A baseball signed by the 2008 Seattle Mariners team and worth £300 has been donated to the Oxfam shop on The Broadway in Wimbledon.
The precious object is on sale for one third of the retail price so baseball fans or charity shop collectors can catch themselves a piece of Mariners history for just £100.
It is one of the most valuable donations that the shop currently has in store and so is pride of place in the shop window.
Shop worker Nicky said: “It’s a fantastic item that has attracted a lot of attention and so we’re obviously very pleased to have it here.
“I’m not sure who donated it but it’s one of our best items at the moment.
“With the baseball and donations like it we always go online and check the signatures on the ball against the ones we find online to make sure they match.
“All the signatures matched for the ball, which doesn’t always happen, so we’re very pleased to be able to have it in the shop.”
The ball is signed by the majority of the 2008 Seattle Mariners team, including the signatures of pitchers Mark Lowe, Cesar Jimenez and Miguel Batista.
Despite the excitement the ball has generated, Seattle Mariners actually had an unexpectedly disappointing season in 2008, despite making some major roster additions in the previous offseason.
The team finished with the second worst record in Major League Baseball, winning 61 games and losing 101.
The Seattle Mariners under performance led to the dismissal during the season of a number of key figures within the club.
Those dismissed including general manager Bill Bavasi, field manager John McLaren, first baseman Richie Sexson and designated hitter Jose Vidro.
But none of that will matter to Wimbledon’s baseball fans that are sure to flock to Oxfam to get their mitts on this brilliant piece of memorabilia.
