The annual live auction at the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory returns next month with over 400 lots of historic baseball memorabilia in this year’s catalog.
Hunt Auctions will once again conduct the sale, with an appraisal fair scheduled for the days leading up to the auction
.
“We are honored and excited to continue our long standing partnership with the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to host our annual auction event for the 13th 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,” said company president David Hunt.
Among the highlights is the first wave of items from the Ron Leff Family Collection. With the support and assistance of his wife and two sons, Leff assembled an exceptional private collection with a focus on awards and game used bats. Hunt calls it “an elite level collection that ranks among the finest in private hands.” Since its inception in the 1990s, the collection has gained national acclaim including exhibition, in part, within several noted museums and as a featured chapter within the book, “Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the World’s Finest Private Collections”.
It will be sold over the course of several upcoming Hunt Auctions events. 
Highlights from the initial offering will include:
-Babe Ruth singled signed baseball (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
-Eric McNair 1934 US Tour of Japan professional model jersey (Est. $30,000-$40,000)
-1967 Orlando Cepeda National League MVP award (Est. $50,000-$75,000)
-1975 Joe Morgan Cincinnati Reds professional model road jersey (Est. $7,500-$12,500)
-1973 Oakland Athletics full size World Series trophy (Est. $20,000-$30,000)
Also featured within the auction will be the personal collection of Johnny “Big Cat” Mize. Mize played for the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees leading the National League in home runs four times, RBIs three times, won the 1939 NL batting title, five time World Champion, and was a ten time NL All-Star. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
A selection of items from the Mize Collection have been consigned to the auction directly by the Mize family with several notable highlight pieces to include his 1949 Yankees World Series ring which carries a $15,000-$25,000 pre-sale estimate.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory auction event has historically featured numerous game used baseball bats of significance from the game’s greatest players. This year’s installment includes bats from Babe Ruth and Ted Williams.
The Ruth bat originates from the collection of a former employee of the defunct Hanna Manufacturing Company who made baseball bats in the 1920-30s era. It had been presented by Ruth to the gentleman during a visit by the Yankees’ slugger to the Athens, GA bat manufacturer’s factory to be used as a template in order to produce a Ruth model bat of Hanna manufacture. Pre-sale estimate is set at $50,000-$100,000.
The Williams bat dates to the 1955-57 era and originates from the personal collection of long time Williams’ acquaintance Bob Breitbard. The Louisville Slugger model bat shows use and has been signed by Williams as well. Graded by PSA/DNA at a perfect 10 out of 10 designation 
the bat is estimated to sell for between $40,000 and $60,000.
Dozens of additional featured items and collections will be hammered down during the live auction held at the historic Louisville museum. The catalog includes:
-Scarce 1917 Babe Ruth autographed photograph (Est. $10,000-$30,000)
-Significant Archive of Jackie Robinson signed items c.1940s (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
-Roberto Clemente professional model baseball bat c.1969-72 (Est. $5,000-$10,000)
-1890 Louisville Colonels American Association pendant (Est. $10,000-$20,000)
The auction will be available for preview at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory on Thursday November 10 and Friday November 11 with the live auction beginning at 11am on Saturday November 12.
As part of the auction Preview Party on Friday, November 11, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory will honor Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield with its 2016 Living Legend Award. Winfield was a 12-time All-Star selection who amassed 3110 hits, 465 home runs and 1833 RBI during his 22-year career. He was a first-ballot inductee into the Hall of
Fame in 2001. Winfield is credited with being the first professional athlete to establish his own charitable foundation.
“The Living Legend Award was created to honor a player who exemplifies greatness both on and off the field, and Dave Winfield is a terrific representative on both fronts,” said Anne Jewell, Vice President and Executive Director of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. “We’re thrilled he’ll be part of the festivities surrounding this terrific annual event with Hunt Auctions.”
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]
Hunt Auctions’ next live auction event will take place at the Super Bowl LI NFL Experience in Houston, TX which will include the personal collection of former NFL Commissioner Joe Carr. Consignments are currently being accepted.
For more details about the auction or the appraisal fair, visit Hunt Auctions’ website or call 610.524.0822.
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