Mickey Mantle’s 1953 Yankees contract, a Lou Gehrig payroll check and the second ranked master set on PSA’s Set Registry are among the items on the block through June 10 at RR Auctions.
The four-page Mantle contract is dated February 23, 1953. Mantle agrees to render “skilled services as a baseball player during the year 1953” for the New York Yankees, for a salary of $17,500. Mantle’s handwritten “Mickey C. Mantle” signature and his hometown of “Commerce, Okla.,” are at the end of the pact, which is countersigned by New York Yankees General Manager George Weiss.
Mantle broke into the big leagues with the Yankees as a 19-year-old in 1951 and quickly established himself as a star in the outfield. He moved to center field in 1952 to replace the retired Joe DiMaggio, and managed to capably fill his shoes—Mantle made his first All-Star team and hit .311 with 23 homers during the ’52 campaign, leading the Bronx Bombers to their fourth consecutive World Series championship.
He would do the same in 1953 after signing this contract in the offseason, helping to firmly establish the Yankees legacy with their fifth consecutive World Series victory, a record that still exists today.
Several other player contracts from the careers of Hall of Famers are in the auction including Hank Aaron’s 1973 pact with the Atlanta Braves.
Gehrig’s signed payroll check dates to the Yankees’ historic 1927 season. The check is payable to “Louis Gehrig for $707.52 and dated June 15, 1927.
Endorsed neatly on the reverse in fountain pen by Gehrig, it also carries the signatures of Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and executive Ed Barrow.
Anchoring the heart of the notorious 1927 Murderer’s Row’ lineup as the cleanup hitter behind Babe Ruth, Gehrig started off the season at a sweltering pace. By the time he received the check, he had already tallied 14 home runs and 60 RBI, and was batting .391. He finished with a record-breaking 173 RBI, was named the American League’s MVP, and led the Yankees to a then-league record 110 wins and a four-game sweep of the Pirates in the World Series.
Encapsulated and graded by PSA/DNA as NM-MT 8, the check is accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from JSA.
The second ranked 1956 Topps Baseball Master Set on the PSA Set Registry is expected to bring a strong six-figure total, with all 354 cards being sold individually. The set carries a GPA of 9.28 and is made up primarily of cards rated 9 or 10.
Highlights include:
*1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $35,000+)
*1956 Topps #33 Roberto Clemente – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $20,000+)
*1956 Topps #5 Ted Williams – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $10,000+)
*1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $15,000+ |
*1956 Topps #31 Hank Aaron – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $10,000+)
*1956 Topps #15 Ernie Banks – PSA MINT 9 (Estimate: $8,000+)
The entire 1956 catalog can be found here.
Bidding is set to run through June 10 at RRAuctions.com.
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