On Feb. 22, in New York, Heritage’s “Platinum Night” auction will sell key artifacts of each respective historic first championship to the most determined collector. In addition to Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series championship pocket watch which could fetch $750,000, other collectibles are worth of mention. The boxing gloves Muhammad Ali was wearing as he shocked the world in that February 1964 bout in Miami are expected to bring more than $250,000. The sale will be held just two days before the 50th Anniversary of the fight in which the legendary boxer earned his first of three Heavyweight Championships.
Another historic beginning is commemorated with the only known factory model bat from the arsenal of “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, best remembered today as the biggest star of the 1919 Chicago White Sox to be banned for life from organized baseball for his participation in the throwing of that year’s World Series. The unique labeling format, as well as the factory side-writing on the bat, assigns use to Jackson’s official debut season of 1911, one notable as the only Major League rookie campaign to record a batting average of .400 or better.
Other significant baseball bats on offer in this Platinum Night auction include one used by Babe Ruth during his first Yankees season of 1920 and Mickey Mantle‘s special model issued for the 1956 All-Star Game, the only Mantle bat that can be definitively attributed to the sole Triple Crown season of his career.
