The jersey worn by Mike Piazza when he hit a dramatic home run in the first baseball game in New York after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks has been sold for a record price of $365,000. The jersey had been part of Goldin Auctions’ current catalog sale but was pulled from the auction on Thursday. A trio of Mets fans, including Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital, Tony Lauto a retired Wall Street executive and an anonymous third party signed an agreement today to purchase the jersey in a private sale. Scaramucci and Lauto are minority owners of the Mets.
Piazza’s game-winning homer lifted the spirits of New Yorkers still in shock over the attacks that brought down the World Trade Center.
The jersey bears a special patch on the sleeve and is signed by the Hall of Fame catch
er. It was sold by an employee of the team several years ago to a private collector of Mets memorabilia.
The $365,000 price is the most ever paid for a modern era baseball jersey. Bidding had reached $171,000 with more than two weeks left in the auction when the deal was made.
“Since our inception, Goldin Auctions has never removed any of the 20,000 items we have listed in an auction for private sale. However due to the historical significance of this item, and its emotional ties to the city of New York we are making an exception,” said Ken Goldin, CEO of Goldin Auctions.
Huge thanks to Anthony & Tony for coming through!My family & I couldn’t be more pleased knowing the jersey will be where it belongs.Thank u!
— Mike Piazza (@mikepiazza31) April 14, 2016
As a stipulation of the private sale set forth by Goldin Auctions, the buyers have agreed to display the jersey in a rotating display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; the 9/11 Memorial Museum in Lower Manhattan, and at Citi Field.
Ken Goldin had set a Friday deadline for a deal to be consummated or the auction would proceed.
“We commend the buyers for stepping forward and offering our consignor fair market value and keeping this historic piece of memorabilia in New York for the public to enjoy,” he said.
There was no immediate word on where the jersey would first be displayed.
The New York Daily News reported Friday that other jerseys from that first game after 9/11 were sold privately three years ago.
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