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Lou Brock Selling Memorabilia Collection |
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Monday, 12 October 2009 |
 Just a few months after an auction of Bob Gibson memorabilia, his former St. Louis Cardinals' teammate is going the same route.
Hall of Famer Lou Brock has decided to part with his personal collection of championship rings, awards and even the base he stole to break the career record held by Ty Cobb.
Brock has consigned his memorabilia to Chicago-based Legendary Auctions, the same company that handled the sale of Bob Gibson's collection over the summer.
The Brock items, totalling nearly 100 lots, will be offered to the public for the first time in the upcoming Legendary Auctions event scheduled to begin on November 9 and conclude on November 18. Bidding will be conducted online and via phone.
Brock’s decision was apparently cemented by the success of the Gibson auction, which netted over $500,000 and produced several record-setting prices .
A few highlights of the items in the Brock collection will include:
*1967 World Series Championship ring;
* An original Leroy Neiman painting of Brock sliding;
* A 1974 home jersey worn when Brock broke the single season base stealing record;
* The actual base Brock stole in 1977 to break Ty Cobb’s career base stealing record.
The collection also includes significant awards bestowed upon Brock, including the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1977 and the Hutch Award in 1979. The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in honor of Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the fraternity at Columbia University. It is given to players who best exemplify his character and integrity both on and off the field. The Hutch Award was established in 1965 to honor baseball great Fred Hutchinson, who died of cancer the previous year at age 45.
 “I saw how great Gibby’s collection did with Legendary Auctions,” said Brock. “My agent, Dick Zitzman said a lot of complimentary things about the auction house. So it really was an easy decision to consign my collection with Doug (Allen) and Legendary Auctions, especially after meeting Doug. I am certain my collection is in good hands.”
“Legendary Auctions did exactly what they said they would, maximizing the sale’s exposure and ultimately the prices realized on Gibson’s collection," Zitzman said in a news release. "We are looking forward to working with the Legendary Auctions team on Mr. Brock’s collection with the potential for more prime collections from other star players in the future.”
Allen says that he, too, is excited to work with Sports Classics again to bring these pieces of baseball history to the collecting public. “You don’t get many baseball players that are as well-liked and as accomplished as Lou Brock,” said Allen. “These factors, combined with the fact that these items are new to the collecting industry and that they originate directly from the player, is sure to translate into strong bidding and auction prices.”
Brock started his career with the Chicago Cubs in 1961. In 1964, he was traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Ernie Broglio, in what is widely considered one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history. Brock retired n 1979 after helping the Cardinals win National League pennants in 1964, 1967 and 1968 and World Series titles in two of those years.
Brock remains best known for base-stealing and for starting Cardinals rallies. In 1977, hebroke Ty Cobb’s long-standing record for most stolen bases in a career. And even though Rickey Henderson eventually eclipsed Brock’s record, Brock’s additional career accolades - such as membership in the 3,000 hit club and being named one of the top 100 baseball players of the 20th century – guaranteed him a place in baseball history.
Brock retired from baseball in 1979 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985. Today, Brock and his wife are ordained ministers and continue to live in and contribute to the St. Louis community. The couple is sought after as keynote speakers delivering inspirational, motivational, and spiritual messages.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals and appreciate the awards and reminders from that time in my life,” said Brock. “It’s great to know that collectors will treasure these pieces of baseball history as I have, and will pass them on for years to come.” |
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