwich Navigators, the Yankees Eastern League AA affiliate. That team also had Dan Donato who I believe is also on this ball, at the top of the second picture. The manager was Trey Hillman though and that definitely isn't his signature on the sweet spot. I don't see anyone named "Bill" on the Norwich roster that would be sweet-spot worthy. Also the remaining signatures don't really synch up with that roster. Is it possible this was obtained over multiple years, or maybe even a spring training ball? Or could it be that whoever got this ball signed got players from both Norwich and whoever they were playing that day?

[dgo71]

Originally Posted by dgo71

Could it be that whoever got this ball signed got players from both Norwich and whoever they were playing that day?

Hey I think that's exactly it. The 1997 New Haven Ravens were managed by Bill Hayes. That's his signature on the sweet spot. The top signature of the first pic is Joel Moore, and the middle signature on the second pic is Derrick Gibson, who was something of a top prospect for the Rockies at the time. Both he and Moore were on New Haven in '97. Just matching up letters with names on the rosters I think the other 2 signatures are John Guidice and Tom Price. So it appears you have a combination of signatures from the 1997 Norwich and New Haven teams, with a couple guys who had major league time. Well worth the buck IMO!

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...gi?id=b7615398

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...gi?id=ea984775

[Joeybats]

You guys always amaze me here. Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Wow small world I played little league with John Guidice

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk