A newly uncovered piece of baseball history and items from the personal collection of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez will be among the highlights of the 2019 Live Auction at this year’s All-Star Week events in Cleveland.
The 15th annual sale hosted by Hunt Auctions has already opened for bidding and will close with a live event on July 9 at Huntington Convention Center.
“We are incredibly honored to witness the All-Star auction venue become one of the most anticipated events of its type over its 15-year tenure. How appropriate for the current offering to host the personal collection of 14-time All-Star Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez.” said David Hunt, President of Hunt Auctions. “Along with the Rodriguez collection the auction will feature an amazing array of historic baseball memorabilia dating from the 1800s to the current day highlighted by a very special Babe Ruth professional model bat.”
Fresh to the Hobby Babe Ruth Bat
The bat was originally obtained by Edward N. Quinley. Born in 1911, Quinley moved with his family from Lansdale, PA to a house on West Lehigh Avenue behind Philadelphia’s Shibe Park around 1915. Quinley’s home was in fact one of many that became makeshift seating for Philadelphia A’s fans who watched game from their rooftops, looking out over the outfield fence.
As a young man Quinley also frequented the stadium grounds and became acquainted with a number of players and team employees. On one such occasion he was presented with the bat as used by his hero, Babe Ruth. The bat has remained within the Quinley family for around 100 years and is being offered for the first time publicly. It’s expected to sell for a six-figure price.
Rodriguez Collection to Raise Money for Children’s Charity
Rodriguez, who played 21 years in the big leagues, was a 14-time All-Star who was an excellent hitter and one of the greatest defensive catchers of all-time.
A portion of the auction proceeds from the Rodriguez collection will go to the Fundación Posada De Moisis to serve children that are refugees due to violence or dangerous situations in their home.
Among the items from his collection that will be offered in the sale is his 1999 American League MVP award, which is expected to fetch $40,000-$60,000 and five of his Gold Glove awards, each of which is predicted to bring $10,000-$15,000.
Other items Rodriguez has consigned include:
- 1997 and 2004 Silver Slugger Awards (Est. $10,000-$15,000 each)
- 2001 Final Game Used Catcher’s mitt (Est. $3,000-$5,000)
- George Brett professional model bat c.1991-93 (Est. $1,500-$2,500)
- 2007 Detroit Tigers AL All-Star professional model jersey (Est. $1,000-$3,000)
“The memories from my 14 All-Star Game appearances are among the most cherished of my career and I could not think of a better place to share these items than the MLB All-Star Game,” Rodriguez said of the auction.
Other Auction Highlights
A circa-1930 John McGraw New York Giants jersey and another donned in Cleveland’s 1948 championship season by Bob Lemon are attracting the attention of advanced game-worn collectors. The McGraw jersey is expected to sell for $75,000-$150,000 while the Lemon projects to $10,000-$20,000.
Other featured items in the sale include:
* Chub Feeney Family Collection to include World Series rings, press pins, autographs
* 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card SGC 2 (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
* 1948 Bob Lemon Cleveland Indians professional model jersey (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
* 1981 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies professional model jersey (Est. $20,000-$30,000)
The online catalog can be found at HuntAuctions.com. The live portion of the event begins at 11 AM Tuesday, July 9 at the convention center, located on Lakeside Ave.
Hunt Auctions and its team of experts will conduct its annual complimentary appraisal fair Friday, July 5 through Tuesday, July 10. Select items from the appraisal fair may be consigned to the live auction. Attendees can call ahead to schedule a private consultation at 610.524.0822 or email at [email protected].
Hunt Auctions will also hold daily auctions held exclusively for visitors of Play Ball Park (formerly the MLB Fan Fest) Friday, July 5 – Monday, July 8 featuring vintage and modern era items for less than $1,000.
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