Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: DAVIDS

Quick Words:

Lelands

Full Text:

Lelands Postsale

(with cuts)

NEW YORK CITY -- Record prices were established at Leland's "Legends" auction,

a mail and phone bid sale which featured more than 1,000 lots of historic

sports memorabilia and vintage cards. The two-session auction closed for

bidding on November 12 and 13.

The item in the sale which received all of the presale attention, continued

its dominance right through the bidding session as it flexed its muscle by

obtaining a record price was a rare and historically significant home run

baseball signed by Babe Ruth. The ball then protracted its domination as it

gained further notoriety appearing on national news broadcasts and even making

its way into prominent newspapers across the country such as the New York

Times.

Cataloged as being the "most significant baseball to ever be offered for

public sale," the signed Ruth ball was said to transcend both the life and

legacy of Babe Ruth. It was the first home run hit by any player in Yankee

Stadium as the ball was smacked out of the brand new ball park on April 18,

1923 for a three-run homer during the inaugural game in Yankee Stadium. The

over-the-wall ball by Ruth resulted in a 4-1 Yankee win over the Red Sox.

Inscribed in fountain pen "First home run hit at Yankee Stadium April 18-1923"

and signed Babe Ruth, in what Leland's called "the early but familiar style,"

the ball was in overall good condition although somewhat faded.

Provenance on the ball listed a single family ownership with it having been

presented as an award to a young athlete in Irvington, N.J. in the 1920's. The

recipient of the ball passed away in 1953; his widow discovered the ball in

the attic of the home which the couple shared since 1946.

The ball carried a reserve of $50,000, a mark at which it remained throughout

most of the auction. "Bidding on the ball didn't really start until the last

day," said Leland's chairman Joshua Evans, "but then it really took off going

from $50,000 to $126,500. We had four active bidders," said Evans, who also

commented that the successful bidder had left an absentee bid that was

significantly higher. Although the auction gallery was not at liberty to

release the name of the buyer, it indicated that it was not someone in the

sports collectibles field. Evans called the ball a "perennial," stating that

"when Ruth hit it out of the park that day that he brought about the dawn of a

new era, it changed everything overnight, it brought baseball into the era of

modern sports."

Two Pete Rose items also became the subject of active bidding with a game-used

bat with which Rose achieved 4,191 successful at bats with and the ball from

the same hit bringing substantial prices. The black bat, inscribed "This bat I

used on 9-8-85 for hit to tie Ty Cobb's all time record -- Best Wishes -- Pete

Rose," carried a $3,000 reserve, yet sold for $21,097. The following lot, a

ball inscribed "Base Hit -- '4,191' -- Sept. 8, 1985," which was cataloged as

being written in "Rose's hand" also carried a $3,000 reserve. This lot,

although unsigned by Rose, came with a letter of authenticity from Pete Rose

and was bid to $10,826. Both of these lots sold to an unnamed major league

ball player, according to Evans.

A world record price paid at auction for a canceled check from a sports figure

was also established at the sale as a Lou Gehrig signed check realized

$15,307. The 1936 First National Bank of New Rochelle check made out to the

Army Athletic Association, issued for payment for Army/Notre Dame tickets, was

consigned from a collection which contained more than 100 historically

significant checks issued by sports figures. Another of the top lots among the

checks was a 1923 personal check in the amount of $3 from the account of

Christy Mathewson which realized $7,653.

A strong selection of championship rings were offered in the sale with many of

the pieces having been consigned directly by the players. The top lot was a

1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Championship ring which had been presented to

Roger Craig. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Craig, the ring sold

for $18,785. A Bill Stafford 1961 New York Yankees World Series ring was

cataloged as being "one of the most sought after rings in all of sports."

Stafford was called a "Flame throwing right hander who was an integral part of

this ('61 Yankee) dynasty, winning 14 games." Bidding on the lot was brisk,

with it selling for $16,698. Other rings included a 1977 Yankees World Series

ring which belonged to a minority owner of the team and sold for $9,045, while

a 1969 Mets World Series ring which belonged to the son of Met's owner Bill

Shea realized $6,722.

One of the surprises of the sale was a pair of Michael Jordan sneakers, worn

by Jordan in the game in which he established the Bull's all-time scoring

record in 1990. While the record was certainly a major achievement, it was not

what made the sneakers desirable, according to Evans.

"Our client's interest was not the game or the record itself, although both

are significant, it was the provenance. The sneakers can literally be tracked

right back to Jordan's feet." The sneakers were presented to a young

California burn victim, who owned them up until last year, and the lot was

sold with two photographs depicting Jordan signing them. Reserved at $2,500,

the sneakers were bid to a selling price of $15,989.

Other items of interest included a 1960 Mickey Mantle game-used World Series

bat with signature selling at $14,914, a ball thrown out by President Franklin

Roosevelt in 1941 during a Senators/Yankees game $17,256, a Lou Gehrig signed

ball $13,100, and a 1944-1945 Hal Newhouser MVP award sold at $15,687.

A Mark McGwire home run ball from his 1997 run at the all-time record was

among the offering. The ball, home run number 58, was the only home run ball

from numbers 50 to 58 which had not been returned to the powerhouse hitter.

Called the most important Mark McGwire home run ball to have ever been offered

at public sale, the piece went out at $11,500.

Another lot which stimulated a great deal of interest was a jacket worn by

Washington Senator manager Walter Johnson. The Spalding black wool jacket with

a "W" emblazoned on the bottom was circa 1929. Johnson is considered to be one

of two of the "great pitchers of the olden days" and was one of the first ten

inducted into the Hall of Fame. The highly regarded jacket was hard fought for

by two bidders with it selling for $18,975.

Among the baseball cards offered was an unopened box of 1959 Fleer Ted

Williams cards which realized $12,789, and 100 sets of 1985 Topps cards sold

as a single lot for $16,241. The top selling individual baseball card was a

1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card which brought $5,566. An early 1910 Joe Jackson

card also performed well with it bringing $4,478.

Prices include the fifteen percent buyer's premium. For further information

contact Leland's Auctions, 36 East 22nd St., Seventh Floor, New York, N.Y.

10010, (212) 254-2555.

--DAVID S. SMITH