Search for the mysterious owner of a one-of-a-kind baseball found in a stolen car in a Melbourne parking lot

A search is underway for the mysterious owner of a signed baseball found in a stolen car in a Melbourne parking lot.

Victoria Police investigating the theft of a car from a property on Commercial Rd, Footscray, in June 2022 found the vehicle parked at the Epping Plaza shopping center about a month later.

Searching the car, police reportedly found several stolen items, including the autographed baseball.

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The car owner said the baseball did not belong to him and police could not link the item to other existing criminal reports.

The ball is white with red stitching, appears to have been used and is covered in signatures.

One of the clearest signatures seems to be that of Scott Dawes, who represented Australia in baseball from 1993 to 1998, including at the Atlanta Olympics.

On Monday, police released images of the ball in hopes someone will recognize it and help return it to its owner.

“It’s hard to say how much the ball is worth in monetary terms, but it likely has significant sentimental or personal value to someone,” Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Megan O’Sullivan said.

“We’ve had no luck connecting the ball to existing criminal reports, so the theft may not have been previously reported or the owner may not have realized it was lost.

“Hopefully someone can give us some information and we can make sure the ball returns to its owner.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police.