Over 1,300 lots hit the block Wednesday as bidding began in SCP Auctions Spring Premier catalog. The auction, which continues through Saturday, April 24, includes dozens of items from the estate of Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale, including his 1962 Cy Young Award, 1963 and ’65 Dodgers World Series championship rings and other game-used items from his career.
Other top lots include a 1956 Sandy Koufax game-worn Brooklyn Dodgers home jersey; a 1936 Winter Olympics gold medal presented to Great Britain hockey goalie Jimmy Foster; a full, PSA-graded ticket run from Super Bowl 1 through 50; and the historic 1989 agreement banning Pete Rose from baseball for life, signed by both Rose and late MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti.
The Don Drysdale Personal Memorabilia Collection
The Drysdale collection also includes his 1956 National League championship ring; a host of game-worn Dodger uniforms from his playing days in both Brooklyn (1956, rookie season) as well as Los Angeles (1965, ‘66 and ’69); and the actual game-used baseball from the final inning pitched of his then-MLB record streak of throwing 58-and-two-thirds scoreless innings in 1968. Auction officials call it “perhaps the most comprehensive player collection that SCP Auctions has ever offered.” It covers Drysdale’s high school playing days in southern California, his minor league stints with the Bakersfield Indians and Montreal Royals and his major league successes with both the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers.
In all, it’s possible the collection of items could bring more than $1 million combined.
1857 ‘Laws of Base Ball’ Documents
Authored in 1857 by Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams, President of the New York Knickerbockers, the “Laws of Base Ball” laid the foundation for the game of baseball to blossom into America’s National Pastime. Adams “Laws” were drafted for presentation at the Base Ball Convention of 1857, an event referred to by historians as “…perhaps the most important meeting in the history of baseball…”
At the most critical stage of the game’s early development, Adams’ “Laws of Base Ball” set forth a codified blueprint to govern match play. Up until now, the existence of Adams’ original draft and the handwritten transcription presented at the Base Ball Convention of 1857 has been largely unknown.
In early bidding Wednesday, the lot had already surpassed $146,000 with the final tally likely reaching $1 million.
Sandy Koufax 1956 Game-Worn Brooklyn Dodgers Home Jersey
Called “one of the most historically significant Brooklyn Dodger jerseys ever offered”, the 1956 home flannel was worn by Koufax at the dawn of his career. The jersey is the hobby’s only fully authenticated, original, unaltered home jersey worn by Koufax during the team’s residence at Ebbets Field. An example of his 1955 Brooklyn road jersey recently sold at auction for $573,600.
Authenticated by MEARS (A9), it is expected to sell for at least $400,000.
1989 Agreement between MLB and Pete Rose Banning Rose for Life
On August 23, 1989, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bart Giamatti handed down one of the most publicized and scrutinized lifetime bans in baseball history. That was the day the late Commissioner cemented the agreement and resolution that banned Rose from Major League Baseball forever.
Expected to bring $100,000 or more, the five-page, type-written “Agreement and Resolution” was signed by Rose and his attorney, Reuven J. Katz, Commissioner Giamatti and Deputy Commissioner Fay Vincent.
1967-2016 Super Bowl I through 50 Full Ticket Run
The complete run of unused Super Bowl tickets in the auction carries the highest overall PSA grade point average ever for a set offered publicly. ‘SCP Auctions Super Bowl Basic’ is currently ranked #2 on the PSA registry among complete sets with a weighted GPA of 22.576 (pending SB 50 grade).
1949 Hollywood Gold Cup Won by Solidarity
The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Grade 1 stakes race for thoroughbred horses that debuted in 1938 at the Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The ’49 race is remembered not only for the unheralded horse that won the event, but for Ralph Neves, the jockey that rode him to victory that day. As it turns out, Solidarity’s winning time that day (2:01.2) tied the course record set two years earlier by none other than “Seabiscuit.”
The oval-shaped cup, which measures 13.5 wide, 4.5″ high and eight inches deep, is actually made of solid 14K goldand weighs nearly four pounds.
The auction also includes a 1952 Topps complete set with Mantle (PSA 5) and a 1936 Diamond Stars uncut sheet.
Bidding is open to registered bidders only and concludes on Saturday, April 23. For more information on how to participate, visit www.scpauctions.com or call (949) 831-3700.