A one-owner private collection featuring historic baseball memorabilia will reach the auction block for the first time this December. Hunt Auctions is teaming up with Christie’s New York to sell the 25-year collection of high-grade and rare baseball cards, autographs, historic game-used items and other memorabilia. “Home Plate: A Private Collection of Important … [Read more...]
Unopened Basketball, Vintage Autographs Among Stars in Upcoming RR Auction Catalog
Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth. When it comes to auctions, these three stars command the most attention. That scenario is no different in RR Auction’s upcoming sale. The Boston-based company is offering seven Mantle items, 11 items related to Jordan and ten that include Ruth in its latest memorabilia auction, which begins Aug. 13. Other stars include Honus Wagner, … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Gehrig Assists Yankee Workout Day After Retirement
He looked like a guy who could fend off any physical challenge but even a baseball god could not overcome the insidious impact of ALS. Strong and powerful at the beginning of one year. Unable to compete the next. The sad ending to his story is well known, but contrary to the impression some may have, Lou Gehrig didn’t completely walk away from the field … [Read more...]
Consignment of the Week: Program from Ted Williams’ Big League Debut
He was a long way from home, but it didn’t take long for 20-year-old Ted Williams of San Diego to prove he was not over his head. He was a great prospect, but fans who turned out on a chilly day in New York 81 seasons ago had no idea they were about to see the career launch of one of baseball’s all-time greats. Only a couple of game programs from that afternoon at Yankee … [Read more...]
Passing The Torch: Gehrig-Dahlgren Photo from Streak’s End at Auction
As the first week of May 1939 came to a close, baseball’s biggest mystery was what had happened to Lou Gehrig. The once robust 36-year-old Yankee first baseman had seemingly lost most of his big league ability and shockingly pulled himself from the lineup before a game in Detroit just a few days earlier. The end of Gehrig’s 2,130-game streak made headlines but what … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: 1932 Yankees Infield Ahead of World Series
They had dominated the American League, winning the pennant by 13 games while finishing with a 107-47. There were still ten days left in the regular season when the Associated Press distributed a photo featuring members of the team’s infield, ahead of the upcoming World Series. The 6 ½ x 8 ¼” image shows first baseman Lou Gehrig, glancing away, posed with … [Read more...]
Model for All Others? Early Gehrig Bat Sold for Over $1 Million
A bat beloved by a promising young ballplayer named Lou Gehrig has sold for more than $1 million. Heritage Auctions says it completed the private sale this week. The Hillerich & Bradsby bat is one of the earliest known examples of a Gehrig-used stick ever to hit the market. It was originally available as part of Heritage’s Winter Platinum Night Sports … [Read more...]
Candid Gehrig Photo at Fenway Among RMY Headliners
With Babe Ruth finally out of the picture, Lou Gehrig had become baseball's marquee name in 1936. He had played in more than 1,700 consecutive games but showed no sign of fatigue. Now, a rare candid image from that season--taken in the ballpark of the Yanks' biggest rival--is on the auction block. RMY Auctions has kicked off its March Collectors Auction with over 500 … [Read more...]
Rare Lou Gehrig Pre-Endorsement Bat Up For Auction
Before Lou Gehrig became a baseball icon, he was a promising prospect with the Hartford Senators. A fan favorite, he was dubbed "The Eastern Babe,” indicating that he was the Babe Ruth of the Eastern League, in which the Senators competed. Gehrig would make the permanent jump from the Senators to the Yankees in 1924 (he also had a stint with the Yankees in 1923), but a … [Read more...]
Wally Pipp’s 1923 World Series Champs Pocket Watch Up for Auction
You may know that Wally Pipp’s 1925 headache opened the door for Lou Gehrig to begin his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. What many don’t know is that Pipp, the long-established Yankees first baseman, scouted Gehrig when the latter was starring at Columbia University and suggested the team offer him a contract. He also helped Gehrig with some of the finer … [Read more...]