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Major League Baseball Authentication Program

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The Major League Baseball Authentication Program, or MLB Authentication Program, is a program run by Major League Baseball Properties, the product licensing arm of Major League Baseball, to guarantee the authenticity of baseball merchandise and memorabilia. The centerpiece of the system is a tamper-proof hologram adhesive which carries its own individual alphanumeric code. The hologram is affixed to all game-used merchandise and memorabilia, while information about the item is entered into a computer database. Between 500,000 and 600,000 items are authenticated each season.

Background

Major League Baseball started running an authentication program in 2001 after the FBI discovered during an investigation that 75 percent of autographs purported to be from MLB people were fake.[1][2] The organization has had a long-running issue with counterfeiting in general, which peaks during the postseason. For example, during the 2011 National League Championship Series between the St Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers, MLB officials confiscated over 5,000 counterfeited items, with more than 80 percent being found in the vicinity of Busch Stadium.[3] The largest haul is during the World Series, when thousands of knock-off jerseys, caps, bags, and other merchandise is seized.[4] During the San Francisco Giants’ 2014 World Series race, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized over 2,700 pieces of counterfeit MLB merchandise in the San Francisco Bay Area.[5]

Program description

The authentication system centers on a hologram adhesive, which carries its own individual alphanumeric code.[3] The hologram is tamper-proof: it will self-destruct if someone tries to remove it from the item.[2][6]

MLB employs approximately 150 authenticators, with four being appointed to each team.[1] An MLB authenticator will be present at every MLB game as well as the World Baseball Classic and team-specific events.[1] MLB postseason games will have three or more authenticators.[6] The authenticators all have a background in law enforcement and are recommended to the role by their local police departments.[1] The authenticator usually sits in the first base camera well.[6] Every ball that is taken out of play, without leaving the ballpark, is handed to the authenticator, who enters information about that ball into a computer database – such as "the pitcher, batter, inning and the reason the ball came out of play" – and then affixes the hologram.[2][7]

While anything that goes into the stands is generally considered outside their jurisdiction, if there is a batter's milestone occurring, the authenticators will often work with the umpires to mark up baseballs to ensure that even if the milestone ball is hit into the stands, it can be tracked and later authenticated.[8]

Items authenticated

Baseball autographed by Juan Lagares

Usually the MLB Authentication Program authenticates items used during baseball games, with baseballs and baseball bats being the most common. Other game-used items which are authenticated include "player jerseys, locker tags, lineup cards, the pitching rubber, home plate, broken bats", and base pads.[2][3] Any player can request that any item be authenticated, with the request usually being passed to the authenticators by the relevant clubhouse manager.[6]

Any item with an MLB association can be authenticated. One example of this was when the Baltimore Orioles got the remains of a dugout telephone that was smashed by the Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz authenticated.[9][10] They then presented the phone to Ortiz during his retirement season.[11][12] After the Houston Astros' Game 7 win in the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium, MLB authenticated jars of dirt taken from the field.[1][13]

Between 500,000 and 600,000 items are authenticated each season.[2][14] Game-used memorabilia remains the property of each team, which authenticates items for players who have reached certain milestones, for sale to fans at the team store or on the MLB online store, and for sale to retailers and other marketers of authenticated MLB merchandise.[2][6] Occasionally items are sent for inclusion in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.[6]

In 2001 MLB Properties contracted with the Arthur Andersen accounting firm to oversee and authenticate private autographing sessions for balls, bats, base pads, and other items. The Deloitte & Touche accounting firm took over this assignment in 2002.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Keeping it real: MLB authenticators ensure legitimacy of game-used memorabilia". StarTribune. September 9, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Bates, Greg (September 15, 2014). "An Inside Look at the Major League Baseball Authentication Program". Sports Collectors Digest. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Springer, Shira (October 26, 2013). "MLB making genuine effort to fight counterfeiting". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Brown, Lisa (October 26, 2013). "MLB scours ballpark area for fake merchandise". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  5. ^ Bay City News (October 30, 2014). "ICE Agents Seize 2,700 Pieces Of Counterfeit MLB Merchandise". San Francisco Appeal. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Behind the scenes with Major League Baseball's authentication process". Sports Illustrated. December 17, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "MLB's Authentication program leaves its mark on memorabilia". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 2, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Secret Agents at Every Major League Baseball Game". Esquire.com. May 7, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  9. ^ "Orioles present David Ortiz with dugout phone he destroyed". USA Today. September 22, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  10. ^ "Champagne corks, lineup cards, bases – Orioles fans want it all". Baltimore Sun. October 13, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  11. ^ "Hold the phone: David Ortiz's gift from the Orioles is a good call". ESPN. September 23, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  12. ^ "Ortiz honored by Orioles". MLB. September 22, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  13. ^ Hlavaty, Craig (November 6, 2017). "MLB selling authenticated dirt from the Houston Astros Game 7 World Series win - Houston Chronicle". Chron.com. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Major League Baseball wants to make sure fans get the real deal". Knight Ridder. October 28, 2004. Retrieved March 14, 2018 – via HighBeam. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |subscription= ignored (|url-access= suggested) (help)
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