He got on the ball

Assembling more than 4,000 autographed baseballs, it turns out, may not have been as tough a task for Dennis Schrader of Odessa, Fla., as proving the collection was a world record. The Guinness Book of World Records originally rejected Schrader’s claim because the signatures on all 4,020 balls couldn’t be authenticated. About a year ago, he started up his campaign again in earnest in getting his collection authenticated and now he has the official record. Schrader, 65, got hooked on collecting signed baseballs when he was 9 and New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle inked one for him at spring training in St. Petersburg, Fla. He figures the baseballs are worth $2 million to $3 million.

– Associated Press