The first Major League baseball game of the 2000s took place half a world away - in Japan - as the Mets and Cubs played an unprecedented series at Tokyo Dome, marking the first time two American teams ever played regular-season games in the baseball-frenzied country. Included in this historic lot are three special-issued, official ML baseballs for the opener, an information guide for the Series detailing a brief history of baseball in Japan and the Major Leaguers who played there during exhibition games and barnstorming trips. There are also letters for each ball from Randy Marsh, one of the veteran umpires who worked the series. One ball was game-used in the Opening Day game, while a second is NRMT and team-signed by the New York Mets with 26 signatures in 8/10 blue pen. The third ball is team-signed by the Chicago Cubs and has 22 signatures in 7/10 black ink. The two National League teams split the two-game set, with the Cubs taking the opener and the Mets winning the following day.