2017 Slugger Auction to Include Pierce, Branca Collections, Jackie Bat and Glove

The 14^th annual Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Auction has been set for November 11.  

Hunt Auctions will once again conduct the event with 400  lots of historic baseball memorabilia on the block, highlighted by the personal collection of Chicago White Sox legend, Billy Pierce. A seven-time All-Star, Pierce played for the White Sox from 1949-1961. Regarded as one of the dominant left-handed pitchers of the 1950s era, Pierce compiled a career record of 211-169 with 1,999 strikeouts.

The Pierce Collection will feature a wide variety of materials from his White Sox playing career in addition to his tenure with the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. The Pierce family will be donating a portion of the auction proceeds to The Chicago Baseball Cancer Charity which is a beneficiary of Chicago White Sox Charities. Over the past 48 years, Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities has raised more than $16 million for cancer patient care, education, and research programs at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

“It is with great pride as a family that we have elected to share some of my father’s memorabilia with the baseball fans who supported him for his entire career,” said Pierce’s son, Bob. “My father loved the game he played for those many years and truly respected the fans he met during and after his career, with special note to the great fans of the Chicago White Sox. It is our hope as a family that these items can serve as a celebration of his legacy within the game and in part contribute further to the valued work of the Chicago Baseball Cancer Charity.”

Highlights from the Pierce Collection will include:

-Billy Pierce 1945 Detroit Tigers warm up jacket     (Est. $4,000-$6,000)

-Billy Pierce 1959 Chicago White Sox World Series uniform    (Est. $7,500-$15,000)

-1962 World Series pitching rubber    (Est. $10,000-$20,000)

-1962 Billy Pierce San Francisco Giants World Series uniform   (Est. $5,000-$7,500)

-Babe Ruth and Mel Ott autographed baseball     (Est. $5,000-$7,500)

-Over 100 autographed baseballs including All-Star Game and team-signed  (Est. Range from $500-$10,000 each)                                                                        

Several other significant collections and high-end items will be featured within the 2017 auction event to include Jackie Robinson professional model baseball bat c.1952-53 and a rare professional model baseball glove c.1948-1950.

The bat originates from the descendants of a Pittsburgh area hotel employee who obtained the bat from Robinson when he was staying at the hotel with the rest of the Dodgers team. It has been assigned a grade of PSA/DNA GU9 and is estimated between $50,000-$75,000. 

The glove was given directly by Jackie Robinson to a friend of his son, Jackie Robinson Jr.  It’s been retained by its original owner until the current offering and includes supporting materials such as period images of the young man with Brooklyn Dodgers players along with a signed letter from Jackie Robinson.

Standing as one of the only fully authenticated and documented Robinson game gloves to have entered the market place, it is expected to sell for $100,000-$200,000.

The personal collection of legendary Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca will be showcased within the live auction event having been consigned directly by the Branca family. Branca was a fixture on the Dodgers teams from 1944-1953 including a 21-12 record in the 1947 NL Championship season. Branca famously stood alongside Jackie Robinson during his 1947 debut on the field while other players refused to do the same. Additionallly, by marriage, Branca was the son-in-law of former Dodger co-owners James and Dearie Mulvey. Dearie’s father Stephen W. McKeever was co-owner of the Dodgers with Charles Ebbets when Ebbets Field was originally built.

Highlight items from the Branca Collection include:

-Ralph Branca NL Championship and World Series rings from 1955, 1974, 1977, and 1978     (Est. Range $5,000-$20,000 ea)

-Selection of World Series and New York Giants press pins/season passes 1921-1930  (Est. Range $500-$2,000ea)

-Ralph Branca 1949 All-Star Game professional model baseball bat     (Est. $1,500-$3,000)

Additional Highlight Items from the 2017 Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Live Auction:

-Selection of over 50 photos from the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory archives  (Est. Range from $100-$2,000 ea)

-Unique Babe Ruth professional model baseball bat with weighted end c.1934   (Est. $25,000-$50,000)

-Ted Williams autographed professional model baseball bat c.1954-55    (Est. $25,000-$50,000)

-Collection of single signed baseballs incl. Cobb, Baker, Hartnett   (Est. Range $500-$10,000 ea)

“We are honored to continue our long-standing partnership with the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to host our annual auction event for the 14^th year. There is no finer venue in the country for bidders to enjoy the historic museum setting while competing for high quality vintage baseball memorabilia,” remarked David Hunt, President of Hunt Auctions.

The auction will be available for preview at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on Thursday, November 9^th and Friday, November 10^th with the live auction beginning at 11am on Saturday, November 11^th. 

Hunt Auctions will once again conduct a complimentary appraisal fair during preview hours at the museum. Items may be brought to the museum to be shown to Hunt Auctions’ experts for a complimentary evaluation with a select few eligible for inclusion in the live auction. For questions or appointments regarding the appraisal fair contact Hunt Auctions at [email protected]

For more details about the auction or the appraisal fair,  visit Hunt Auctions at www.huntauctions.com or call 610.524.0822.

The company’s next live auction event will take place at the Super Bowl NFL Experience in Minneapolis. Consignments are currently being accepted.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]