A late career Lou Gehrig bat and Ted Williams road jersey are among the pieces of baseball history set to be offered next Saturday in the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory live auction.
The circa 1938 Gehrig bat features the “small signature” stamping variant which is rarely offered and highly coveted by collectors. PSA/DNA has assigned the bat a grade of 8.5 out of 10 ranking it among the best of the small population of surviving copies. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $500,000-$750,000.
Several other significant private collections will be offered at the Louisville auction including game used jerseys, bats, and vintage photography. Leading the lineup is the1954 Ted Williams Red Sox jersey graded Excellent by Dave Grob of SGC. The jersey has been signed by Williams in the collar and displays game use throughout, carrying an estimate of $75,000-$150,000.
“We are thrilled to be returning to the Louisville Slugger Museum venue for the 18th installment of our auction event,” remarked David Hunt, President of Hunt Auctions. “Each year the auction has grown in both popularity and participation including numerous record breaking results. The long running association with the Louisville Slugger name has been one of the great honors of our company history and we are grateful to be able to share this annual experiential event with fans and collectors alike.”
Additional Auction Highlights:
-Hank Greenberg professional model baseball bat c.1939-41 (Est. $50,000-$75,000)
-1885 Brooklyn Base Ball Club Imperial cabinet photograph (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
-1913 Bob Shawkey Philadelphia Athletics World Championship pocket watch (Est. $15,000-$25,000)
-1937 Leo Durocher St. Louis Cardinals professional model home jersey (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
-1978 Willie Stargell Pittsburgh Pirates professional model alternate jersey (Est $15,000-$25,000)
-1894 Zimmer’s Base Ball Game (Est. $20,000-$30,000)
-1910 Christy Mathewson autographed handwritten letter (Est. $25,000-$50,000)
-1996 Derek Jeter autographed rookie era professional model baseball bat (Est. $20,000-$30,000)
-1914 Cracker Jack Shoeless Joe Jackson (Est. $15,000-$25,000)
The live portion of the auction takes place Saturday, November 13 at 10:30 AM but bidding is now underway online. The 2021 Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Living Legend Award will be presented to Derek Jeter during a ticketed event on Friday November 12. Ticket packages, including Jeter signed items are available at sluggermuseum.com.